USAE
THE WEEKLY COMMUNITY NEWS OF ASSOCIATIONS, CVBs AND HOTELS
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IMEX Frankfurt Enjoys RecordBreaking Success
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Choice Hotels Patrick Pacious CEO to Step Down
By Todd McElwee
By Jordan Bradley
Organizers confirmed the 2026 edition of IMEX Frankfurt was a record-setting edition. Featuring its biggest show floor yet, IMEX Frankfurt had close to 3,000 exhibiting companies, more than 13,000 participants, 4,500 hosted buyers and 73,000 pre-scheduled meetings. More than 63,000 one of one meetings took place during the show. “Beyond the numbers, the human element and energy of this community remain at the heart of IMEX,” Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX, said at the event’s press conference. “Although AI was a hot topic, the counterpoint is that face-to-face meetings are having a renaissance. More than ever their value lies in trusted, real-life conversations with real people who spark off each other, leading to multiple positive outcomes—not least business, friendship, employment and industry innovation.” On May 19, the IMEX Place Leaders Forum was held at the Marriott Frankfurt Hotel. It called on CVBs, civic leaders and venues to reposition business events as a strategic tool for placemaking and economic growth— not just tourism. The Forum, formerly known as
Choice Hotels International announced on May 20 that longtime President & CEO Patrick Pacious is stepping down from the leadership role he has held since 2017. Choice’s board of directors appointed Dominic Dragisich, the company’s Chief Growth and Strategy Officer, as its interim CEO while the company conducts a “comprehensive search” for a permanent replacement. Neither Choice nor Pacious disclosed a reason for their parting of ways, and Choice did not return USAE request for comment by deadline. Pacious has been with Choice for more than 20 years. In order to aid with the leadership transition, Pacious will act in an advisory capacity through August 31, Choice said. “Leading Choice Hotels has been the greatest privilege of my career,” said Pacious. During his tenure as president and CEO, Pacious led Choice in an expansion from 11 brands to 22, growing in the upscale and extend-stay segments through the acquisition of WoodSpring Suites and Radisson Hotels Americas. “Pat’s leadership has helped define a new era for Choice Hotels. Through
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IMEX Chairman Ray Bloom and CEO Carina Bauer last week at IMEX Frankfurt.
DI and IGLTA Launch LGBTQ+ Tourism Toolkit
By Jonathan Trager
Destinations International (DI) and the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA) have introduced a new tourism toolkit aimed at helping destinations better serve LGBTQ+ travelers through a stronger focus on safety, belonging, and community engagement. The organizations announced the initiative on May 20, saying the resource is designed to give destination organizations research-backed guidance
on how to create more inclusive visitor experiences. The toolkit was developed with support from the DI Foundation and in collaboration with the IGLTA Foundation. It draws on research from Valuegraphics, a global audience research firm, based on responses from more than 1,800 LGBTQ+ travelers in major international markets considering trips to the United States. According to the findings, LGBTQ+ travelers are strongly influenced by destinations where they feel Please turn to page 4
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Louisiana Casino Resort Hotel Tower Celebrates Grand Opening Page 3
EIC Research Finds Business Generated $1.3T in Direct Spending Page 4
PCMA Creates Global Awards for Sustainable Business Events Page 6
Peter Lee Receives Global Ambassador Award from DI Page 8
Headwinds…but the Sky Is Not Falling
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NYC Hotel Union & Hotels Reach Tentative Agreement
Housekeepers to Earn More Than $100,000 By Jordan Bradley A hotel worker union and hotel trade association in New York City came to an industry-wide contract agreement that will pay housekeepers more than $100,000 annually. The Hotel and Gaming Trades Council (HTC) announced on May 18 that it and the Hotel Association of New York City (HANYC) had reached a tentative agreement on a new Industry-Wide Agreement
(IWA) ahead of a summer budding with international and national travel. The new eight-year contract, which goes into effect on July 1, is “the best contract in the history of our union,” HTC said, with the highest raises “in our union’s contract history— by far.” By the contract’s end, “room attendants and other non-tipped workers will be earning six figures,” the union said, which is an almost 50% increase. Please turn to page 6