USAE
THE WEEKLY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF ASSOCIATIONS, CVBs AND HOTELS VOLUME 43, ISSUE 8
M A R C H 1 7, 2 0 2 5
Family Sues Hotel Employee, Choice Hotels for Defamation
Room Attendant Mistook Dinosaur Leash for Sex Toy By Jordan Bradley
The Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus and industry representatives on March 5 presented Gov. Brian Kemp with a check that represented the $5 billion in state and local tax revenue generated by tourism-related spending in 2024. The presentation marked Georgia’s 2025 Tourism Day at the Capitol. See story on page 5
Greg Edwards, Head of Catch Des Moines, Retiring By Jonathan Trager Greg Edwards, President & CEO of Catch Des Moines, has announced his retirement after 25 years at the helm of the organization. Edwards, 69, will step down from the role this summer but will stay on to help with the leadership transition, the Iowa organization announced this month. A search
committee will work with SearchWide Global to identify the group’s new leader. “It’s been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve our community in this position,” said Edwards. “Seeing the region evolve into this vibrant and thriving destination and working alongside everyone who has been a part of this journey has been truly remarkable and humbling. I
The Vanderpump Hotel Set to Debut on Las Vegas Strip By Todd McElwee Caesars Entertainment and Lisa Vanderpump are partnering once again. Bringing what the groups call a “bold, new brand and an original concept” to the Las Vegas Strip, The Cromwell, a standalone boutique hotel on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road, will undergo a complete renovation and transition into The Vanderpump Hotel in early 2026. “I am thrilled to once again be partnering with Caesars Entertainment, this time to venture into the
hotel business,” said Lisa Vanderpump. “What an extraordinary opportunity to develop this iconic location into something unique, playful and upscale. Hospitality has always been our passion, and our mission is to create something sumptuous with a unique atmosphere. Our successful history has always been based on the individuality of the location. Through my design company, Vanderpump Alain, with my partner Nick Alain, we can’t wait to breathe new life into this property and Please turn to page 4
believe the foundation that we’ve built here with the incredible team at Catch will ensure that the tourism industry here will continue to flourish and grow.” D u r i n g h i s t e n u re , E d w a rd s brought marquee events to the region such as NCAA Wrestling Championships, NCAA DI Men’s Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds, AAU Junior Olympic Games,
Inside
Please turn to page 6
A Springfield, Missouri, family is suing the employee of a Branson Quality Inn hotel and Choice Hotels International for defamation and negligence after a Facebook post by the employee accused the father of lewd sexual conduct in the presence of their children. Thomas and Alicia Millikin stayed at the Quality Inn Branson – Hwy 76 Central between February 28 and March 2 with their children, according to the suit. When the family checked out, their 9-year-old daughter “accidentally left in the room a leash attachment to the walking dinosaur toy that Plaintiffs had bought her at Branson’s Wild World,” a wildlife park the family had visited during their stay. While cleaning the hotel room later that day, the suit alleges, Noni Clay found the toy leash “and perceived it to be a BDSM riding crop.” Clay then posted about the toy in
FEMA Employee Fired Over Migrant Hotel Stays Sues Trump Administration By Jordan Bradley
Page 3 Page 2 Widow of Man Who Died at Palazzo Sues Venetian for Wrongful Death Page 4 California Extends Suspension of Short-Term Lodging Limits for L.A. Wildfire Survivors Page 5 Georgia Assn. of CVBs Holds Tourism Day at the Capitol
Please turn to page 4
A former employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) who was fired over reimbursement funds for New York City hotels housing migrants sued the Trump administration for defamation and unlawful termination on March 4. Mary Comans, the former Chief Financial Officer at FEMA, was one of four FEMA employees fired one day after billionaire Elon Musk claimed in a February
10 social media post that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had found that FEMA funds were used for to house migrants in “luxury hotels.” Comans’ lawsuit, filed in the District of Columbia, names FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as defendants and claims that Comans was fired “without any warning.” “The Defendants failed to undertake any process to enable Ms. Comans to Please turn to page 3