We're rounding up the biggest venue news of the month—in one convenient place. Got a tip? Get in touch!
In Case You Missed It
On BizBash recently, we rounded up how hotels and other event venues are leaning into wellness, accessibility, and unconventional experiences to help incentivize companies to book in-person gatherings. We also chatted with IMEX CEO Carina Bauer about her go-to venues to host a trade show, entertain a client, and more—from London to Las Vegas.
And for the Golden Girls fans out there, don't miss our roundup on how three clever new pop-up restaurants are grabbing headlines right now.
Here are four more things you should know this month...
1. Two recently released reports highlight positive recovery signs—and lingering challenges.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)’s 2022 Midyear State of the Hotel Industry report was released in late July. Key findings show reasons to be positive: Hotel occupancy is expected to average 63.4% in 2022, approaching pre-pandemic levels, and hotel room revenue is projected to reach $188 billion. Hotels are also expected to employ 1.97 million people—84% of their pre-pandemic workforce—by the end of the year.
“After a tremendously difficult two and a half years, things are steadily improving for the hotel industry and our employees. … While these findings highlight the important role hotels play when it comes to creating jobs, spurring investment, and generating tax revenue in communities across the country, they also underscore the lingering challenges posed by one of the tightest labor markets in decades,” said AHLA president and CEO Chip Rogers. Check out the full report here.
Meanwhile, IACC, the global association representing the top 1% of small to midsize conference and meeting venues, released its latest Meeting Room of the Future report last week. The report—which combines industry insights and data on the global business events sector with IACC members' experiences, opinions, and concerns—underlines challenges such as rehiring and retraining venue workforces, streamlining the sales process for smaller events, and more. Check out the full report here; the next edition is slated to be released in November 2022.
2. Properties continue ramping up their sustainability and wellness offerings.
Environmental company r.Cup has launched operations in Seattle as part of the city’s “Reuse Seattle” initiative, a public-private partnership that seeks to help businesses switch to washable, reusable options. Music venues and events across Seattle will now stop using disposable cups and offer reusable r.Cups instead; r.Cup also offers reusable food containers for food service operators to use at college campuses, company offices, healthcare centers, food courts, museums and aquariums, movie theaters, festivals, and more. The goal? To develop a model to roll out r.Cup nationwide so more cities can adopt similar strategies.
In another sign of venues ramping up their commitments to sustainability, Hyatt’s five-star Alila Villas Uluwatu in Bali has launched an on-site Sustainability Lab to increase eco-friendly practices on the property; guests and staffers can use to lab to learn and engage in environmental action around the local Bali community.
Meanwhile, Santa Monica’s Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows has debuted the EverBlue Sustainability Suite, which the property describes as an “eco-friendly luxury haven” that comes stocked with a selection and ocean- and earth-friendly products like green mattresses and blankets, zero-waste skincare products, and sustainable hammocks. A percentage of sales from the suite will directly benefit local nonprofit Heal The Bay.
And in a fun twist on wellness, Canopy by Hilton Bethesda North has launched the “Green Room,” a new plant-filled space designed to help guests feel relaxed and renewed. The hotel partnered with plant and flower studio REWILD to create the room; REWILD will also lead a series of educational workshops for guests. 
The Green Room is separated into four vignettes, each designed to reduce stress, boost productivity, improve moods, and freshen the air. Next to the coffee bar, for example, an herbal garden features antioxidant-rich herbs like rosemary, sage, and basil, which are ready to be trimmed and added to tea or cocktails. Anchored to the headboard, meanwhile, are air plants, and on the nightstand, lavender intends to offer a restful environment for sleep. Moisture-absorbing moss and hanging vines decorate the bathroom, while eucalyptus hangs from the shower.Photo: Canopy by Hilton Bethesda North
3. Two hospitality veterans are launching a new app to address the labor shortage.
Roger Dow—outgoing CEO of the U.S. Travel Association—has teamed up with Mike Gamble, the CEO of hospitality-exec recruitment firm SearchWide Global, to create Future Work Solutions. The soon-to-launch company is working on an app that will allow a variety of vetted hospitality workers to post their days and hours; hotels, convention centers, and other venues can then search the app to fill foodservice, event services, and housekeeping positions. The plan is to launch the app—which will use facial recognition and QR codes to streamline check-in—in certain cities before the end of the year.
"There are a lot of apps out there, but they don't understand our industry. ... What we want to do is go city-by-city, work with the convention bureau, the convention center, the mayor, the economic development associations, the Hispanic chamber, the Black chamber, and say, 'Let's all work together on building the workforce,'" Dow told Travel Weekly in a recent interview.
4. AHLA and Questex are teaming up to launch a new trade show for the hospitality industry.
Called “The Hospitality Show,” the gathering will be held June 27-29, 2023, at The Venetian Las Vegas. The event will be designed to reach AHLA’s hotel membership across all segments, ranging from suppliers to senior execs, as well as leaders from the restaurant, bar, and travel industries. The three-day event plans to offer education sessions, an exhibit hall, networking, and personalized business matchmaking opportunities.
“The Hospitality Show will serve as the rally point for hospitality professionals across all aspects of the industry to gather, build relationships, and get business done. The timing is perfect for an industry event that brings the entire ecosystem together in one place,” said Questex Hospitality Group president Alexi Khajavi.
Bonus: Check back tomorrow to read our full interview with Khajavi, where he dives further into the logistics behind the show and gives his take on the state of the industry.
