We're rounding up the biggest venue news of the week—in one convenient place. Got a tip? Get in touch!
In Case You Missed It
We've been rounding up buzz-worthy restaurants, hotels, meeting and event spaces and more that recently opened around the country. Check out these new event-ready spots in Austin/San Antonio, Boston, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Las Vegas, Miami/South Florida, Nashville and New York—with more cities to come.
We also checked in with Casandra Matej, the new CEO of Visit Orlando, who offered up some smart advice for thriving in hard times, finding a support system, being a woman in leadership and much more.
Here are five more things you should know this week...
1. Has the pandemic changed the hotel industry forever?
Hilton thinks so. In a blog post this week, the hotel brand oulined seven surprising ways the pandemic has changed the hotel industry, from evolving venue design to contactless guest experience to reimagined dining options. Click here to check out their full take.
2. The Arne M. Sorenson Hospitality Fund will support future executives in the hospitality industry.
After the February passing of Marriott International CEO Arne M. Sorenson, the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation announced the establishment of the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership. The foundation provided a $20 million endowment to launch the center at Howard University, a historically Black college in Washington, D.C. The hotel brand also announced the creation of the Arne M. Sorenson Hospitality Fund, which will support the programming and career development elements of the center; the fund got a big boost recently when hotelier Ian Schrager pledged a $1 million donation.
"I can think of no better tribute to the amazing legacy of Arne Sorenson than to focus on educating and advancing future leaders of the hospitality industry," said J.W. Marriott, Jr., executive chairman of Marriott International, in a statement. "Our industry needs a pipeline of diverse leadership talent and that's exactly what this center will achieve.”
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is the latest addition to the Curio Collection by Hilton brand.Photo: Courtesy of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
A positive sign of life for Sin City comes in the March 25 opening of the highly anticipated Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The massive new three-hotel resort offers 1,500 rooms and more than 130,000 square feet of indoor event and meeting space, including a 4,500-seat, state-of-the-art theater and the 24 Oxford showroom for up to 650 guests. The hotel's portfolio also features 5 acres of outdoor space, including a multifunctional event lawn, plus 12 food and beverage venues including Nobu, Todd English’s Olives, Kris Yenbamroong’s Night + Market and many more.
4. Postmates is helping support independent music venues in Los Angeles.
Launched on March 12 was Sustain the Scene, a new Southern California-based initiative from dublab, Postmates and Restless Nites. The goal? To help reopen shuttered live music venues for F&B and merch delivery, paired with at-home livestream concerts on Twitch and YouTube. Exclusive menus have been developed by the individual venues; for example, The Comedy Store in West Hollywood teamed up with Prince Street Pizza for a food special, while The Lash is partnering with Something Good LA food truck to sell family meal packs—all deliverable via Postmates.
The next livestreamed concert takes place April 2 with Starcrawler, ESPRIT/George Clanton and MIKE/dj blackpower at Lodge Room in Highland Park.
5. This Virginia hotel is offering a new “immune-support experience.”
After the year we just experienced, attendees are likely to be drawn to health-focused offerings. One new option comes from Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Va., which has debuted a new “Discover Immune Support” three-day wellness package. The so-called “wellness journey” offers a two-night stay, along with a personalized health and fitness plan, curated menus, interactive cooking classes, non-invasive measurement of body composition (complete with an assessment), and guided exercise sessions, massages, meditation classes, nutritional education and more. The 500-acre resort is located 30 miles outside of Washington, D.C.
