O'Dwyer's July/August 2026 Travel & Tourism PR Magazine

Latest Public Relations & Communications Insights

July/August 2026 | Vol. 40 No. 4

PERSONALIZATION VS. AI IN TRAVEL PR - PG. 8 THE AUTHENTICITY TAX: WHEN OVERPRODUCED CONTENT STOPS WORKING - PG. 9 TRAVEL PR’S NEW DESTINATION: THE ANSWER BOX - PG. 10 HUMOR IN TRAVEL MARKETING: MAKE TRAVELERS SMILE - PG. 13 AI’S EFFECT ON CONSUMER TRAVEL- PG. 22 INFLUENCER MARKETING HAS GROWN UP - PG. 23 RANKINGS OF TOP TRAVEL PR FIRMS - PG. 43 ...... AND MORE!

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J U L . / A U G . 2 0 2 6 | W W W. O D W Y E R P R . C O M

PROFILES OF TRAVEL & TOURISM PR FIRMS PG. 30

CONTENTS July/August 2026 | Vol. 40 No. 4 MATTER MORE NOW: 8 FUNDAMENTALS PERSONALIZATION IN TRAVEL PR AUTHENTICITY TAX: WHEN 9 THE OVERPRODUCED CONTENT STOPS WORKING PR HAS A NEW DESTINATION: 10 TRAVEL THE ANSWER BOX 30 TOURISM IS NEW BATTLEGROUND Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms. 12 SPORTS FOR DESTINATION MARKETING TRAVELERS SMILE: THE STRATEGIC 13 MAKING ROLE OF HUMOR IN TRAVEL MARKETING TO LET LUXURY HOTELS SPEAK 14 HOW FOR THEMSELVES A 55-YEAR LEGACY 16 CELEBRATING OF INDUSTRY RESILIENCE PUBLICISTS ARE LISTENING MORE AND 44 50 17 TRAVEL GUESSING LESS: THE RISE IN REACTIVE PR Interview with Heidi Krupp, Cover: Carolyn Izzo, CEO & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS THE SECRET who started her agency 30 Founder of CIIC PR, celebrating 18 TO SUCCESSFUL CELEBRATIONS years ago. 30 years in business. TRAVEL BY DESIGN, WITH 2026 EDITORIAL CALENDAR 19 LUXURY 44 INTERVIEW NOT DEFINITION HEIDI KRUPP • Jan., Crisis Communications & PR Buyer's Guide AI IS CHANGING HOW CONSUMERS WASHINGTON 22 DISCOVER AND PLAN TRAVEL 46 REPORT • Mar., Food & Beverage PR • May, PR Firm Rankings INFLUENCER MARKETING HAS INTERNATIONAL • Jul./Aug., Travel & Tourism PR 23 GROWN UP 47 PR NEWS • Sep., Financial PR/Investor PROFILES OF TRAVEL & TOURISM MATRIX AWARDS Relations & Prof. Svcs. PR 30 PR FIRMS 48 COVERAGE • Oct., Healthcare & Medical PR 2026 RANKING OF TRAVEL WITH • Nov., Technology PR & AI 43 O’DWYER’S 50 Q&A & TOURISM PR FIRMS CAROLYN IZZO WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

ADVERTISERS CIIC PR ..................................................................................... 5 Coyne PR ................................................................................. 3 Edelman ............................................................................ 20-21 FINN Partners .......................................................... Back Cover Hemsworth ............................................................................. 11 Lou Hammond Group ............................................................ 15

MMGY ..................................................................................... 26 MMGY Wagstaff ..................................................................... 27 Omega World Travel ................................................................ 7 Padilla ........................................................... Inside Front Cover Pineapple Public Relations .................................................. 25

O’Dwyer’s is published bi-monthly for $60.00 a year ($7.00 for a single issue) by the J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc., 271 Madison Ave., #1500 New York, NY 10016. (212) 679-2471; Fax: (212) 683-2750. Periodical postage paid at New York, N.Y., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to O’Dwyer’s, 271 Madison Ave., #1500, New York, NY 10016. O’Dwyer’s ISSN: 1931-8316. Published bi-monthly.

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

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n keeping with the United States semiquincentennial celebrated this year, our summer travel and tourism public relations issue acknowledges a few significant anniversaries. On the cover is Carolyn Izzo, CEO and founder of CIIC PR, who began her journey in PR 30 years ago from a spare room in her mother’s house. Izzo has always believed in the power of personal connections and she’s built her agency one relationship at a time since then. From a humble beginning to offices in New York, Miami and Los Angeles is certainly worth celebrating. The full interview with Izzo is on pg. 50. Heidi Krupp took her leap into the PR world 30 years ago as well from a studio apartment in Hoboken, NJ funded by selling her car for $5,000. Krupp recalled how she didn’t have a business plan and zero PR firm bona fides but her experience as an assistant publicist at ABC News 20/20 working for the likes of Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs gave her an up-close view of the power of human interest storytelling. The Krupp Agency has been successfully telling clients’ stories ever since. Read more about Krupp’s journey on pg. 44. On the facing page is an ad for Omega World Travel, founded by my mother’s sister, Gloria Bohan. Similar to Izzo and Krupp, Gloria leapt out on her own with little money and a lot of moxie. From a small office in sleepy Fredericksburg, Virginia back in 1972 doing bus charters to see the sights in Washington, D.C., she and her late husband, Daniel Bohan, started a course that would lead to Omega becoming one of the largest travel management companies in the world with over 500 employees today. Gloria insists her legacy though isn’t just about how she and her team have grown Omega. They’re also dedicated to mentoring other women entrepreneurs and want to ensure an environment exists where women-led businesses can thrive. Read her take on the current state of the travel industry and what she sees going forward on pg. 16. This issue contains thought leadership from travel PR experts on subjects such as AI’s effect on consumer travel, making sure your copy can pass an authenticity test and coming to grips with the fact that travelers now begin their trip planning not by searching Google or thumbing through a travel magazine, but with a query on ChatGPT. The profiles beginning on pg. 30 showcase the unique capabilities of 28 travel PR experts and conclude with O’Dwyer’s ranking of the top travel PR firms for 2026. Coming up in September we’ll focus on financial and professional services PR with a new section where PR firms can talk about their bespoke AI offerings. There is one more anniversary to mention, but it’s not quite as significant as America 250 or a milestone number of years in business like the 30 years both CIIC PR and Krupp Agency have been around. This July marks 58 years for O’Dwyer’s. And unbelievably, the company has been in the same building at 271 Madison Ave. in New York city since Jack O’Dwyer started his weekly newsletter in 1968 from an office on the 6th floor. His first employee was his wife’s sister, Gloria. Hope everyone’s having a great summer so far! - John O’Dwyer 6

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kevin McCauley kevin@odwyerpr.com PUBLISHER John O’Dwyer john@odwyerpr.com SENIOR EDITOR Steve Barnes steve@odwyerpr.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Fraser Seitel EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS & RESEARCH Jane Landers Christine O’Dwyer Melissa Werbell ADVERTISING: John O’Dwyer john@odwyerpr.com O’Dwyer’s is published seven times a year for $60.00 ($7.00 a single issue) by the: J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc. 271 Madison Ave., #1500 New York, NY 10016. (212) 679-2471 © Copyright 2026 J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc. OTHER PUBLICATIONS: O’Dwyer’s website - www.odwyerpr.com Breaking news, commentary, useful databases and more. Online since 1998. O’Dwyer’s Newsletter Jack O’Dwyer’s groundbreaking weekly newsletter started in 1968 continues today giving readers the inside news of public relations and marketing communications. O’Dwyer’s Directory of PR Firms Clients find it easy to shop for PR firms in this directory, published annually since 1970. The 2026 edition contains listings of firms in the U.S. and abroad. The directory's exclusive cross-client index is the only place where you can look up a company and determine its outside PR counsel. O’Dwyer’s PR Buyer’s Guide Products and services for the PR industry in 50 categories printed as part of O’Dwyer’s magazine each January.

FEATURE

Fundamentals Matter More Now: Personalization in Travel PR As AI-generated outreach grows and newsrooms shrink, personalized pitching can make the difference between opening a door and getting ignored.

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By Kayla Atwater

f I think back on the most meaningful pieces of media coverage our team has secured over the years, almost all of them started with a one-on-one conversation. Tailoring a call or pitch to a journalist’s work isn't new, by any means. Personalization has always been a core principle of our industry. What has changed is everything around it, the way we do it, and the weight it now Kayla Atwater carries. The media are stretched thin, newsrooms are shrinking, and AI-generated outreach is adding even more noise to already overflowing inboxes. Because of that, personalization is no longer simply a best practice. It’s the difference between opening a door or getting ignored. With the volume most media are managing now, anything that does not feel relevant gets immediately filtered out (deleted). Personalization is also one of the clearest ways to tell that there’s a human behind the keyboard. Journalists can tell when a pitch has been thoughtfully developed for them specifically versus when it was likely created using AI or mass distributed to an agency database. In the increasingly automated, fast-paced world we live in today, it’s important to get back to the basics of effective communication, knowing who you are speaking to and taking the time to approach media relations like just that – relationships. The new reality of pitching journalists One of the biggest shifts I've seen over my career is how much journalists are juggling now, often managing the work that used to be divided amongst several roles. Many travel journalists today cover broader beats than they did a decade ago. Editors are balancing leaner teams. Freelancers are facing increased competition for assignments and placement. Media relations isn’t a numbers game. The PR professionals who stand out aren’t the ones sending the most pitches. They’re the ones sending the most selective pitches that are specific, timely, and useful. That means giving a journalist just enough information upfront without causing extra back and forth for clarification on simple details. Journalists are not only evaluating whether a story is interesting, but whether it’s realistic to turn around 8

within their tight deadlines. Personalization also comes down to carefully curating the idea itself. The most successful pitches are often the ones built around insights that are slightly ahead of the curve. Instead of just summarizing what’s already happening, it’s even better if we’re helping surface what’s starting to emerge. That might come from firsthand experiences in a destination, unique patterns being noticed across a hotel portfolio, or insights from local voices who are closest to what’s happening on-theground. On the flip side, knowing when not to reach out is just as important as knowing when to send an email. There’s pressure in PR to move quickly and widely, but sometimes it’s best to pause and wait for the right fit rather than pushing it everywhere at once. Never underestimate the power of a smaller, more intentional target media list. The best stories aren't one-size-fits-all Personalization is central to authentic storytelling. A destination, resort or tourism brand is made up of unlimited story potential. But it’s up to us as the professionals to find what’s unique, as well as what will pique the interest of our ideal media outlet. A new hotel opening, for example, may have relevance from a design perspective, a culinary perspective, a wellness perspective and a sustainability perspective. A local reporter may focus on the economic impact of a development (make sure you have numbers to support your story), a travel editor is more interested in the guest experience (do you have a loyalist you can offer up for an interview?) and some media are data junkies (proactively bring them an infographic!) The most effective travel PR professionals understand, instinctively, how to craft different pitch angles and that one announcement can become several thoughtful, targeted pitches catered to various journalists. This is where personalization comes into play. It’s about understanding which part of a client’s story is most relevant to the target audience who you’d ultimately like to be reading it and leading with that. This also shows up in pitching media visits, which are integral to first-hand storytelling in travel PR. Not long ago, it was common for group press trips to follow a single structured itinerary. While that can still work in certain situations, there’s been a clear shift toward more flexibility and customization. Journalists are working in a much more competitive environment

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now, so there’s more pressure to deliver angles that are distinct and original. We recently applied this approach to a group press trip for Corendon Hotels & Resorts' collection of properties in Amsterdam. Recognizing that some journalists were visiting the city for the first time while others were already familiar with the destination, we created two “tracks” each day: one focused on iconic experiences and another highlighting more local, lesser-known experiences. Journalists were able to choose what was most relevant to their interests and the stories they were pursuing. We brought them back together each evening for a culinary experience, which served a dual purpose, allowing them to network and share stories from their day, while also sparking new angles for coverage with one another. Travelers expect personalization too Personalization is increasingly visible across the travel industry itself. It extends to what readers, fans, followers and viewers want. With tools like Google’s AI Mode now integrated into the search box, people are able to research destinations and receive summarized information that reflects their personal interests based on their prompts. As a result, even travel inspiration is becoming more filtered and individualized. That inspiration also no longer comes from a single source. Travelers move between search tools like Google, social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, newsletters, review sites and traditional media. Each plays a different role in what gets seen and what ultimately influences their vacation planning. For PR professionals, this makes editorial presence even more important. When travelers are comparing options and narrowing down ideas, editorial coverage is often what keeps a brand visible and stay in the mix. That’s where it matters most, ensuring our clients are present in those moments of consideration. Why fundamentals matter more now When content can be generated in seconds, human judgment becomes more valuable. When outreach can be automated, genuine relationship-building stands out. Despite the new technologies and tools that exist today, the fundamentals still matter most. Personalization remains one of the most powerful drivers of effective PR. Kayla Atwater serves as Associate Vice President of Hemsworth: Travel & Tourism. O

FEATURE

The Authenticity Tax: What Travel Brands Need to Do Differently When Overproduced Content Stops Working With audiences becoming more savvy when it comes to media content, communicators need to make sure their stories about brands and destination ring true—and sound unique. By Michelle Rodriguez

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or most of the last decade, travel marketing rewarded a specific formula. Aerial drone footage at golden hour. An influencer walking toward the camera in flowing linen against a backdrop that could be anywhere. A press release promising an "unforgettable journey" to a "hidden gem." It worked, for a while, because audiences hadn't yet learned to recognize the formula, and editors still had an appetite for Michelle polished imagery Rodriguez to fill their pages. That formula has expired. Not because the execution got worse. Because the audience got smarter, and so did the editors, deciding what earns coverage. The cost of looking like everyone else Call it the authenticity tax: the price brands pay when their content is technically excellent but interchangeable. The visuals are flawless, the messaging is on-brand, and none of it sticks, because the viewer has seen this exact shot, this exact phrase, this exact "journey" a hundred times before, attached to a hundred different destinations. The tax shows up in a few predictable ways. Engagement on owned channels flattens even as production quality rises. Media pitches that lean on generic superlatives get fewer responses, because editors can no longer tell from the pitch what's actually distinctive about the place or property being pitched. And increasingly, travelers themselves report a kind of pattern fatigue: they scroll past content that looks like marketing, and they actively seek out anything that doesn't. The brands paying the highest rate of this tax are those that invested the most in the old formula. They built libraries of beautiful, expensive, fungible content, and now that content competes for attention with creators who spent a fraction of the budget but offered something that felt specific and true. What "authentic" actually means (it's not what you think) The word "authentic" gets thrown around so often in travel marketing that it's nearly lost its meaning, which is part

of the problem. Brands hear "be more authentic" and respond by hiring a different kind of influencer, or shooting in a slightly grittier style, while keeping the same underlying message: come here, it's beautiful, it's special, you'll feel something. Authenticity isn't a visual style. It's a property of the story itself. A story is

authentic when it's true to that specific place, that specific person, that specific moment, and could not be copied and pasted onto a different destination without falling apart. Here's a simple test. Take a piece of brand content, swap out the location name and a few proper nouns, and ask whether it still makes sense. If a press release about a coastal resort in Mexico would read just as smoothly if you renamed it for a coastal resort in Croatia, the content was never about the place at

all. It was about a feeling the brand wanted to project, and the destination was just the backdrop. The brands and destinations earning real traction right now are the ones whose stories fail that test spectacularly. The story is so specific to that place, that community, that moment in time, that it couldn't exist anywhere else. The pattern PR people keep seeing Anyone who has spent time pitching travel media has watched the same scene play out. A brand sends over a press kit: stunning photography, a fact sheet of amenities, a quote from a general manager about "world-class hospitality" and "unparalleled views." It's all true. None of it is interesting, because it's the same press kit every brand sends. What editors are asking for instead, more and more, is access. Not assets, access. The chef who can talk for ten minutes about why a specific ingredient only appears on the menu for three weeks a year. The dive instructor who can explain how the reef changed after a particular storm. The hotel's longesttenured employee, who has stories about the property that the marketing team has never thought to capture because they didn't seem like marketing. This is the gap. Brands have gotten extremely good at producing polished assets and not nearly good enough at surfacing the raw material underneath those assets, the people, histories, quirks, and tensions that make a place a place rather than a category of place. It's worth noting that this isn't a complaint about brands being dishonest. Most of the time, the polished version is true. The resort really does have stunning views. The destination really is beautiful. The problem is that "true and beautiful" describes thousands of properties and places, so it doesn't tell a reader, or an editor, anything that helps them decide this story is worth their attention over the dozens of other pitches in their inbox that week. How travelers are responding This shift isn't theoretical. It shows up in how people research and choose travel now. Where a decade ago a glossy hero image might have been enough to generate interest, today's traveler is more likely to keep scrolling past con-

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FEATURE

Travel PR Has a New Destination: The Answer Box

Consumers are increasingly looking to GEO to give them answers about travel destinations. How do you make sure your brand comes up as one of those answers? By Lauren Mackiel

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or decades, travel brands have competed for attention across familiar terrain: glossy magazine spreads, best-of lists, destination roundups, broadcast segments, search rankings and social feeds. The goal was always the same: inspire discovery, earn trust and move someone from curiosity to consideration. Today, that discovery journey is changing in real Lauren Mackiel time. People are no longer beginning every trip with an online search or travel magazine. They begin with a prompt on generative platforms: What is the best waterfront resort in New England for a romantic weekend? Can you give me the top three 5-star resorts for a wellness getaway? What would an ideal 7-day itinerary look like for our family vacation in England this summer? The answers to their questions come from AI generative platforms, which pull from thousands of pieces of data and credible citations. Hotels, resorts and destinations now must think beyond traditional search and focus on the sources and signals that feed these large language models (LLMS). Optimizing for the answer Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO, is not simply a new acronym for SEO or a technical exercise that belongs solely to web teams or marketing agencies. It is about ensuring a brand is credible, current and trusted enough to appear in the answer box. GEO gives public relations professionals a new way to understand where brand reputation is being shaped. It may be one of the most important evolutions of our discipline in years, not because it replaces the work we do, but because it changes where that work needs to show up. At Coyne PR, we talk a lot about what it means to show up in the answer box. For any travel brand, that means being present when someone is deciding where to go, where to stay or what to do. The opportunity is not only to be found, but to be included in the short list before a traveler ever reaches its website. In the old model, the focus was often 10

on ranking for the right keywords. That still matters. The new layer is understanding whether a brand is being surfaced for the moments, markets and experiences it has a credible right to own. This work is already shaping how we counsel clients. In a recent GEO assessment for a boutique luxury resort, Coyne PR looked at how the property was appearing across AI-driven travel queries and what that presence suggested about future opportunities. The evaluation gave us a high-level view of how the property was being represented, where competitors were appearing and where our client could continue to sharpen its story. It helped us understand how a traveler might encounter the resort and then use that insight to build a smarter, more effective PR plan. Earned media stories work harder PR plays a meaningful role because AI can only cite the information it can find. It pulls from the coverage, listings, reviews, guides, awards, websites and conversations that already exist. A media placement can be more than a moment in time, becoming a part of the larger body of information that shapes how a hotel, resort or destination is recognized and understood. For our client, the assessment helped inform our strategy and approach. It pushed us to look more carefully at the writers, sources and outlets that carry weight in the discovery journey, including some that may not have been obvious through traditional planning and research. It also helped us think about the types of stories, proof points and outside perspectives that can strengthen the property’s presence over time, without overcorrecting or losing the human quality that makes travel storytelling powerful. The strongest earned narratives are useful, interesting and real for travelers. But we do have to think more intentionally about what a story does after it runs. A great placement should reinforce the experience a brand wants to be known for, support the larger positioning and live in places that consumers, editors and the tools they use are likely to encounter. The future of PR in this category will require closer coordination between earned media, content, analytics and

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brand positioning. The work still needs industry expertise, creativity and media relationships. The difference is that we now have a clearer view of how those efforts can influence discovery long after the first headline appears. Human inspiration matters Travel makes this conversation especially important because a trip is personal. People are not just looking for a place to sleep or a restaurant to book. They are seeking the feeling of a weekend respite; the ease of a family getaway; the confidence that a meeting will go smoothly or the sense that a destination is worth their time. AI may help build the itinerary, but emotion still drives the decision. Travelers want inspiration, confidence and a sense of possibility. They rely on trusted experts, compelling accounts and reliable advice. AI is increasingly becoming the intermediary that gathers all that information and distills it into a suggested path. Travel advisors and industry experts will continue to play a role in the process. While consumers may use AI to explore possibilities, they still turn to people to validate choices or bring complex trips to life. Turning visibility into action Travel and hospitality brands have a clear opportunity: A strong GEOinformed communications strategy can lead to sharper media priorities, refreshed website content, clearer messaging, stronger thought leadership, updated destination guides, new partnerships and more intentional storytelling around bespoke experiences. The goal is to make sure the right story is available when people are making decisions. The brands that adapt early will have an advantage, they will see what is working, fix what is missing and make it easier for people to choose them. Travel PR has always been about helping people imagine where they could go next. Now, we must also make sure the brands we represent show up when AI helps them decide. Because the next great travel decision may not begin with a search result… it may begin with an answer. Lauren Mackiel is Senior VP at Coyne PR. O

FEATURE

Sports Tourism Is No Longer a Niche – It’s the New Battleground for Destination Marketing Sports tourism has become a major player on the travel landscape. The industry needs to keep its eye on the ball to make sure its effect extends past game time. By Matthew Levison

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or more than two decades, I have watched travel marketing evolve from glossy brochures and FAM trips to data-driven campaigns that chase Gen Z attention spans and algorithm-friendly moments. Yet nothing has prepared the industry for the scale and speed at which sports are reshaping tourism. The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the largest singleMatthew event tourism Levison generator the continent has ever seen. Early projections already point to more than five million international visitors and $15–20 billion in economic impact across the 16 host cities. This is not an anomaly; it’s the latest in a series of athletic events with a growing influence over traveler behavior. Sports tourism is no longer a side benefit. It is now a primary driver of visitation, media coverage and long-term brand equity. The cities, countries, airlines, hotels and tourism organizations that treat it as a one-off opportunity will lose ground to those that integrate it into a sustained, multi-year narrative. From One-Off Events to Year-Round Platforms The traditional model – host an event or activation, issue a press release, secure short-lead earned media – has been replaced by something far more sophisticated. Leading destinations are building “sports platforms” that extend well before and far beyond the tournament itself. Consider how destinations such as Qatar and Australia leveraged the 2022 and 2023 FIFA events not just for the matches, but as catalysts for new flight routes, hotel development and cultural programming that continued for years afterward. The U.S. and Canadian host cities have an even greater opportunity because the tournament spans 16 markets rather than a single megavenue. Each city can own a distinct chapter of the larger story – Los Angeles with its entertainment-meetssports positioning, Seattle with its sustainability angle, Toronto with its multicultural narrative – while still benefiting 12

from the collective halo of the World Cup brand. This is where tourism communications must evolve. We are no longer simply promoting hotel packages, airline routes or destination experiences tied to the games. We are crafting layered narratives that connect sports, culture, sustainability and local identity. The most successful campaigns will feel less like event marketing and more like destination storytelling that happens to have a World Cup backdrop. The New Influencer Economy The rise of sports tourism coincides with a parallel transformation in how influence works. Athletes, teams and leagues have become some of the most powerful travel ambassadors on the planet. Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami generated a level of global attention and cultural relevance for the city in 2023–2024 that few conventional tourism campaigns could replicate. Similarly, the explosion of women’s sports is creating entirely new audience segments. The 2023 Women’s World Cup drew record global audiences; the 2027 edition will be hosted in Brazil, yet every major North American city is already positioning itself as a training or fan destination. These are not traditional influencers. They are athletes with tens of millions of followers who can influence destination consideration, airline bookings, and hotel demand overnight. Destinations, travel brands, and the agencies that support them must now maintain active relationships with sports agents, league offices, and athlete foundations far beyond the classic “athlete endorsement” model. Earned Attention Sports tourism also creates something destinations are increasingly struggling to earn organically: sustained attention. A major sporting event generates months of storylines across travel, business, culture, sustainability, infrastructure, and community impact. The opportunity is not simply to promote the event itself, but to continually feed the broader narrative around what the destination and tourism ecosystem represents. Measurement Has Changed For years, we measured tourism communications success by room nights, media impressions and social mentions.

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Those metrics remain relevant but are no longer sufficient alone. Today’s winning campaigns track “sports tourism lift” – the incremental visitation, hotel occupancy and spend that can be directly attributed to a sports property. They also measure long-term brand perception shifts. For example, “Did the World Cup change how international travelers view a city as modern, welcoming or safe? Did it open new source markets?” The question is no longer just "Did people come?" but "Did perceptions change?" Forward-thinking teams are already building dashboards that combine traditional media analytics with mobile location data, credit-card spend data and airline booking trends. The agencies that can translate those insights into realtime campaign adjustments will win the next round of RFPs. What PR Professionals Should Be Doing Now 1. Map the full sports calendar. Every destination should maintain a three-year rolling sports events matrix that includes major tournaments, training camps, youth championships and even e-sports events. 2. Build cross-sector coalitions. The most effective campaigns unite tourism boards, sports commissions, hotel associations, airlines, and cultural institutions under a single narrative umbrella. Silos kill impact. 3. Invest in athlete and team relations. Designate a dedicated sports liaison within the PR team or agency. This is a must. The travel industry can no longer treat sports as a periodic sideshow. Whether through the 2026 World Cup or the dozens of other major events that now dot every annual calendar, sports tourism has become a permanent, highstakes platform for differentiation, route development, brand storytelling and measurable growth. Cities, countries, destinations, airlines and hotel brands that continue to view sporting events as a one-off activation will find themselves on the sidelines while competitors pull ahead, but brands that embed sports into their long-term strategy will capture disproportionate share and long-term loyalty. Matthew Levison is Managing Director, Travel & Hospitality Practice at HUNTER. O

FEATURE

Making Travelers Smile: The Strategic Role of Humor in Travel Marketing Travel brands are discovering that joy, playfulness and a well-placed wink can help them create stronger emotional connections and engagement with potential travelers. By Mike Rush

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hould the travel and tourism industry take a page from the insurance industry’s playbook and lean into humor? Some of the most memorable brands in insurance have built their identities around humor. Think Allstate’s Mayhem, Progressive’s Flo, or Liberty Mutual’s Doug and Limu Emu. Their success isn’t accidental. Some may argue “no”: insurance is a relatively low-interest category, whereas travel is one of the most aspirational and emotionally charged categories Mike Rush in marketing. Yet in crowded markets, humor—if done right—can create memorability. Travel has traditionally relied on a different set of emotional triggers. Over the last decade, messaging has centered on wellness, sustainability, bleisure, and stand-out or “bucket list” experiences. Those themes remain important, but as competition for attention intensifies, travel brands are discovering that joy, playfulness, and a well-placed wink can be equally powerful tools. The reason is simple: people remember what makes them feel something. Research consistently shows that humor increases attention, emotional engagement, and recall. Oracle found that 90 percent of consumers are more likely to remember a brand associated with humor, while 72 percent say they would choose a humorous brand over its competitors. Other research from Kantar has found that humorous advertising drives stronger emotional connection, engagement, and distinctiveness than the average campaign. For travel marketers, those findings are particularly relevant. Consumers are exposed to an endless stream of destination imagery, hotel openings, airline announcements, and travel recommendations every day. Beautiful photography has become table stakes. The challenge is creating something people actually remember. That doesn’t mean every campaign should be a comedy routine. In fact, one of the biggest misconceptions about humor in marketing is that it requires brands to become something they’re

not. For premium, luxury, and heritage brands, there is often a legitimate concern that humor could undermine credibility or cheapen brand equity. The risk isn’t humor itself. The risk is using humor that doesn’t align with the brand. The most successful campaigns establish those guardrails before creative development even begins. One lesson we’ve learned across clients is that breakthrough ideas must have clear approval structures. We define in advance what kinds of risks a brand is willing to take: Can the brand authentically embrace humor? Are unexpected partnerships fair game? Can real customer stories be featured? Is cultural commentary on the table? What is explicitly off-limits? When we define those boundaries early, agencies can move faster and cre-

360PR+ introduced a dash of fun for two clients with the ultimate travel pet package that drove headlines and bookings: a VIP treatment at Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport in partnership with Wellness Pet Company. Furry friends with Bostoninspired names (think Fenway, Dunkin, Bruin, Wally, Sully and more) unlocked extra-tail-wagging rewards made just for local legends. ative ideas can be evaluated against a clear framework. We’ve also found that approval ladders can dramatically improve the process. Instead of presenting fully developed campaigns and hoping for buy-in, teams build alignment in stages. First, approve the insight. Then approve the strategic territory. Next, approve the campaign platform. Finally, approve the executions and amplifica-

tions. By the time creative concepts reach a brand’s leadership team, stakeholders have already bought into the foundation behind the work. When done thoughtfully, humor can help brands create stronger emotional connections without compromising their positioning. We recently saw this with Wellness Pet Company’s partnership with Omni Hotels & Resorts in Boston. Rather than simply promoting pet-friendly accommodations, the campaign celebrated the joy people experience when traveling with their dogs. Guests traveling with pets named after Boston icons, such as Fenway or Dunkin, received special perks including room upgrades, late checkout, and dental treats as part of a playful “Get Unready With Me” bedtime ritual. The campaign worked because the humor felt authentic to both the brand and the audience. It wasn’t trying to be funny for the sake of being funny. It celebrated a truth pet parents already recognize: traveling with pets is often messy, unpredictable, and incredibly rewarding. The same principle applies at the premium end of the market. For Virgin Atlantic’s new Clubhouse at Los Angeles International Airport, the brand wanted to spotlight its wellness-focused experience designed specifically for travelers preparing for overnight flights. Wellness messaging is hardly a new concept in travel. To create a more distinctive story, we partnered with actor Alan Cumming, who shared his own pre-flight rituals before reading travelers a bedtime story. The concept maintained the sophistication and personality Virgin Atlantic is known for while introducing a sense of warmth, charm, and cheekiness that helped the campaign stand apart. Neither campaign relied on slapstick comedy. Neither abandoned the core brand proposition. Instead, both used humor and joy as a way to make the story more memorable. As travel brands look ahead, the opportunity is to recognize that joy itself can be a strategic advantage. In an industry built around experiences, memories, and human connection, the brands that make people smile often have an edge over the brands that simply inform. Mike Rush is Partner at 360PR+. O

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FEATURE

How to Let Luxury Hotels Speak for Themselves

Affluent travelers want to do more than just follow surface-level hospitality trends. To connect with them, spotlight the details that make a property extraordinary.

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By Jennifer Hawkins

s artificial intelligence continues to reshape the hospitality landscape, we’re seeing a divergence between mid-market utility and luxury positioning. It is a reality that was echoed repeatedly at the recent NYU International Hospitality Investment Forum: While mid-level hotels use AI primarily for cost efficiency, scale, and operational volume, luxury hotels deploy AI as an invisible tool to protect and elevate the human Jennifer touch. That focus Hawkins on “the human touch” hits the bullseye—and it’s a strategy that’s relevant across all segments of the industry. As global wealth expands, affluent travelers are looking past fleeting, surface-level hospitality trends. Instead, they are seeking deeper cultural immersion, highly personalized service, and genuine exclusivity. For hoteliers and the luxury travel advisors who guide these clients, the directive is clear: breathe authentic, sustained life into these core pillars rather than chasing momentary gimmicks. The exact same mandate applies to luxury travel public relations strategies. The messaging we shape for our hotel clients must look beyond internal corporate checklists and focus squarely on what actually moves the needle for the media. Over my decades-long career in travel PR, the standard line when pitching new business has always been that our agency "works best as an extension of your marketing department." In practice, however, the reverse is true: Marketing departments work best for us when they act as a conduit to the property’s actual creators – the designers, chefs, event planners, and concierges. These are the individuals who not only breathe life into daily operations but inherently shape the defining characteristics of the property. This philosophy of looking past the Csuite to uncover the true architects of a brand's identity is gaining traction across all industries. A prime example is the Los Angeles Business Journal’s recent launch of The Indispensables – a new editorial spinoff of their LA500 that recognizes the essential leaders who don't hold chief executive titles but

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are absolutely critical to their organization's success. It is a brilliant concept, and one that resonates deeply with our mission in public relations. To find the “authentic” stories that truly captivate an audience, we have to look deeper, moving past the figureheads to elevate the “real” people who actively build and sustain the brand. While financial forecasting and real estate trends aren't on my casual weekend reading list, I found myself fascinated by the development conversations at the NYU conference, and it prompted me to dig into the actual data surrounding the balance between brand-new builds and adaptive re-use projects. The global development pipeline is experiencing historic momentum. According to Lodging Econometrics, there were nearly 16,000 construction projects in the global pipeline in the final quarter of 2025. Among those were roughly 2,800 conversions – the reimagining of existing structures into hotel properties. Rather than just being "splashy and new," these conversion properties lean toward the intriguing, finding success when their distinct, built-in attributes are revitalized and allowed to capture the traveler's imagination. These usually make for a robust pitch to our editors who love stories about renovations and relaunches. A recent example from our agency’s portfolio underscores this. We represent a grand historic hotel in a major European city center that recently underwent a massive renovation and rebranding. While the property's internal marketing team understandably wanted us to trumpet the debut of a new restaurant, our account team was drawn instead to the meticulous preservation of the historic architecture surrounding the dining space. We knew that there were distinctive U.S.-based luxury media that would be far more compelled by the heritage than the menu. Of course, our strategy still focused on the chef, the culinary craft, and the tier-one accolades like the World’s 50 Best that accompany fine dining. But for the initial debut, we wanted to feature the stunning, historic architectural heritage first, which was an asset that had been painstakingly and lovingly restored by the new owners. As our VP team lead noted: “A highend restaurant is a baseline expectation for a luxury hotel. Historic architecture of this caliber is not. We had to convince the marketing department that the

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property's design and restoration narrative was the real story, and then draw out the behind-the-scenes human elements to build a pitch that would truly resonate across the Atlantic.” While not every property is a historic conversion, almost all luxury developments have these deeper narratives embedded in their blueprints. This is particularly critical when engaging local and regional media, where a hotel’s relationship with its community is paramount. The narrative capital is rich: local owners transforming eyesores into architectural anchors, regional artisans driving the design, curated programming reflecting local wellness traditions, and native landscaping shaped to fit the destination. To unlock these stories, however, travel PR pros must understand the journalists on the receiving end of those pitches. I was reminded of this during a recent press visit to a high-end ski resort in the Rocky Mountains. Dining with a prominent food editor from a men’s magazine, I watched his immediate frustration when he noticed the lamb on the menu was imported from New Zealand. “Why would the chef do that here?” he asked. “Not only is it not local, but this state produces some of the finest lamb in the world.” (Meanwhile, my locally sourced trout was excellent.) It was a sharp reminder that how we package those stories and precisely whom we pitch them to is just as critical. The real reward for us and our clients comes when we deeply understand a journalist's specific editorial lens, allowing us to successfully spotlight the exact details that make a property extraordinary. Ultimately, this premium sector shows no signs of slowing down. In an era of rapid expansion, digital noise, and automated algorithms, our role as PR practitioners isn't to manufacture fleeting trends or rely on data-driven customization shortcuts. It is to dig beneath the surface and uncover the true heart of a brand. Our job is to find "the indispensables" – whether that is a visionary artisan behind the scenes or a thoughtfully designed architectural detail – and give them the spotlight. When we champion the authentic, human elements that truly build and sustain a property, we don't have to force a narrative; we simply let the soul of the experience speak for itself. Jennifer Hawkins is Managing Partner at FINN Partners. O

FEATURE

Navigating a Changing World: Celebrating a 55-Year Legacy of Industry Resilience The last 55 years have seen challenges and opportunities for travel brands. Here’s how one global travel management company handled the changes and kept looking toward the future. By Gloria Bohan

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mega World Travel will reach our 55th year milestone on September 20th. Omega's anniversary is particularly meaningful as our nation also commemorates its landmark 250th anniversary. As the US celebrates two and a half centuries of determination, sacrifice and concern for others, we salute those who created the opportunities Omega has benefited from in building our business. We are marGloria Bohan veling at how the travel landscape has advanced over these 55 years, and we are deeply grateful to the incredible clients, dedicated partners, and resilient community whose support has allowed us to reach this historic moment. Today, with summer travel on the horizon, people are looking past the usual getaways. Travelers are seeking to truly immerse themselves in new cultures and embark on long-awaited, bucket-list journeys. Yet, we celebrate this milestone at a time when the world faces profound challenges. With ongoing global wars and geopolitical instability creating a complex and uncertain international landscape, the desire to explore is naturally met with heightened caution. In this environment, Omega's travel advisors have become more essential than ever. They offer vital support as trusted advocates, working tirelessly to ensure that Americans can continue to travel, and to do so safely and joyfully. By continuously monitoring global safety protocols, slicing through online noise, and providing real-time oversight, our advisors restore peace of mind, transforming what could be a stressful logistical hurdle into a seamless, meaningful journey. On the vacation side, we're seeing a massive resurgence in cruising as a secure and stress-free way to see the world. Cruising remains one of the smartest values out there, bundling your room, world-class dining, entertainment, and multiple destinations into a seamless experience. The demand for both ocean and river cruising continues to skyrocket, with travelers constantly looking for unique, immersive itiner16

aries throughout Europe, Alaska, the Caribbean, Asia, and South America. But what's really moving the needle this year is the way people are traveling. There is a beautiful push toward intentional, meaningful connection, which is why we are planning a record number of multigenerational family vacations. Flexible financing and pay-over-time options have also been a game-changer, making these trips accessible to families who might have previously thought a big vacation was out of reach. Behind the scenes, we've also spent decades perfecting how groups move and connect securely. That's why we have completely leveled up our group booking services alongside our awardwinning Meetings and Events department. Planning an event, such as a highstakes corporate conference or an intricate incentive trip, comes with a lot of moving parts. Our dedicated teams handle the heavy lifting, securing blocks of flights and negotiating complex hotel logistics while managing custom event tech. We don't just book rooms; we engineer frictionless experiences that allow organizers to actually enjoy their own events, knowing every detail is covered by a recognized leader in event planning and the world of institutional travel. We were among the very first to balance rigorous policy enforcement with the human needs of the traveler, engineering custom tech solutions and data analytics platforms when the rest of the industry was still relying on paper. Over the decades, we have handled everything from routine business trips to high-security, massive-scale government mobilizations, earning a reputation for absolute reliability under pressure. For Omega, travel is about more than managing a budget. We provide the strategic oversight, ironclad security integration, and 24/7 human support that keeps organizations moving smoothly, no matter where in the world duty calls. Dedication to technology and automation has been part of our growing strength. From the early use of computers in 1978 to today we continue to have a strong infrastructure to support different needs of businesses and government. We are energized by the challenges and the opportunities for our mission of fostering an entrepreneurial spirit. Building on Omega's many accomplishments as an industry pioneer, we

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continue to carve out an innovative path for the future. Travel programs will continue to be built around four pillars: traveler experience, automation and AI, risk management and duty of care, and data-driven decision making. The overall market will continue to grow, and winners will be organizations that combine technology with hightouch service. Travel is becoming less about issuing tickets and more about managing business mobility, traveler productivity, and organizational outcomes. Given the complexity of government and corporate travel programs, human expertise will remain essential even as automation expands. Finally, our 55-year milestone is a powerful reminder of our roots and the community that lifted us up. As a certified woman-owned travel management company, our legacy isn't just about business growth; it's about paving the way for others. From day one, our leadership team has made it a core mission to advocate for, mentor, and lift up other women entrepreneurs. We know firsthand the hurdles of building something from the ground up, and we are deeply passionate about fueling a collaborative ecosystem where women-led businesses can thrive. Partnering with Omega means working with a team committed to exceptional service, cost-saving expertise, and a shared vision of empowerment that stretches far beyond the boarding gate, ensuring our collective journey onward is as joyful as it is secure. Gloria Bohan is the Founder and CEO of Omega World Travel, a certified woman-owned global travel management company she established in 1972. Bohan also owns Cruise.com and TravTech, Omega’s sister companies. This family of brands operates globally to deliver both direct-to-consumer bookings and behind-the-scenes travel technology. A true pioneer and visionary in the travel industry, Gloria has spent more than five decades spearheading innovations in corporate, government, and leisure travel. As Omega celebrates its landmark 55th anniversary, Gloria remains deeply committed to mentoring women entrepreneurs, fostering a collaborative business ecosystem, and ensuring that travel continues to connect people across the globe. O

FEATURE

Why Travel Publicists are Listening More and Guessing Less: The Rise in Reactive PR

Reporters are becoming more transparent about the stories they are covering, which gives travel publicists a new way to contribute to the media conversation.

By Lindsay Stein

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eactive pitching isn't new. Travel publicists have always connected journalists with sources, responded to deadline-driven requests, and helped shape stories already in progress. What’s changed is how visible those opportunities have become. Today, journalists still routinely share what they're working on through formal lead-generation platforms, but now those leads are also surfacing in our Lindsay favorite journalStein ist’s Substack newsletters, social media posts, and in more conversations that begin with, "I'm working on something and wondered if you know anyone who..." Publicists aren't discovering a new way of working. They're simply seeing more opportunities to contribute to stories already in motion. Of course, there is still an important place for proactive pitching. Many of the industry's most memorable placements came to life because a publicist spotted a story before it appeared on an editor's radar, often after one too many coffees, a stack of trade publications, and a healthy amount of curiosity. But as reporters become more transparent about the stories they're pursuing, listening has become just as important as pitching. Publicists who pay close attention to what journalists are covering (and respond with timely, relevant expertise) are often the ones best positioned to contribute to the conversation. The story often exists before the pitch does. Publicists, of course, play an important role in introducing new concepts, identifying emerging trends, and helping shape editorial conversations. Still, many reporters are now providing greater insight into the reporting process itself. As a result, reporters are often arriving with the story already taking shape. Part of this evolution reflects the reality of today's media landscape. The travel journalist who once covered a single beat for a single publication may now be contributing to multiple outlets, managing a newsletter, hosting a podcast,

or balancing freelance assignments across a range of audiences. Editors are working with leaner teams and publication schedules move faster. Under those conditions, journalists are more intentional about the stories they pursue and direct about the expertise they need to support them. This is particularly evident across travel, where many of the industry's biggest topics are already firmly on editors' radar. Nobody needs convincing that the FIFA World Cup will generate travel coverage. Editors already understand the significance of America's 250th anniversary celebrations. The same can be said for evolving luxury travel patterns, wellness tourism, outdoor adventure, and countless other topics shaping the industry today. What remains is finding the people and places that make the reporting stronger. Publicists step into the role of “matchmaker,” helping connect editorial curiosity with the sources, examples and expertise that make the reporting stronger. This is also where relationships continue to matter. Technology may have made it easier to identify opportunities, but it hasn't replaced trust. Journalists still remember the publicists who consistently provide thoughtful sources, relevant expertise and useful information, particularly when there is no immediate benefit to themselves or their clients. Reactive pitching starts long before anyone reacts. The phrase "reactive pitching" suggests a publicist waiting for an opportunity to appear and then responding quickly. In reality, the strongest reactive opportunities are often the product of months (or years) of being in the know. The best publicists spend as much time following journalists' work as they do brainstorming story ideas of their own. That knowledge rarely comes from a media database alone. It comes from reading bylines, subscribing to newsletters, attending industry events, listening to podcasts, and maintaining ongoing conversations. By the time a journalist shares a source request or mentions a story in progress, the most effective publicists are rarely starting from scratch. In an environment where reporters work on tight deadlines, speed and relevance have become competitive advantages. Not because the first response

wins, but because the most useful response often does. Journalists rarely need 20 sources. They need the right source, delivered quickly enough. Publicists who understand the story, anticipate the need, and respond with something helpful are often the ones who earn a place in the conversation. Some opportunities can’t be forecasted. Travel PR has long been built around annual editorial calendars, seasonal trend forecasts, and story ideas developed months in advance, all of which remain important. But some of the strongest opportunities today come from staying nimble enough to respond to what is happening in the moment. That sometimes requires ongoing education with our clients. As publicists, we need to do a better job of selling reactive opportunities to clients, helping them understand that a timely source request from the right journalist can be just as valuable as a pitch that spent six months on a planning document. Not every impactful placement begins with a carefully mapped-out calendar. Sometimes it begins with paying attention. That's often one of the hardest realities to communicate. Clients understandably want predictability. They want to know what we're pitching, where we're pitching it, and when coverage might appear. Reactive opportunities don't always fit neatly into those expectations. Sometimes the most valuable opportunity of the month arrives unexpectedly because a journalist is actively covering a topic that aligns perfectly with a client's expertise. As publicists, we’re part storyteller and part connector. The challenge isn't responding to every request that appears in our inbox. It's knowing which conversations matter, which sources can elevate them, and which relationships have earned the right to make the introduction. Fortunately, that's a skill our industry has been practicing all along, usually over coffee, occasionally over cocktails, and almost always in pursuit of a better story that neither of us could have told alone. Lindsay Stein is VP of Media Relations at Decker/Royal, where she leads media relations strategy and outreach for clients ranging from hotels and tour companies to destinations and cruise lines. O

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FEATURE

Community Engagement Is the Secret to Successful Celebrations Why increasing the participation of local communities and business in major events can help increase awareness and visitation. By Andrea Braunstein

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merica is having a moment. Since the start of the year, cities all over the United States have played host to major events and milestones. From Route 66’s 100th anniversary to the World Cup and America’s 250th birthday, the scale of these events is massive. As PR people, these types of moments can feel challenging to plan for, but an essential component to their success is a proactive and robust comAndrea munity engageBraunstein ment plan. Community engagement is one of the most powerful tools in tourism marketing. To start, it transforms residents from passive stakeholders into active ambassadors for a destination. Secondly, engagement fosters dialogue, transparency, and trust, which can help to mitigate issues before they arise. Giving local businesses a platform to shine also creates avenues for the kind of authentic storytelling journalists hunger for. And, lastly, when you already have the community invested in the success of the event, they are much more likely to take note of the positive impact the visitor economy has on residents and local businesses. Destinations International recently highlighted several other reasons community engagement is important for destination organizations in its 2025 DestinationNEXT Futures Study. The report notes, “With many destination organizations facing funding risks, centering residents' quality of life and getting community buy-in is vital to securing resources.” It also states that destination organizations are “evolving from traditional marketers into advocates for destination alignment development and community alignment,” and that “success metrics now prioritize resident sentiment and community well-being over raw visitation numbers.” MMGY has recently led several campaigns where fostering community engagement has positively impacted results and has led to increased awareness and visitation. One of these campaigns is the promotion of Route 66’s 100th anniversary for the Illinois Office of Tourism. Through Illinois tourism 18

grants, local organizations have created murals, public art installations, statues, exhibits, and events that reflect the unique character and history of their communities. On behalf of the Illinois Office of Tourism, we amplified these grassroots efforts through strategic marketing and earned media outreach, spotlighting people, places and stories that might otherwise be overlooked. Events such as the Big House Ballgame and Route 66 Centennial Kickoff in Joliet demonstrated how community pride and participation create authentic experiences that resonate with locals and visitors, generate media interest and

Visit Williamsburg's Great American Birthday Quilt Project was embraced by and celebrated by the local community. Photo Courtesy of Visit Williamsburg strengthen the overall tourism campaign. Another client, Visit Williamsburg, was seeking a standout idea for the nation’s 250th birthday that would help differentiate the destination from other historic destinations like Washington, D.C., Boston, and Philadelphia. We conceptualized an idea for Visit Williamsburg that aligned the current trend of picking up old-fashioned crafting hobbies, combined with the Revolutionary War–era craftsmanship people flock to as part of the Virginia Historic Triangle experience. We ultimately landed on creating a massive birthday quilt that would be woven together from contributions from people all over

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the country and publicly displayed. While this was ultimately a national campaign to attract tourism, it started with grassroots community engagement. Letters were written to schools, social organizations, scout troops, sewing circles and other groups inviting them to contribute quilt blocks. We also partnered with an artist who worked at a local museum to serve as a spokesperson and instructor for leading quilt-making events. This community engagement early in 2025 created extensive buzz and excitement for the project, which carried over to a huge turnout of local volunteers at a ceremony revealing the final quilt this spring. People took immense pride in their quilt blocks, and crowds gathered to see them on display. As a result, the destination received local, regional, and national media coverage and saw an increase in website visitation, YOY visitation, and engagement on its social channels. There are times when community engagement is more critical than others and can directly impact the destination’s reputation. Events like the FIFA World Cup, the Olympics and the Super Bowl are cause for a great deal of excitement, but not everyone always sees it that way. These major events can cause disruptions to everyday life for residents and often spark labor disputes among hospitality and public transportation workers. To assist Los Angeles Tourism with its crisis communications preparations in the leadup to the World Cup, we conducted a risk assessment and measured brand sentiment to identify issues early and develop strategies for mitigating any possible negative impacts it could have on the city’s reputation as a tourism destination. These efforts also led to ideation on ways to train hospitality and transportation industry workers to be homegrown brand ambassadors ahead of Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Summer Olympics. In summary, having a strong community engagement plan for your brand’s next major initiative is a wise investment in both time and resources. Whether you’re doing it independently or you’re partnering with other community groups or elected officials, the goodwill it generates and the positive hospitality experiences it leads to will fortify your brand’s reputation. Andrea Braunstein is SVP, PR & Director of Crisis Communications at MMGY. O

FEATURE

Luxury Travel by Design, Not Definition

Luxury travel looks a little different to each traveler. To capitalize on those differences, each destination needs to come up with its own unique recipe for success.

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pend any time in travel or hospitality circles and you will encounter, with some regularity, someone explaining what luxury has become. The framing changes but the confidence rarely does. Luxury is now about experience over opulence. Authenticity. Sustainability. Wellness. Belonging. There is truth in most of these observations. The problem is that any attempt to replace one definition of luxury with another tends to flatten something genuinely complex. Luxury in Elly van Os travel is not a single thing to be redefined. It is more like an ecosystem: a set of elements that shift in emphasis and proportion to produce experiences that feel equally extraordinary but look completely different from one another. Think of it as a recipe. Change one or two ingredients, adjust a ratio, put a different person at the stove, and you get something that is its own dish - distinct but no less remarkable than what came before. What holds these very different experiences together is not sameness. It is a quality that is easier to feel than to describe: the sense, when you are in it, that everything has been thought through. That this place, this moment, is exactly as it is meant to be. That is what these definitions are reaching for when they repeat certain words or phrases until they stop meaning anything. The problem is not that the words are wrong. It is that they describe the feeling without explaining how it is created - and for anyone communicating on behalf of these brands, how it is created is where the story actually lives. I came to this view from an unusual vantage point. Before I worked in public relations, I studied hotel management at La Roches in Switzerland and later worked in hotel operations, primarily food and beverage. That background gave me a practical understanding of what it takes to produce memorable guest experiences: not as a concept, but as a daily operational challenge. Later, representing hotels, destinations, and travel brands as a PR practitioner, I came to see how luxury is built, positioned, and sold. And as a

By Elly van Os

traveler, I have experienced it firsthand at many of the world's most celebrated properties. What I have observed across all of that is that the best luxury experiences are each a different recipe drawn from a recognizable set of ingredients: the physical environment, the quality and continuity of the people, the cultural specificity of the place, the consistency of execution, and the degree to which the experience is genuinely designed for the guest in front of you. No property leads with all of these equally. The best ones have figured out which combination is theirs. That clarity is also what makes them communicable. Kemetale, a boutique luxury dahabeya cruise on the Nile, leads with cultural specificity. What makes it exceptional is not the boat's design or the remarkable sites it visits, but that it is Egyptian-

From left: Mohamed Hassan, Co-Founder of Kemetale; Elly van Os, CIIC PR; and Ahmed El Leissy, Co-Founder of Kemetale onboard of Kemet (Kemetale's Dahayeba's Sailing Cruise), June 2026. owned and run by people who understand the culture not as a product to be packaged but as something they inhabit. Guests attend authentic Sufi ceremonies, dine with local families, and enjoy private evening visits to the Tomb of Seti I. The result is a trip with a par-

ticular kind of authority: you are being shown Egypt by people who live and love it, and that changes what you see. The story tells itself, once you know what it actually is. At Rosewood Hong Kong, recently recognized as the best hotel in the world, the recipe is coherence. Every pathway, room, restaurant, and public space has been designed with the guest's movement in mind. Nothing feels accidental or disconnected. There is a flow from arrival onward, a sense that each part of the property is aware of what the other parts are doing. Design in this context is not decoration. It is the structural architecture of ease. When that is the story, showing beats telling. Château de la Messardière in SaintTropez illustrates a different dimension entirely. The children's programming there is not an afterthought designed to occupy kids while parents relax. It is a fully realized experience, with spaces and activities designed specifically for younger guests. When children are genuinely accounted for, everyone is. This, too, is a form of luxury: and a communications angle that many properties miss because they default to a narrower idea of who their guest actually is. Each of these properties has a different recipe. None of them is trying to be the others. What they share is completeness: the sense that each one has figured out its version of the experience and pursued it without compromise. That is what produces the feeling that something has been fully thought through. This is also why the luxury travel communications brief has gotten harder, not easier, as the category has become crowded with the same language. "Immersive." "Curated." "Bespoke." These words once signaled something. Now they signal that you have not quite found the right words yet. The properties doing it best are not chasing a definition. They are cooking their own dish, with precision and consistency, and the story that emerges from that specificity is distinctive enough to actually land. Luxury in travel has never been one thing, and the current moment — when so many are trying to codify it — should be understood as evidence of that rather than a problem to solve. The result is always different. The feeling, when it works, is the same. Elly van Os is Director, CIIC PR Luxury Division. O

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FEATURE

AI is Changing How Consumers Discover and Plan Travel. PR Holds the Key to Helping Destinations Keep Up How landing detailed, focused stories in respected publications can be a key part of increasing a travel brand’s visibility throughout the GEO cycle. By Candice Eley

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enerative AI hasn’t been around that long, but it hasn’t taken much time for it to fundamentally shift how consumers use technology and, in turn, how a lot of industries are approaching their communications and marketing strategies. For businesses in the travel, tourism and hospitality space, this shift can’t be i g n o r e d . According to Phocuswright Research, nearly Candice Eley 56% of travelers are turning to AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and Gemini to research travel destinations, compare experiences and build itineraries. Rather than scrolling through pages of search results, users are asking conversational questions such as, "What's the best East Coast destination for a family vacation in October?" or "Which European cities are ideal for food lovers on a budget? Businesses and destinations that haven’t thought about how (or if) they are showing up in the answers these platforms provide, quite frankly, will be losing out on a lot of potential travelers. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) focuses on increasing the likelihood that organizations will be cited or referenced within AI-generated answers. While much of the early conversation has centered on digital marketing, plenty of experts have been saying that the real power ingredient in the GEO secret sauce is PR. AI Is Changing the Tourism Discovery Funnel Recent reporting from PhocusWire notes that large language models are rapidly becoming a new layer of travel discovery. Research cited by the publication found that many hotels are essentially becoming invisible in AI-generated travel recommendations, despite having strong traditional digital presences. At the same time, Skift has reported that Google is evolving travel search from a keyword-driven experience to one increasingly influenced by conversational intent, reviews, imagery and contextual information. To a travel or hospitality business, it 22

must seem like so many of the tools this industry relied on for discovery over the years have just lost visibility. Fortunately, if the key to discoverability is context and storytelling, PR is perfectly poised to help right the ship. Earned Media Becomes Readable Authority for AI As PR professionals, we’ve long viewed media coverage as a way to influence human audiences. In the GEO era, media coverage serves a second purpose: it helps establish digital authority. When an AI platform is asked to recommend destinations for outdoor enthusiasts, culinary travelers or luxury vacationers, it looks for evidence across multiple sources. News articles, travel features, destination guides, expert commentary, reviews and local publications all contribute to the information landscape AI systems use to generate responses. This means that a feature story in a respected publication may now influence not only readers but also future AIgenerated recommendations. As a result, PR teams should now evaluate media opportunities through two lenses: 1. Audience reach and engagement 2. Long-term discoverability within AI-powered search and answer engines PR tech tools like Muck Rack are adding AI visibility indexes to their databases to help PR pros navigate this new metric, but it will be incumbent upon all of us to stay on top of which outlets and platforms are providing the most visibility (and understanding why). Authority Matters More Than Volume One of the most important lessons emerging from early GEO research is that AI systems appear to prioritize credibility, consistency and authority over sheer content volume. For destinations, this reinforces the importance of securing coverage in trusted publications, contributing expert perspectives, maintaining accurate destination information and cultivating strong relationships with journalists who specialize in travel as well as the related verticals that align best with their destination. These could include things like sustainability, food and dining, culture and outdoor recreation. Rather than focusing exclusively on the number of placements generated, communications teams should ask: • Are we cited by authoritative pub-

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lications? • Is our messaging appearing consistently across trusted sources? • Are journalists quoting our subject matter experts? • Are key destination or business attributes reinforced by third parties? As communications professionals, now more than ever, we’ll need to be prepared to counsel clients and C-suite leaders on why the right media placement might not be the one generating the largest number of impressions. Destination Narratives Need Greater Specificity In the travel landscape, it’s been easy for marketers to fall back on “we have something for everyone” messaging in hopes of attracting the largest number of potential visitors. But as GEO increasingly rewards precision, discoverability will come through specific, welldefined terms, not generic, broad language. When thinking about how your PR strategy will inform GEO results, always begin by thinking about what sort of questions would a potential traveler be asking: • Where can I go hiking in North America if I need accessible trails? • What are the best vacation destinations for families traveling with multiple generations? • Which small cities are worth visiting for great food? The destinations most likely to appear in those answers are the ones with abundant, credible content addressing those specific topics. Think about how travelers plan and how they search. What is your destination known for? What gets overlooked? What are the major hosted events that people usually travel to your destination to attend? GEO creates an opportunity for PR teams to move beyond broad destination storytelling and develop media strategies around niche traveler interests, seasonal experiences and emerging tourism trends. Getting Smart About GEO In the GEO era, reviews, news coverage, social conversations and destination information may all influence how a destination or tourism business is described. Which is why collaboration with marketing, social media, website _ Continued on page 29

FEATURE

Influencer Marketing Has Grown Up – and Execution is Now the Competitive Advantage Creator marketing has become a standard part of the marketing equation—with one-off relations being replaced by established norms and expectations. By Monica Caponigro & Kyle Hjelmeseth

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or much of the past decade, influencer occupied a unique position within the marketing communications landscape. It generated enormous cultural impact, attracted increasing brand investment and produced measurable business results, yet many organizations still approached it as an emerging channel with caution, characterized by Monica Caponigro inconsistent pricing, long lead times and individualized relationships. Today, the data suggests that era has ended. New research conducted by influencer marketing agency Bobbie in collaboration with Creator talent agency G&B Digital Management points to a Creator Economy that’s entering a new stage of maturity. Their study, titled “Taming the Wild West: The New Laws of Creator ROI,” analyzes thousands of Creator partnerbetween Kyle Hjelmeseth ships 2019 and 2025, revealing that Creator compensation is becoming more standardized, campaign timelines are accelerating and repeat brand-creator relationships are becoming more common. These shifts signal something larger than simple market growth. They indicate that influencer marketing is evolving from a collection of one-off activations into a structured, scalable business discipline with established norms and expectations. For communicators, marketers and agencies, that evolution carries significant implications. As the channel matures, success will depend more on building the operational infrastructure required to execute programs efficiently and at scale. The Creator Economy's Next Phase The Creator Economy has expanded dramatically in recent years. An estimated 200 million Creators worldwide now produce content across social plat-

forms, building communities, shaping consumer behavior and influencing purchasing decisions across every industry*. As a result, Creator marketing has become an increasingly important component of modern communications programs. What was once viewed as a social media tactic now sits alongside earned, paid and owned media as a core channel for reaching audiences. According to industry projections cited in the study, U.S. Creator Economy advertising spend is expected to reach $37 billion in 2025, representing 26% year-over-year growth**. While those headline figures often dominate discussions about the Creator Economy, the more meaningful story is what’s happening beneath the surface: Growth alone does not indicate maturity; operational consistency does. The study's findings suggest that influencer marketing is developing the characteristics associated with established marketing disciplines: clearer pricing structures, faster workflows, repeatable processes and long-term strategic relationships – the hallmarks of a channel that is no longer experimental. Pricing is Becoming More Predictable One of the strongest indicators of market maturity is the evolution of Creator compensation. According to the study, average influencer contracts increased from $3,065 in 2019 to more than $7,400 in 2025 – that’s a 95% increase over six years. Those numbers might appear to reflect

simple inflation or growing demand. But they actually represent something more significant: the emergence of a more standardized marketplace. In influencer marketing's early years, pricing often felt arbitrary. Two Creators with similar audience sizes could command dramatically different rates. Negotiations varied widely, benchmarks were limited and many brands struggled to understand what constituted fair market value. Today, compensation is easier to forecast and defend. That predictability benefits both sides. Brands can build Creator programs with greater confidence and budget accuracy. Creators can establish clearer pricing frameworks and negotiate from a more informed position. Audience size, content format, licensing rights, exclusivity requirements and campaign objectives continue to influence pricing. But the channel increasingly resembles a functioning marketplace rather than an improvised negotiation. For communications leaders seeking budget approval, that shift is particularly meaningful. Creator marketing is becoming easier to explain to procurement teams, finance departments and executive stakeholders because pricing benchmarks are becoming more transparent and consistent. Influencer Marketing Is No Longer Category-Specific Another important finding is that growth in Creator compensation is

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FEATURE INFLUENCER MARKETING _Continued from page 23 occurring across industries at unique speed. Technology recorded the highest compound annual growth rate in Creator contract values over the study period, but significant increases were also observed across home and family,

ing faster – they’re scaling Creator programs simultaneously. Brands gaining the most value from Creator marketing are increasingly those with the infrastructure to support speed through clear briefs, efficient approval processes, organized communication systems and the right technolo-

fashion, beauty, food and beverage and entertainment sectors. That trend reinforces a reality many marketers already recognize: influencer marketing is no longer confined to categories traditionally associated with social media culture. While beauty and fashion helped establish the influencer playbook, Creator partnerships are now influencing purchasing decisions across every consumer-facing sector. In other words, influencer marketing has become a channel rather than a niche tactic. Speed Has Become a Strategic Asset If pricing demonstrates stability, operational speed demonstrates maturity. The study found that the average time between contract execution and campaign completion declined from 81 days in 2021 to 52 days in 2024 – a 36% reduction. This shift may be one of the most important findings. Modern culture moves at extraordinary speed. Brands increasingly need content ecosystems capable of keeping pace. What once required months of coordination, approvals and production can now be executed in weeks. Improved workflows, better Creator management systems, advancements in AI and clearer expectations have streamlined collaboration across brands, agencies and Creators. As timelines compress, teams gain the ability to execute a greater volume of partnerships within the same planning window. The study found that annual deal volume increased substantially during the period analyzed, suggesting that organizations are not merely work-

gy in place. Execution is becoming a performance driver in its own right. The Rise of Long-Term Creator Relationships For years, influencer marketing was largely built around one-off engagements. A brand would identify a Creator, launch a campaign, evaluate performance and move on to the next opportunity. The research suggests that model is evolving. While one-off partnerships still account for the majority of Creator engagements, nearly one-quarter of brand-Creator relationships in the dataset included multiple collaborations. That trend reflects a growing understanding of how influence actually works. Consumers rarely build trust through a single interaction. Repetition creates familiarity, familiarity builds credibility and credibility ultimately drives action. Long-term Creator relationships allow brands to benefit from that dynamic. They also deliver practical advantages. Repeat partnerships reduce

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onboarding costs, improve creative alignment and streamline campaign management. Creators gain a deeper understanding of brand messaging, while brands gain confidence in content quality and performance expectations. For brands, this shift mirrors a broader trend across communications disciplines. Sustainable performance increasingly comes from relationship building rather than transaction-based engagement. The strongest Creator programs today often combine both approaches: one-off activations for testing and discovery with longer-term partnerships with Creators who demonstrate strong audience alignment and business impact. Bigger Isn't Always Better Not surprisingly, larger Creators generated significantly higher total revenue from brand partnerships. Mega Creators with one million+ followers earned an average of $473,000 in annual partnership revenue within the study sample. But the data also revealed a counterintuitive pattern: as audience size increased, revenue efficiency declined. Smaller and mid-tier Creators generated substantially higher revenue per thousand followers than larger Creators, suggesting that influence does not scale proportionally with reach. For marketers, this reinforces an increasingly accepted reality: audience size alone is an incomplete measure of value. Large Creators remain powerful tools for driving awareness and reach. However, smaller Creators often deliver stronger engagement rates, deeper audience trust and greater efficiency in conversion-focused campaigns. Creator partnerships shouldn’t be evaluated through follower counts. The more sophisticated approach is to align Creator selection with business objectives. Reach-oriented campaigns may require large audiences. Conversionfocused initiatives may benefit from highly engaged niche communities. Access Is No Longer the Advantage The most important conclusion from the study is that Creator access is no

FEATURE longer a competitive differentiator. Discovery platforms, talent agencies and Creator marketplaces have made access relatively ubiquitous. The organizations that outperform competitors are increasingly those that execute better. Operational excellence becomes the defining factor separating successful programs from mediocre ones. That includes strategic planning, Creator selection, benchmarking, briefing, approvals, measurement and relationship management. Influencer marketing is no longer new. It’s become a firmed-up infrastructure and has solidified its place in the marketing mix. Monica Caponigro is Managing Director at The Bobbie Agency. Kyle Hjelmeseth is Founder & CEO of G&B. Source for all dataset figures in this report: G&B proprietary partnership data, 2019 to 2024, with timelines for 2021 to 2024, plus G&B revenue-bytier snapshot, 2025, N=94. *https://www.goldmansachs.com/insig hts/articles/the-Creator-economy-couldapproach-half-a-trillion-dollars-by-2027 **1https://www.iab.com/insights/202 5-Creator-economy-ad-spend-strategyreport O

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THE AUTHENTICITY TAX _Continued from page 9 tent that reads as an ad, and to stop on content that reads as a recommendation, even an imperfect one. This is part of why user-generated content and creator partnerships have grown so quickly relative to traditional brand campaigns. It's not that creators are inherently more talented than professional photographers and copywriters. It's that creator content, even when it's sponsored, tends to retain a point of view, a specific reaction, an actual opinion about what was good or surprising or worth the trip. Brand content, by design, often strips that point of view out in favor of something universally appealing, which ends up being universally forgettable. The implication for PR teams is that the goal isn't to chase the creator format. It's to bring that same quality, a retained point of view, a willingness to be specific rather than universally appealing, back into brand-originated storytelling and media outreach. What brands need to do differently The shift required here isn't cosmetic. It's a change in what gets prioritized, briefed, and budgeted for. Stop briefing for the shot. Start briefing for the story. Most content briefs start with a shot list: the pool at sunset, the lobby from above, the couple on the beach. Flip the order. Start by identifying the most specific, most "couldn't happen anywhere else" story available, then figure out what visuals support that story. The shot list should follow the narrative, not replace it. Audit the existing content library for "could be anywhere" content. Most brands have more usable, specific material sitting in their archives than they realize, old interviews, local partnerships, community ties, that never made it into the marketing rotation because it didn't fit the polished aesthetic. Before commissioning new content, look at what's already been captured and ask what got left out. Give media people, not packages. When pitching a story, the strongest asset isn't always the photography. It's an offer to connect a journalist directly with someone who has a real, specific story to tell, with enough lead time for the journalist to shape their own angle rather than receive a pre-packaged one. Train spokespeople to be specific, not aspirational. A general manager who says "we're committed to sustainability" is saying nothing. One who can describe

exactly what changed on property last year, what didn't work, and what they're doing differently this year is giving media something they can actually use. Specificity, including the imperfect parts, is what makes a quote quotable. Rethink what a "press trip" is for. The traditional press trip optimizes for volume: get as many journalists as possible to see as much of the property as possible in 48 hours. A trip designed around access instead optimizes for depth: fewer journalists, more time with the people and places that make the destination distinctive, and far less pressure to fill every hour with a planned activity. Knowing it's working The hardest part of this shift for many brand teams is that the early signals don't always look like success in the traditional sense. A story built around a specific, smaller moment may not generate the same raw impression numbers as a sweeping campaign asset. The right signals to watch for are different: does the coverage include details that couldn't have come from a press release? Are journalists asking follow-up questions or requesting access to the same people again for future stories? Is the content getting saved, shared, or commented on with specifics, rather than generic praise? Those are the signs that a story has done its job, which is to make the place memorable as itself, not as an example of a category. The advantage goes to brands that move first None of this means abandoning production quality or walking away from visual storytelling. It means recognizing that polish is now table stakes, not a differentiator, and that the next real advantage will go to brands willing to be specific even when specific is messier than aspirational. For PR teams, this is an opportunity. The agencies and in-house teams that can identify the genuinely distinctive stories inside a brand, rather than just executing the next round of polished assets, are the ones positioned to earn coverage in a media landscape that has grown allergic to anything that sounds like everyone else. The authenticity tax isn't going away. But brands that understand what authenticity actually requires, specificity over polish, access over assets, story before shot, won't be the ones paying it. Michelle Rodriguez is Principal and Founder of 360View. O

AI IS CHANGING _Continued from page 22 and destination stewardship teams is essential to ensure that information across channels aligns with the brand’s desired positioning. As social media boomed, hospitality brands and destinations have had to keep an eye to reputation management; GEO increases this need, but in many ways, it also makes it quicker and easier to identify shortcomings, weaknesses and areas that need improvement. We’ve developed a GEO-first approach, Padilla GEO 3D™, designed to help our clients discover not only how they show up on AI platforms but also how their competitors show up. We make AI-centric recommendations based on these findings and create plans to drive measurable results. As GEO continues to evolve, our client programs will continue to evolve, too. What DMOs and Travel Brands Should Do Now In these early days of GEO adoption, it can feel like the Wild West. But fundamentally, our work as communicators, marketers and PR pros hasn’t really changed – it’s just shifted in focus. To set ourselves, our clients and our brands up for success, we need to: • Think about the sources that are influencing AI results. Prioritize earned media in highly credible travel, business and lifestyle publications. • Develop content and story angles around specific traveler intents rather than broad destination attributes. • Increase the visibility of destination experts, local voices and tourism leaders through interviews, commentary and thought leadership. • Evaluate current strategies around owned content, including press releases, blogs and web copy, to ensure it aligns with GEO best practices. • Reevaluate measurement approaches and metrics to include AI visibility as part of the bigger picture. And finally, think about the AI handoff. Once a potential traveler has found their answer via AI, what comes next? The journey doesn’t stop there, so make sure the rest of your marketing team is ready to help move them down the path. The Future of Destination PR The rise of GEO does not diminish the value of PR. If anything, it increases it. For travel and hospitality businesses, you don’t need to throw your media relations plan out the window – it might just need an AI-focused tune-up. Candice Eley is Senior Director at Padilla, leading integrated marketing and strategic media relations for travel and hospitality brands. O

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Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms 2BPR 251 South Lake Avenue Suite 800 Pasadena, CA 91101 626/379-2381 Instagram.com/2bprinc Facebook.com/2BPRInc www.2bprinc.com Jessica Bradford, President Brooke Jennings Roe, Sr. Associate With offices in New York and Los Angeles, 2BPR is a full-service boutique public relations firm specializing in luxury and lifestyle clients in the travel, wellness, beauty and fashion industries. As a unique consortium of senior-level marketing and communications experts, we combine the experience of large agency talent with the energy, personal involvement, and careful attention of a small agency. We pride ourselves on developing superior integrated marketing and communications strategies at an affordable cost while providing reliable hands-on service. Most importantly, we focus our time & resources on the creation and distribution of valuable, relevant, and consistent messaging to attract and retain a clearly defined audience for every client, ultimately driving brand loyalty, profitable customer action and industry awards.

Marion Walsh-Hédouin, Global Head of PR & Communications at Minor Hotels, with Jessica Bradford, Founder & President of 2BPR, and her team at a media event in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles.

360PR+ 60 Charlton Street New York, NY 10013 212/729-5933 www.360PR.plus Mike Rush, Partner, mrush@360pr.plus Kristen Thompson, SVP, kthompson@ 360pr.plus At 360PR+, travel is a daily adventure we all look forward to. That’s because

we’ve represented some of the most innovative and beloved names in all corners of the industry, among them Virgin Atlantic, Trainline, Omni Hotels, Legoland New York, Trek Travel, VRBO, Avis Car Rental, Zipcar, and Travelpro luggage. From launching new AI-powered booking tools to elevating the human touch that makes a travel experience more memorable, our work for clients in travel and hospitality reflects our deep understanding of today’s travelers and how to tap into the cultural zeitgeist. Our relationships with the travel tastemakers run deep across editorial outlets and digital platforms, from wide-reaching top-tier media to targeted Substack newsletters and, of course, social media influencers. We start with a story that’s built to breakthrough and pull that through with earned media, expert content, influencer activation, events and more. Our creative campaigns have been recognized with a long list of awards and, more important, have driven positive, measurable business outcomes for our clients.

360view 4450 W. Lakeside Dr. Ste. 225 Burbank (Los Angeles), CA 91505 contact@360viewpr.com www.360viewPR.com 360PR+ helped Trainline spur summer bookings with The Reading Route, a train travel-themed take on the summer book club. Curated by Emma Roberts, co-founder of the viral book club BELLETRIST, each Reading Route selection was inspired by one of Trainline's top European destinations. 30

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Michelle Rodriguez, Principal & Founder 360view is a bi-coastal strategic public relations agency dedicated to elevating

Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms tourism and hospitality brands through a holistic, results-driven approach. We take a comprehensive view of each client’s business, delving into every touchpoint from operations to brand voice, to uncover distinct positioning and opportunities that drive both visibility and revenue. Specializing in travel, tourism, and hospitality, our core services include media relations, influencer marketing, press trips, content creation, media and consumer events, celebrity and brand partnerships, and social media strategy. Each program is tailored to not only create buzz but convert interest into bookings and long-term brand equity. Our client roster features premier names such as Tahiti Tourisme, EVA Air, and Rocks Resort, along with a diverse portfolio of globally recognized tourism brands. In the past year alone, several of our hotel clients were featured in prestigious rankings by Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler, highlighting our ability to secure toptier exposure in competitive markets. From curated press experiences to headline-generating campaigns, our work consistently delivers measurable impact. We’re proud of our industry accolades, but prouder still of the tangible results we generate. These include a 46.1% increase in tourism tax revenue for one destination client and a 159% sales lift for a hotel brand. These outcomes speak to our deep understanding of media dynamics and consumer behavior. Headquartered in Los Angeles with an office in New York and team members embedded across key U.S. markets, 360view has become a trusted partner for brands seeking to grow share of voice, visitor volume, and bottom-line performance. We don’t just build awareness, we move the needle.

The Abbi Agency 1385 Haskell Street Reno, NV 89509 theabbiagency.com Abbi Whitaker, President The Abbi Agency (TAA) is a full-service marketing and public relations agency that builds brands, shifts perceptions and inspires action. Working with world-class travel destinations, national health initiatives and Fortune 500 heavyweights, TAA generates movements that cannot be ignored. The agency is proudly headquartered in

360view handled media relations for EVA Air's inaugural DFW–TPE route launch, packing the terminal event with press and generating the coverage that put this new nonstop between Dallas/Fort Worth and Taipei on the map. Nevada with offices in Las Vegas, Reno, Albuquerque, New Mexico and Helena, Montana, powered by a team that hails from around the globe. As a certified B Corporation, TAA is guided by the foundational mission of “Be Bold. Be Boundary Breaking. Be Big Hearted.” Since the company’s early days, each team member has thought differently, acted differently and believed that an agency can reach higher by moving beyond the tired practices of the past. TAA works in a variety of industry sectors, from travel and tourism to education, nonprofits, healthcare and beyond. Recently named Advertising Agency of the Year by the American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) Western Region Best of the West Media Awards and Bulldog PR’s Midsize Agency of the Year, the agency excels in creating award-winning integrated marketing campaigns for clients, including Aramark Destinations, Nevada Health Link, Carnival Cruise Lines, Google, New Mexico Tourism Department, The Life You Can Save, Edgewood Tahoe, the Nevada Mining Association, Visit Big Bear and many more. Learn more at theabbiagency.com.

CIIC PR New York | Miami | Los Angeles 845/358-3920 x11 connect@ciicpr.com www.ciicpr.com Carolyn Izzo, CEO & Founder Amy Sedeño, Vice President & Partner Jennifer Barry, Managing Director

service public relations and social media agency specializing in strategic communications for the travel & tourism, hospitality, real estate, food & beverage, and lifestyle sectors. With offices in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, the agency’s team of highly connected communications professionals brings more than 45 years of combined experience from some of the nation’s leading PR firms. Celebrating 30 years in business, CIIC PR has built a reputation for delivering strategic public relations campaigns and measurable results for clients across the hospitality, tourism, and real estate industries. The agency has represented leading hotel and resort brands, management companies, and independent properties throughout the U.S. and internationally, including Marriott International, Crescent Hotels & Resorts, Palladium Hotel Group, Curator Hotel & Resort Collection, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Select Registry, Savoy Signature Hotels (Portugal), Bless Hotel Madrid, Novotel Miami Brickell, The Norman Estates at Rancho San Lucas, Aliz Hotel Times Square, Mexico Grand Hotels & Residences, Casa de la Playa, Casa Kimberly, Casa Carolina, and Cala Luna Hotel & Spa in Costa Rica. As destination marketing specialists, CIIC PR has extensive experience promoting destinations including Barbados, Nevis, Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, the Mexican Caribbean (Quintana Roo), and Surfside, Florida, among others. Known for its strategic, creative, and results-driven approach, CIIC PR has

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Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms

CIIC PR's Luxury Division continues its global growth with the addition of Kemetale in Egypt. Director Elly van Os is pictured exploring the destination during a recent immersion trip. CIIC PR _Continued from page 31 earned industry recognition from PR Daily, PR News, and HSMAI, receiving more than 20 hospitality marketing awards. The agency and its leadership have also been honored with accolades, including PR News’ Top Women in PR, PR News’ Top 100 Agency, and The PR Net 100. CIIC PR is proud to be a certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) as a woman-owned company.

insight with creativity to help destinations and brands break through. Even amid economic headwinds, demand for meaningful, memorable travel remains resilient. Coyne understands the landscape and builds programs that deliver long-term value for clients. From earned media to influencer engagement, social storytelling and integrated campaigns, we help brands connect with travelers in ways that resonate. We stay ahead of emerging trends -

from purpose-driven travel and live tourism to sustainability, AI-led discovery and the growing role of data in shaping traveler decisions. Our team helps clients lead conversations, evolve messaging and align with changing consumer values. AI is reshaping the travel experience, from trip planning and personalization to how consumers discover and compare destinations, hotels and experiences. Coyne leverages these tools to better understand audiences, identify opportunities, optimize storytelling and deliver measurable results. From luxury cruise lines to hospitality, destinations and travel tech, our portfolio spans the industry. With global reach and boutique-agency attention, we bring senior-level counsel and passion to every partnership. At Coyne, we believe in travel's ability to connect, uplift and transform. We're proud to help destinations and brands stand out in the moments that matter.

The Decker/Royal Agency New York, NY 646/650-2188 info@deckerroyal.com www.deckerroyal.com Twitter: @deckerroyal Instagram: @deckerroyal LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-decker-royal-agency Additional Offices: London and Toronto Cathleen Decker, Stacy Royal, Partners

Coyne Public Relations 5 Wood Hollow Road Parsippany, NJ 07054 973/588-2000 coynepr.com/industry/travel-tourism/ 1350 Broadway, Suite 810 New York, NY 10018 212/938-0166 Thomas F. Coyne, CEO John Gogarty, President Jennifer Kamienski, Executive Vice President Jennifer DeNick, Senior Vice President Lauren Mackiel, Senior Vice President As travel evolves in a more connected, tech-enabled and experience-driven world, Coyne PR stands as a leader in the industry. With a roster of iconic clients and award-winning work, our Travel & Tourism practice blends 32

As Hilton's AOR, Coyne PR elevated the brand's cultural relevance through integrated storytelling, generating buzz with the Wicked-inspired Stay Like suite and securing high-impact media coverage that drove billions of impressions worldwide.

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Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms With team members across North America and the United Kingdom, Decker/Royal combines strategic insight with hands-on execution to deliver work that advances brand reputation, strengthens relationships and supports business objectives.

Development Counsellors International (DCI) 600 5th Avenue, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10020 212/725-0707 www.aboutdci.com Toronto 647/276-1917 Los Angeles 818/688-3010 Karyl Leigh Barnes, President Daniella Middleton, Partner

Our passion is places. Established in 1960, Development Counsellors International (DCI), is focused on elevating the lives of people living, traveling and working in the places we serve. During the last half century, we have worked with more than 700 cities, regions, states, provinces and countries to help them attract visitors, business investment and talent. Our Tourism Practice partners with destinations, hotels and tour operators/DMCs to increase sustainable leisure, corporate and association arrivals and spending which helps create and sustain jobs for local residents. How? By winning the support of key influencers—media, digital influencers, meeting planners and the travel trade. We combine smart strategy with the right tactics to deliver powerful tourism results that advance communities and local businesses. DCI is Certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise by WBENC.

Decker/Royal is proud to represent Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa, the first hotel in France's Grand Est region to receive the coveted Palace distinction. Reserved for a select group of exceptional properties, the designation is considered the highest honor in French hospitality. At Decker/Royal, travel isn't a category. It's our calling. Since 2014, we have partnered with destinations, hotels, resorts, cruise lines, tour operators and travel brands to build visibility, shape reputation and support business growth through strategic communications. Our work is built on a simple belief: effective public relations requires a deep understanding of how travel is experienced, marketed and sold. That insight informs everything we do. Known for our senior-led approach, we serve as an extension of our clients' teams, providing counsel that goes far beyond media relations. Agency leaders are trusted collaborators, helping clients navigate opportunities, challenges and moments of change. That partnershipdriven approach has resulted in longstanding relationships with many of the travel industry's most respected brands.

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Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms

Edelman 250 Hudson St., 16th Floor New York, NY 10013 212/768-0550 Fax: 212/704-0117 www.edelman.com Edelman is a global communications firm that partners with businesses and organizations to evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. Our 6,000 people in more than 60 offices deliver communications strategies that give our clients the confidence to lead and act with certainty, earning the trust of their stakeholders. Our honors include the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for PR; Advertising Age’s 2019 AList; the Holmes Report’s 2018 Global Digital Agency of the Year; and, five times, Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work. Since our founding in 1952, we have remained an independent, family-run business. Edelman owns specialty companies Edelman Intelligence (research) and United Entertainment Group (entertainment, sports, lifestyle).

Evins Communications 600 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200 New York, NY 10020 212/688-8200 info@evins.com www.evins.com Linkedin.com/company/evinspr Instagram.com/evins.pr Facebook.com/EvinsPR Mathew L. Evins, Chairman and Founder Louise R. Evins, CEO Jacqueline Long, President David Harrison, Head of Data and Insights David Abrams, Head of Media and Development Evins is an independent integrated communications agency with nearly 40 years of experience helping hospitality, travel, wine and spirits, culinary, and luxury lifestyle brands build awareness, inspire action, and create lasting cultural relevance. Rooted in insight, sharpened by strategy, and powered by data, technology, and creativity, we develop communications programs that spark discovery, build communities, and drive meaningful business impact. Our work is guided by a deep understanding of human behavior, an obsession with emerging cultural shifts, and a belief that the strongest brands don't simply react to change, they help shape it. Headquartered in Manhattan with 34

regional teams and resources around the world, our collective of strategists, storytellers, creators, and communicators is deeply immersed in the industries we serve. We speak the language of hoteliers, restaurateurs, winemakers, distillers, travel advisors, and tastemakers because we live within their world and understand how to translate expertise into stories that resonate with modern audiences. Our approach blends the relationship driven craft of communications with the intelligence of modern data and technology. Through Yardstick Insights, our proprietary data and analytics platform, alongside advanced AI and Generative Engine Optimization capabilities, we help clients uncover opportunities, identify emerging trends, sharpen audience targeting, and measure cultural relevance in real time. The result is smarter strategy, stronger storytelling, and greater business impact. In today's fragmented media landscape, we bring together earned, owned, shared, paid, experiential, influencer, and executive visibility programs into integrated campaigns designed to meet audiences where they are and move them to act. Every idea is rooted in insight, aligned with business objectives, and built to deliver measurable results. Over the past year, Evins has continued to expand its roster of leading brands and organizations, welcoming clients including Duckhorn Vineyards, Sentient Jet, Berry Bros. & Rudd, FORA, JW Marriott Hotel Tokyo, Patina Group’s Lincoln Ristorante, and Boveda. These additions complement a portfolio of long-standing partnerships that average more than eight years in tenure, with several client relationships extending beyond two decades. Our client roster includes some of the world's most respected and influential brands, among them AVE by Korman Communities, Berry Bros. & Rudd, Bronco Wine Company, Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte, Chenot Palace Weggis, Duckhorn Vineyards, Forbes Travel Guide, FORA, Halekulani Hotel, Halekulani Okinawa, HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO, Inspirato, Jet Linx Aviation, JW Marriott Hotel Tokyo, Royal Hawaiian Center, Sentient Jet, CraftCo, Tres Agaves, and many more. Recent work reflects both the breadth of our expertise and the depth of our impact. From helping launch Duckhorn Vineyards' 50 Stories for 50 Years campaign to supporting Sentient Jet's leadership positioning across business and broadcast media, we continue to create programs that connect brands with audiences in ways that are culturally relevant, commercially meaningful, and built for

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long term growth. Our leadership team remains actively engaged in shaping the future of the industry. Chairman Mathew Evins and President Jacqueline Long regularly contribute to conversations surrounding luxury hospitality, brand authenticity, emerging technology, AI, and the evolving role of communications in culture and business. Their perspective, combined with our agency's collaborative "One Team, Always" philosophy, ensures that clients benefit from senior strategic counsel and integrated thinking across every engagement. We are proud to have been recognized among the industry's leading specialty agencies, including being named to The PR Net 100 and O'Dwyer's rankings of top hospitality, food, beverage, and travel communications firms. Above all, we believe that great communications begins with curiosity, collaboration, and shared discovery. We lead with intelligence, create with purpose, and partner closely with our clients to build brands that earn attention, inspire loyalty, and shape what comes next.

FINN Partners 1675 Broadway New York, NY 10019 212/715-1600 www.finnpartners.com Jennifer Hawkins, Managing Partner, NY Travel Practice Leader Debbie Flynn, Managing Partner, Global Travel Practice Leader The agency’s global travel portfolio includes clients in lodging, destinations, airline and cruise, design, health and wellness, attractions and travel-related services. Destinations include: Destination New South Wales, Bahamas, San Francisco Tourism, Visit Oakland, Hong Kong Tourism, Virginia Beach, Belize, Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Greater Palm Springs, Michigan Economic Development Corporation/Pure Michigan, Orlando, Colonial Williamsburg, Oman Tourism, Travel Alberta, Tourism Ireland, Iceland, Malta, Jersey and more. Hotels include: Accor, St. Regis Aspen, Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, Evermore, Gstaad Palace, Iberostar, Rixos, Baros Maldives, Royalton, Puente Romano, Santo Collection, Soho House, The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, Virginia Guesthouse, a&o Hostels, Westin Grand Cayman, Milaidhoo, and Turtle Bay in Fiji, Cliff House, Harborvale, La Tourangelle. Airlines include: Delta Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, Air India and Korean Air. Cruise

Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms services include Seabourn (USA), Starboard Cruise Services (USA) and Galataport Istanbul (USA). Travel Services include City Experiences. Tour Operators include: APT, Nomadic Expeditions, Intrepid Travel and Wilderness Safaris. Luxury travel brands include: Montage Hotels & Resorts, Mandarin Oriental Hotels, Pan Pacific Hotels, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Sina Hotels, Sublime Hotels, Beckons, The Langham, Blue Lagoon, Songtsam, Silversea (UK). In addition to communication strategies, FINN Travel & Lifestyle offers Trade Representation for clients such as Belize, Greater Palm Springs, Nassau and Paradise Island Promotion Board. The agency also specializes in Responsible Tourism, Cruise Marketing Services, Multi-Cultural Marketing and Economic Development. Our commitment to our clients is to be an extension of their brands —a true partner who works hard, plays nice, respects and encourages diversity and collaborates across global offices and practices.

French|West|Vaughan 112 East Hargett St. Raleigh, NC 27601 919/832-6300 www.fwv-us.com Rick French, Chairman & CEO David Gwyn, President / Principal Natalie Best, Chief Operating Officer/ Principal Leah Knepper, SVP, Travel & Tourism Practice French/West/Vaughan (FWV) is the Southeast's largest public relations, public affairs, advertising and digital media agency, a distinction it has held since 2001. Headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., and founded in April 1997, FWV has received 40 Global or National Agency of the Year honors over the past 29 years. Its Travel & Tourism practice is ranked 10th in the country. For nearly three decades, FWV’s dedicated T&T practice has worked with and helped grow a number of destinations, resorts, municipalities, attractions, museums, historic regions and event properties. We start by translating a client’s assets into meaningful and emotional storylines and follow that up with meticulously crafted, research-driven campaigns that have been successful at increasing awareness, driving visitation and creating uniquely sharable visitor experiences. We tap into our expansive network of influencers across the country to build authentic buzz and drive meaningful word-of-mouth, leveraging these creators as trusted voices on

behalf of our clients. Current travel and tourism industry clients include City of Durham, NC; Concord Hospitality; Downtown Raleigh Alliance; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; NC Dept. of Transportation; Omni Hotel Raleigh; Raleigh Economic Development; Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan; the Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau (Wilmington, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach, N.C.); Visit Greenville, NC and Play Greenville, NC Sports. Prior travel and tourism work includes campaigns for America’s Historic Triangle (Williamsburg, Va.); Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage; cooperative marketing campaigns for the tourism organizations of Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Croix (U.S.V.I. Dept. of Tourism) and St. Maarten; Branson, Mo.; Cabarrus County, N.C., home to NASCAR’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway; Caesars Virginia; City of Durham, NC; Concord Hospitality; Cary, NC; Divi Resorts and its nine Caribbean properties; Dorothea Dix Park, a 308-acre destination park in Raleigh, N.C.; the Dude Ranchers’ Association; Gatlinburg, Tenn.; the Greater Raleigh CVB (N.C.); the National Cowboy Hall of Fame & Western Heritage Center; the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, the state’s most-visited attraction; Oakland County, Mich.; Old Salem Moravian Village (N.C.); Oliver Hazard Perry Shipyard; the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame + Museum; Trailways Transportation System (Fairfax, Va.); Tweetsie Railroad (N.C.); and the Washington Tourism Development Authority (N.C.). FWV is the parent company of fashion and lifestyle PR firm AMP3 (New York City); pet and animal health practice Fetching PR; and Prix Productions, a feature and documentary film production company. FWV employs more than 140 public relations, public affairs, social media, advertising and digital marketing experts between its Raleigh, N.C., headquarters and offices around the country.

Hemsworth Atlanta * Charleston * Fort Lauderdale * New York City * Tampa 954/716-7614 www.hemsworthcommunications.com Instagram.com/HemsworthPR Facebook.com/HemsworthCommunications LinkedIn.com/Company/HemsworthCommunications Samantha Jacobs, Founder/President Michael Jacobs, Chief Operating Officer Lacey Outten, Associate Vice President Kayla Atwater, Associate Vice President Hemsworth is a top-ranked, award-

Hemsworth Associate VP Kayla Atwater. winning agency that partners with both emerging and iconic brands in travel, tourism, hospitality, culinary, wine, spirits, lifestyle and franchising to drive buzz and business. With strategic communications experts across the United States – including Atlanta, Charleston, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, New York City and Tampa – as well as a network of vetted freelancers in other top media markets globally, Hemsworth is known for crafting tailored programs that encompass brand strategy, media relations, social media, influencer marketing, event programming, thought leadership, digital marketing, crisis communications and more. Companies partnering with Hemsworth gain access to a team with unprecedented passion, insight and connections, dedicated to surpassing client expectations, delivering personal service and garnering powerful results.

HUNTER One World Trade Center, Floor 68 New York, NY 10007 212/679-6600 www.hunterpr.com Other Offices in: Los Angeles, London and Chicago Samara Farber Mormar, smormar@ hunterpr.com Grace Leong, Global CEO Gigi García Russo, President Samara Farber Mormar, CMO Matthew Levison, Managing Director, Travel & Hospitality HUNTER, a Stagwell agency, is a leading integrated marketing commu-

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Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms HUNTER _Continued from page 35 nications partner committed to earning attention and elevating corporate reputation for some of the world’s most beloved companies and brands. Born from a foundation in traditional PR, HUNTER has evolved with clients’ needs and staff’s passions to offer a wide range of scalable solutions across channels and verticals, including Food + Beverage, Home + Lifestyle and Travel + Hospitality. HUNTER partners with leading brands in travel, hospitality, and entertainment to drive awareness, buzz and cultural relevance. With a strategic approach, refined editorial sensibility, and deep understanding of the global landscape, we shape narratives that earn attention, affinity, and impact across channels. Our portfolio includes iconic hotels and resorts, global hospitality groups, private aviation leaders, luxury tour operators, trusted household names in travel guidance, and more. We bring nuanced expertise, deep media relationships, and a hands-on approach to every brand we represent.

J/PR 530 7th Ave., #502 New York, NY 10018 212/924-3600 letstalk@jpublicrelations.com www.jpublicrelations.com

HUNTER launched Fairmont Hotels & Resorts “Wellness Without Walls Program” in partnership with soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé. Offices: 530 7th Ave., #502, New York, NY 10018 212/924-3600 2341 Fifth Ave., San Diego, CA 92101 619/255-7069

818 18th Ave. South, 10th Flr., Nashville, TN 37203 310/722-7066

123 Buckingham Palace Rd., Victoria, London SW1W 9SH, UK +44 (020) 3890 5838

1615 Platte St., Office 127, #200, Denver, CO 80202

10250 Constellation Blvd., Office #02-170, Los Angeles, CA 90067 310/722-7066

4250 N Drinkwater Blvd., Suite 300, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

J/PR Partners Sarah Evans (left) and Jamie O’Grady. 36

600 California St., Floor 11, San Francisco, CA 94108

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Jamie O’Grady and Sarah Evans, Partners Ali Lundberg, President Owned by Jamie O’Grady (California) and Sarah Evans (New York), J/PR is a global communications agency specializing in luxury travel, tourism, hospitality, lifestyle, and real estate. With offices in New York City, London, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Toronto, Denver, and Nashville—and a presence in Atlanta, Chicago and Arizona—J/PR is one of the largest independent travel, tourism and hospitality agencies, with a signature boutique service model and deeply engrained focus on longevity. J/PR continues to scale, creating longterm impact with a multifaceted expertise and strategic lens, and clients across the U.S. and UK, offering a full scope of PR, social media and photography services. In the past year, the agency welcomed marquee clients including Saint-Barth Tourisme, Destination Toronto, Visit Austin and Visit Carmel-by-the-Sea, Castiglion del Bosco, A Rosewood Hotel, Ted Turner Reserves, White Desert, ROKU Kyoto and German luxury hotel management

Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms company, Kempinski—reinforcing its leadership in the destination marketing and global luxury hospitality spaces. The agency’s roster includes some of the most iconic hospitality brands in the world, such as Dorchester Collection, Hilton Luxury Brands, Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Hotel del Coronado, Waldorf Astoria New York, Relais & Châteaux, Pendry Hotels & Resorts, Vail Resorts Hospitality, and Under Canvas. J/PR’s digital division continues to be one of the fastest growing and counts social media clients such as White Elephant Resorts, Alila Ventana Big Sur, The Ritz-Carlton O’Ahu, Turtle Bay, The New York EDITION and Shou Sugi Ban House among its portfolio, which now includes service offerings like 24/7 community management and full-service TikTok and LinkedIn offerings. J/PR’s commitment to longevity can be seen in the more than 40 members of the 130-person agency who have been with the company for over five years, and 16 who have worked at J/PR for more than a decade. That commitment to people extends to the agency’s clients as well—over 50 clients have worked with J/PR for five years or more, and 20+ clients have relied on the agency for a decade or more.

LDPR 232 Madison Avenue, Suite 1100 New York, NY 10016 212/696-0660 www.ldpr.com Laura Davidson, CEO & Founder Gina Jevic, Chief Operating Officer LDPR is a leading voice in travel and lifestyle public relations headquartered in Manhattan with staff in Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles. For the past 25+ years, the agency has been at the forefront of integrated initiatives for destinations, international hotel companies, independent boutique resorts, luxury tour operators, and lifestyle products. Agile, intelligent, and strategic, the agency achieves remarkable results by listening to clients, the marketplace, and the media—pairing experienced counsel with AI-enhanced research and insights to deliver smarter, forwardlooking strategies. LDPR is a sweet spot of PR firms: big enough to offer a range of integrated services, and small enough to provide senior-level leadership and personalized service that fosters long-

Left to right: Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, The Hon. Edmund Bartlett, award-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph and “TODAY” show Executive Producer Talia ParkinsonJones during a break in the “TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle” show’s live remote broadcast from the island, coordinated by Lou Hammond Group. term relationships with clients, media, and industry colleagues. In addition to numerous industry awards, LDPR has been named on The Observer’s “PR Power List 2026,” and “The PRNet 100, 2025.” Our clients include Aman; Abercrombie & Kent; Orient Express (Hotels, Trains, Yachts), Windstar Cruises; VisitScotland; Melbourne/VisitVictoria, Australia; The Boca Raton, Florida; Castle Hill Inn, RI; The Exclusive Collective (Exclusive Resorts, Inspirato, onefinestay); Four Seasons Naples Beach Club, Florida; Lizard Island Resort, Great Barrier Reef, Australia; Hilton Aruba; Paws Up, Montana; The Ritz Paris; The RitzCarlton South Beach and Bal Harbour; Octant Hotels, Portugal; Royal Sonesta Boston; The Tryall Club, Jamaica; Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria, Sorrento, Italy; Grand Hotel Fasano, Lake Garda, Italy; One Aldwych, London; Sea Island, Georgia; Sundance Resort, Utah; Windjammer Landing, St Lucia; among others.

Lou Hammond Group 12 E 49th Street,11th Flr., New York, NY 10017 212/308-8880 lhg@louhammond.com www.louhammond.com Lou Hammond, Founder/Chairman Stephen Hammond, CEO

Lou Hammond Group (LHG) is a celebrated, integrated marketing communications firm with offices in New York, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. LHG has built a legendary reputation celebrating its four decades as the leading midsized agency serving the travel industry. A few things to know: • Independent: known for boundless creativity and enthusiasm • Operates differently: no time sheets — clients get the attention they need when they need it • Founder of the PR World Network, 17-year organization, 27 global members • Proud to have extensive client retention among the highest in the industry; some 30% of destination clients have partnered with LHG over ten years+ with one, two decades. Sampling of new travel accounts— Destinations: Discover Lancaster, PA; Discover West Virginia; Johnston County CVB, NC; Peru Tourism; St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches, FL; Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater, FL; Visit Tuscaloosa, AL; Other: Atlanta Beltline, GA; Dali Museum, FL; Pyramid Global Hospitality; SC250 Charleston; Viva Cruises. Following a mandatory and competitive RFP process, TOURISM Santa Fe and South Dakota Dept. of Tourism remain clients. Keys to success - results and creative

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Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms LOU HAMMOND GROUP _Continued from page 37 outreach: • Jamaica Tourist Board—Leading Caribbean Destination Implemented a multi-phase recovery program from unprecedented Category 5 Hurricane Melissa: - Developed NBC’s “TODAY Show” partnership delivering two remote episodes. Hosts Jenna Bush Hager + Sheinelle Jones highlighted Jamaican food, music and celebrities to show destination was open for business - Coordinated multi-market radio + TV station remote broadcasts - Implemented mega-fam trip with 30+ journalists/influencers - Created consumer activations, including NYC’s Hard Rock Café Results 500+ million impressions as Jamaica achieved faster-than-expected business recovery. • Bringing Mississippi to the Mainstage: The Birthplace of America's Music With the partnering of Visit Mississippi and Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience (MFSBE), LHG's goal was to maximize and enlighten one undeniable truth — that Mississippi is the birthplace of America's music. A private NYC engagement with Freeman drew 50+ journalists from top-tier outlets and resulted in coverage on “Good Morning America” and the “TODAY Show,” with additional DMA amplification across New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, and Memphis. The campaign generated 97.9 million impressions and more than $800,000 in earned media value. • Launching MSC Cruises’ First Alaska Sailings MSC Cruises debuted in Alaska from Seattle in 2026, marking the brand’s West Coast launch and introducing travelers to the newly refurbished MSC Poesia. An integrated PR campaign included media events, press sailings, broadcast outreach, a Seattle Times partnership, and a conservation-focused collaboration with ORCA. Coverage generated more than 2.2+ billion media impressions and established MSC Cruises as a new player in the Alaska market. • Reintroducing Lodi: From Underrated Wine Region to America’s Favorite Small Town Lodi has lived in the shadow of Napa and Sonoma for years. Visit Lodi partnered with Lou Hammond Group to change that. Through a sustained earned media campaign, LHG showcased Lodi’s distinctive strengths. The campaign elevated Lodi’s culinary renaissance, including features in Travel + Leisure and AllRecipes. It rallied community support behind Lodi's nomination for 38

Parade's America’s Favorite Small Town contest. Lodi claimed the national title in 2026, turning a year-long effort into a powerful story. The campaign generated 515 million+ impressions. • Providence Tourism Council Strengthened position as one of nation’s top LGBTQIA+ destinations by amplifying Rhode Island PrideFest, the largest Pride celebration in New England. Secured top content creators to experience Providence and PrideFest firsthand and delivered more than 19 million media impressions. Secured feature story in USA Today on Providence’s Mayor Brett Smiley, who is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. • 250 Charleston—Celebrating History Charleston’s commemoration of the American Revolution is one of four Congressionally designated cities celebrating this historic milestone. To build awareness, a PR campaign was launched, engaging local and national audiences. Coverage, including the NY Times and USA Today, elevated Charleston’s role in the celebration, while sustained local media outreach bolstered community engagement. Earned media to date has generated 6.1+ million impressions, with coverage continuing through July 4th. LHG clients know they are working with the most trusted, go-to media and influencer resource in the industry with a singular commitment to delivering quality, measurable results.

McGuckin Entertainment PR Austin, TX Heidi Labensart, heidi@mcguckinpr.com 512/698-2621 mcguckinpr.com McGuckin Entertainment PR is a boutique public relations firm specializing in strategic storytelling for artists, events, and brands across travel, music, lifestyle and entertainment industries. With a focus on authenticity and impact, the company crafts tailored campaigns that elevate visibility while staying true to each client’s voice. From album releases and tour announcements to festival launches, brand partnerships and press trips, McGuckin Entertainment PR blends media relations, digital strategy, and creative positioning to deliver measurable results. Rooted in a deep understanding of the evolving media landscape, the firm maintains strong relationships with key press outlets, tastemakers, and industry gatekeepers.

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MMGY 360 Lexington Ave., 10th Floor New York, NY 10017 212/228-1500 mmgy.com/what-we-do/public-relations Julie Freeman, EVP, Public Relations Lauren Kaufman, Mng. Dir. Andrea Braunstein, SVP & Director of Crisis Communications Maggie LaCasse, SVP & Director of Brand Partnerships Julie Cuesta, EVP, Global Representation Services Natalia Dowling-Kennedy, SVP, UK At MMGY we are global connectors, storytellers and curators of travel experiences. Wherever you want to go, we’ve been there. With more than 45 years representing the biggest brands in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, we know how to get you there. Rooted in data, analytics and insights, our integrated approach and long-standing media and influencer relationships are harnessed to creatively tell your story and land marquee coverage. We forge an emotional connection to reach our audiences where they live, work and play. We offer expertise in consumer and trade media relations, social media, corporate and brand positioning, experiential and event marketing, strategic partnerships and promotions, influencer engagement and crisis communications. Industry innovators and thought leaders, MMGY is the author of the widely acclaimed Portrait of American Travelers® annual research study. With offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Austin, Chicago, Miami, Detroit, Denver, San Francisco, Vancouver, Whistler, Washington, D.C., London, Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Rotterdam and New Delhi and an international partner network, MMGY Global Travel Marketing Collective, we serve many of the world's premier travel and tourism brands. Other MMGY areas of expertise include integrated marketing, data & analytics, international marketing & communications and research & insights. A selection of clients includes Amtrak, Arkansas Tourism, Apple Leisure Group, Bermuda Tourism Authority, Concord Hospitality, Costa Rica Tourism, HSMAI, I Love New York, Illinois Office of Tourism, LATAM Airlines, Los Angeles Tourism, Oceania Cruises, Sensei, Fort Myers - Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods, Scandinavian Airlines, The British Virgin Islands, Travel & Adventure Show, Travel Texas, Visit California, Visit Dallas, Visit Santa Barbara, Visit Williamsburg.

MMGY Wagstaff 800 Corporate Pointe, Ste. 150 Culver City, CA 90230 www.wagstaffmktg.com Julie Freeman, EVP, Global Public Relation Nadia Al-Amir, Mng. Dir. Tori Katz, VP, PR Amanda Hathaway, VP, PR (Wine & Spirits) Tara Schroetter, VP, Social, Influencer & Digital Marketing For the last 25 years, the Wagstaff team has created award-winning public relations and marketing campaigns that champion and advocate for the hospitality, culinary, travel, and wine and spirits industries' talent, products, and experiences. We strategically leverage the relationships and leads of our expert teams in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and beyond, as well as the overall network of MMGY Global. The team embraces our passion and curiosities for dynamic lifestyle and hospitality brands to create customized, multi-channel, innovative and impactful programs that share our clients’ stories and secure results that matter. The agency is part of MMGY Global and its North American practice specializing in public relations, social media and experiential marketing. Our boutique services are rooted in our dedication to uplifting the talent and voices in the industries that we serve, from a Michelin-star chef-owned restaurant, to a family-owned domestic hotel group, an award-winning craft spirit, or an international luxury resort with its own culinary and arts festival. We all share a common passion for these industries, while at the same time we come to the table with diverse professional backgrounds with experience in entertainment, sports, art & design, and journalism, enabling us to bring fresh and creative storytelling angles, strategic partnerships, and compelling content to our strategic plans. Other MMGY Global areas of expertise include research and insights, strategic communications planning and implementation, brand marketing, traditional and social media buying, digital/social media strategy, website development and management, e-CRM, travel industry relations and international destination representation. A selection of clients includes Eataly, Fun Lab, Holey Moley, Gérard Bertrand, Grand America Hotel, Hotaling & Co., Irvine Company, Jackson Family Wines, James Beard Foundation, Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, Noble House

Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms Hotels and Resorts, Nobu Chicago, The Jay Hotel, Thompson Seattle, Viceroy Chicago, Visit Dallas, Visit Williamsburg, Westin Hilton Head Island.

P-22 Agency Los Angeles | New York 323/807-7333 www.p-22agency.com Ty Bentsen, CEO & Founder In just over a year since its launch on April 22, 2025, P-22 Agency has quickly established itself as one of the travel industry's firms to watch. The bicoastal boutique doubled its client portfolio in the first quarter of 2026 alone with recent wins including El Encanto, Explora, Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, Cachasol Tequila, and JJUIN - a travel-inspired luxury home brand in East Hampton. These appointments join a growing roster that includes The Maybourne Beverly Hills, The Sun Rose West Hollywood, Conrad Punta de Mita, and Mission Craft Cocktails. With

an integrated approach spanning public relations, social media, influencer marketing, paid media, and creative strategy, P-22 Agency has become a trusted partner for luxury and lifestyle travel brands seeking culturally relevant storytelling tied to tangible outcomes. P-22 is a challenger agency that boldly entered the chat to deliver a striking new breed of founder-led, strategic communications for leading luxury and lifestyle travel, tourism, aviation, and spirits clients. Women-owned and driven by passion, P-22 Agency is a bi-coastal agency operating in Los Angeles and New York City bringing big, brand-level thinking to clients at scale. Agile, tenacious, and deeply committed to its craft with an ethos that prioritizes high-touch service over ego, P22 Agency is dedicated to aligning with brands that share its values and strive for excellence. The agency was purpose-built to offer working parents, risk takers, and people who love the hospitality industry a vibrant, supportive workplace where they can create, inspire, and thrive.

Founder and CEO Ty Bentsen brings 22 years of culturally-attuned, experience-led PR strategy to P-22 Agency, earning the year-old challenger agency a spot on The PR Net Next Gen Awards 2026 list. ADVERTISING SECTION | JULY/AUGUST 2026

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Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms

Padilla 1101 West River Parkway Suite 400 (Headquarters) Minneapolis, MN 55415 612/455-1700 PadillaCo.com Candice Eley, Senior Director From technology-driven services and sustainable practices to authentic connections with local cultures, today's consumers crave personalized and immersive experiences. To capture their attention, travel and hospitality brands must demonstrate they can deliver in creative ways that inspire action. We help you stand out and make meaningful connections. Cutting through the noise requires staying ahead of the trends and an agile, omni-channel approach. At the core of our strategy is the power of storytelling, brought to life through a nimble, multifaceted campaign that resonates across the entire media landscape. Clients in the travel and hospitality sectors have included Air New Zealand, Cambria Suites Hotels/Choice Hotels International, Meet Minneapolis, Rentyl Resorts, Richmond Region Tourism, Saudia Airlines, Science Museum of Virginia, the Valentine, Tru by Hilton, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation/Amtrak Virginia, and Winnebago Industries. Padilla is a full-service agency that transforms brands and organizations through strategically creative communications. As an AVENIR GLOBAL company and a founding member of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, the agency provides services to clients through 115 offices worldwide. Transform with purpose at PadillaCo.com.

Pineapple 1954 Airport Rd., Suite 121 Chamblee, GA 30341 404/237-3761 DStone@pineapple-pr.com www.pineapple-pr.com

you share the right story with the right audience, in the right places. We build trust that turns into real results you can see in visitation, awards, and community impact. We create a custom mix of PR, community, digital, social, content, crisis comms, and industry partnerships assembled with clear intent, so every message has a job to do, and every channel works together. Our award-winning team orchestrates the full marketing experience that builds trust with your audiences and drives the visitation that creates economic impact for your community. We are former DMO leaders, exreporters, media strategists, creative directors, influencer experts, and content creators who live in this world every day. You have a story worth telling. Let us help you tell it differently. Let’s build a strategy that drives visibility, recognition, and lasting impact.

Redpoint Marketing PR, Inc.

Deborah Stone, President TRAVEL. TOLD DIFFERENTLY. PINEAPPLE is a strategic communications agency born from a love of travel and the belief that powerful storytelling can inspire it. Our tagline isn't fluff. It’s the intentional way we tell your destination’s story so it lives beyond the headlines. We bring our passion, expertise, and connections to help 40

Pineapple celebrating the award-winning work that draws on forward-thinking strategies with a visionary approach to create measurable impact for our clients. Taking home the hardware for campaigns that increased bookings at Nantahala Outdoor Center’s new elevated accommodations and drove off-season visitation for Discover Dahlonega.

85 Broad Street c/o WeWork New York, NY 10004 212/229-0119 miranda@redpointmarketingpr.com www.redpointmarketingpr.com Christina Miranda, Principal & Co-Founder Victoria Feldman de Falco, Principal & Co-Founder Ross Evans, Vice President Gina Dolecki, Vice President

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Founded in 2002, Redpoint is a fullservice public relations agency with deep roots in travel, tourism, and hospitality. We seek, craft, and share compelling stories with media and social influencers to engage audiences that matter most to hotels, resorts, cruise lines, destinations, tour companies attractions, travel services, associations, and more. We maintain deep relationships with top journalists and influencers, and our curiosity and imagination fuel ideas to catch (and hold) their attention. Several of our clients have been with us for more than 10 years, and they say the reason for this is simple: we bring fresh ideas to their business each year, we never get stale or fall into predictable patterns, and we never – ever – just do the minimum. From global cruise ship launches and high-profile hotel launches to revenue-generating seasonal programs and SEO-driven digital PR campaigns, our talented group of entrepreneurial, resourceful professionals has a passion for delivering meaningful results. A sampling of clients we’ve represented includes Cunard Line, United States Tour Operators Association, Kintetsu Railway, Tourism Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism, Tourism New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island Tourism, Atlantic Canada Agreement on Tourism, Nocturne Luxury Villas, First Hospitality, Princess Cruises, MSC Cruises, Tauck, Perillo Tours, St. Hilda Sea Adventures, Snake River Sporting Club, Loews Hotels, Oceania

Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Woodstock Inn & Resort, Kennebunkport Resort Collection, Brenton Hotel, Saint Lucia Tourist Board, Visit Bath County, Miramichi River Tourism Association, Taste of Nova Scotia, Briggs & Riley Travelware, Ensemble Travel Group, The Principality of Monaco, SBM Hotels & Resorts, New England Inns & Resorts Association, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square, Morey’s Piers & Beachfront Water Parks, Offshore Sailing School, Raffles Hotels & Resorts, Tropicana Resort & Casino, and many more.

The Sway Effect Chrysler Building, 405 Lexington Ave. Floor 8 New York, NY 10174 inquiries@theswayeffect.com www.theswayeffect.com Jennifer Risi, Founder & President The Sway Effect is an award-winning marketing and communications agency founded by agency veteran Jennifer Risi in 2019. As its name suggests, the firm specializes in swaying opinions and shaping outcomes while putting diversity, equity and inclusion at the center. Headquartered in New York City, the agency has a global network of 50+ independent partners with a specialization in public relations and influence, brand marketing, creative, social impact, nation branding, data and analytics, research and measurement, and DEI programming. Notably, the core team has deep expertise in corporate communications, executive visibility and crisis communications across a diverse mix of industries, including travel through their work with Kindred. Most recently, the agency was named PRNews 2025 Women Owned Agency of the Year and PRovoke Media 2024 North American Boutique Agency of the Year.

Redpoint has helped countless brands of all sizes find their voice, shape their brand, and attract guests. And we’re known in the industry for creating revenue-generating, guest-enticing, and newsworthy programs, like the Passion Pursuits program at longtime client Woodstock Inn & Resort, which includes falconry (also featuring owls!) among its offerings. travel and lifestyle public relations and social media firm. We provide strategy, media and influencer relations, content creation and social media services for leading hospitality brands domestically and globally. Our agency is distinguished by a committed team of passionate professionals who develop genuine long-standing relationships with media and clients and thrive on exceeding expectations. We don’t believe in PR for the sake of PR.

We believe in public relations as a creative, strategic approach aligned with sales and marketing goals. Clients Include: Cirque du Soleil, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, Evermore Orlando Resort, Conrad Orlando at Evermore, Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa; restaurants: Four Flamingos: A Richard Blais Florida Kitchen; Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina, Rosa Mexicano; Todd English’s bluezoo and Il Mulino.

TJM Communications 1170 Tree Swallow Dr., #346 Winter Springs, FL 32708 407/977-5004 info@tjmcommunications.com www.tjmcommunications.com Facebook.com/TJMCommunicationsInc Instagram.com/tjmcommunications Linkedin.com/company/tjm-communications-incTJM Communications is a global

Sway Effect Founder & President Jennifer Risi (R) and Kindred Co-Founder & CEO Justine Palefsky. ADVERTISING SECTION | JULY/AUGUST 2026

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Profiles of Travel & Tourism PR Firms

Zapwater has represented Dominica since 2022, helping drive double-digit growth in U.S. visitation and expanded airlift. CREDIT: DDA DOMINICA

Zapwater Communications 118 North Peoria, 4th Floor

Chicago, IL 60607 312/943-0333 www.zapwater.com david@zapwater.com

1460 4th Street, Suite 306 Santa Monica, CA 90401 310/396-7851 95 Merrick Way, Suite 505 Coral Gables, FL 33134 305/444-4033 David Zapata, CEO Mayra Bacik, CFO Jennifer Lake, Chief Strategy Officer Holly Zawyer, Managing Director, Miami Stephanie Poquette, SVP, Social Media and Influencer Programming Zapwater Communications is more than a communications agency. We are storytellers, strategists, and connectors for some of the world’s most inspiring travel and lifestyle brands. Since our founding in 2005, Zapwater has redefined what it means to be a modern creative agency. With deep expertise in travel, hospitality, and destination marketing, we have grown into one of the leading agencies in the United States, earning recognition as one of the Top 5 Most Creative Agencies in North America and, in 2026, one of the Top 50 Agencies in the U.S. by a leading industry publication. With offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami, our team is united 42

by a culture of imagination, collaboration, and relentless curiosity. We combine bold creative thinking with strategic execution to help brands stand out, connect with audiences, and drive meaningful results in an ever-evolving marketplace. Our integrated approach brings together earned media, digital innovation, influencer engagement, social storytelling, and immersive experiences to create impactful campaigns that deliver measurable business outcomes. The industry has taken notice: Zapwater has earned more awards than any agency of our size worldwide, including many of the highest honors in travel and lifestyle communications. Our reach extends well beyond U.S. borders. As a founding member of the Travel Lifestyle Network (TLN), we represent the United States within a global collective of leading independent agencies. Through this partnership, we provide clients with international insights, creative collaboration, and onthe-ground expertise across key markets worldwide. Zapwater has also been shortlisted seven times for Agency of the Year in the United States, a recognition that reflects the passion of our team, the strength of our partnerships, and our commitment to excellence. Our travel portfolio features a curated collection of destinations, hotels and resorts, airlines, and tourism organizations, including: Airlines—Air Tahiti Nui, COPA Airlines. Cruise—Ayana Cruises and Private Charters, Havila Voyages. Destinations—Discover Baja Sur,

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Discover Dominica Authority, Explore Oak Park and Beyond, Hollywood Partnership, Jungfrau, National Tourism Board of Serbia, Panama Tourism Authority, Travel Manitoba, Visit Finland. Hotels & Resorts—Banyan Group, Melia Hotels International, Ayana Group. Individual Properties - Alaia Resort and Spa Belize, Andaz Mexico City Condesa, Andaz West Hollywood, Ayana Bali, Borgo San Vincenzo, Cayo Espanto, Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort, El Cielo, Frangipani Beach Resorts, Hacienda del Mar, Hamak Hotels, .Here, Hilton Sandestin, Hotel Zachary, Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City, Hyatt Regency San Francisco, lebua Hotels, Mamula Island, Ocean Club Resorts, Secrets Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort, Seaside Finolhu Baa Atoll Maldives, The Brando, Thompson Zihuatanejo, World Equestrian Center.

The Zimmerman Agency 1821 Miccosukee Commons Tallahassee, FL 32308 850/668-2222 kwatson@zimmerman.com www.zimmerman.com Curtis Zimmerman, Kerry Anne Watson & Cole Zimmerman, Principals For almost four decades The Zimmerman Agency has been among the leading hospitality and travel public relations firms in North America. Today, the firm offers a highly creative and contemporary approach to public relations that includes the support of full-service social media, a 360degree approach to digital channels, predictive analytics and a powerful platform of AI tools. The Zimmerman Agency teams utilize Momentum Planning, a proprietary planning methodology to drive creativity, strategy, and technology to deliver relevant and timely content and communications for clients. The firm generates measurable results through public relations for extraordinary travel clients including Atlantis Dubai, Aurora Anguilla, Discover The Palm Beaches, Visit Park City, Visit Belize, Visit Rhode Island, Bryce Canyon Country, Sixt Rent a Car, Little Palm Island, Delaware North and the Kessler Collection. The firm's consumer division represent major brands including Domino Sugar, First Watch, Wonder Bread, Jazzercize, Pilot Pens, Timbuk2, the New York Mavericks and Tastykake. O

O’DWYER’S 2026 RANKING OF TRAVEL PR FIRMS # PR FIRM 1. FINN Partners, New York, NY 2. J/PR, New York, NY 3. Zimmerman Agency, Tallahassee, FL 4. Fahlgren Mortine + Turner, Columbus, OH 5. Edelman, New York, NY 6. MMGY, New York, NY 7. Lou Hammond Group, New York, NY 8. LLYC U.S., Grand Rapids, MI 9. Coyne PR, Parsippany, NJ 10. French | West | Vaughan, Raleigh, NC 11. Zeno Group, New York, NY 12. Zapwater Comms., Inc., Chicago, IL 13 .rbb Communications, Miami, FL 14. MMGY Wagstaff, Los Angeles, CA 15. Violet PR, Montclair, NJ 16. Hunter, New York, NY 17. Jackson Spalding, Atlanta, GA 18. Hemsworth Comms., Fort Lauderdale, FL 19. 360PR+, Boston, MA 20. Singer Assocs. PR, San Francisco, CA 21. MP&F Strategic Comms., Nashville, TN 22. Ehrhardt Group, The, New Orleans, LA 23. Osborne Northwest PR, Seattle, WA 24. Padilla, Minneapolis, MN 25. Marketing Maven PR, Camarillo, CA 26. Trevelino/Keller, Atlanta, GA 27. Rasky Partners, Inc., Boston, MA 28. PSC (Princeton Strategic), Trenton, NJ 29. Slide Nine Agency, Columbus, OH 30. Bellmont Partners, Minneapolis, MN 31. Inspire PR Group, Westerville, OH 32. Public Communications Inc., Chicago, IL 33. Hoyt Organization Inc., The, Torrance, CA 34. Lawlor Media Group, New York, NY 35. Shiftology, Springfield, OH 36. Champion Mgmt. Group, Dallas, TX 37. Otter PR, St. Petersburg, FL

2025 Net Fees $ 32,500,000 26,640,599 23,150,000 21,492,186 19,152,000 12,181,864 10,608,557 7,892,000 7,643,655 5,762,150 5,261,081 4,144,880 3,829,296 3,053,534 2,914,466 2,000,000 1,593,796 1,393,126 769,975 584,537 506,977 414,739 398,072 338,512 209,895 200,000 109,145 92,670 89,702 83,931 49,050 39,200 38,947 34,000 25,361 25,000 17,398

FT. Emp. 1,267 142 58 200 5,457 56 42 110 143 139 841 42 59 22 15 320 133 16 54 15 71 22 2 162 10 43 16 10 14 23 19 27 6 4 6 41 23

© Copyright 2026 J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc. JULY/AUGUST 2026

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INTERVIEW

Interview with Heidi Krupp, Founder & CEO of Krupp Agency Heidi Krupp is celebrating 30 years running her agency, which began in a studio apartment in Hoboken, NJ, funded by selling her car for $5,000.

By John O’Dwyer

eidi Krupp is celebrating 30 years running her agency which began in a studio apartment in Hoboken, NJ funded by selling her car for $5,000. Krupp reminisces about taking her first step, experience gained working in TV, ethos for her agency and how she views the modern media landscape: John O’Dwyer: Heidi, congratulations on celebrating 30 years of independence with Krupp Agency. That is an incredible milestone in an industry where boutique firms are constantly being swallowed up by holding compa-

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with a lot of belief in what could be. Before launching, I was an assistant publicist at ABC News 20/20, working for legends like Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs. That gave me a masterclass in human interest storytelling, but it didn't teach me how to run an agency. What I did have was an agenda-less mentor who chose to believe in me before I fully believed in myself. My father, who was a taxi driver, also taught me the value of listening and the skills of retelling every passenger's story. Armed with such amazing support, my philosophy from day one has

questions: Who cares? So what? Why you? If you cannot answer those three questions with absolute, brutal honesty and ease, your narrative will get lost in the noise. We help to craft that into a story that can be told so it will have resonance, relevance, and reach. Newsrooms are shrinking, and corporate pitches clog inboxes. We don’t look at media relations as a transaction; we view it as a long-term relationship engagement. When we work with authors, we are looking beyond media placements; we are looking to build a platform. We see a

Heidi Krupp - then and now Photo: Krupp Agency nies. Let's go back to the very beginning. You didn’t start with a massive war chest or an exhaustive corporate roadmap. How did Krupp Agency begin? Heidi Krupp: Thank you, John. It’s hard to believe it’s been three decades. You’re right. I started without a traditional business plan, and I had zero prior PR firm experience. In 1995, my "office" was a studio apartment in Hoboken, New Jersey. I had about $5,000 from selling my car (but otherwise deeply in debt), no roadmap but 44

always been: “You can do it, you can do anything.” O’Dwyer: Your background at 20/20 clearly instilled a specific newsroom DNA into your process. Today, publicists face an incredibly fractured landscape. How do you take an author, an expert, or a business and turn their core message into a sustainable brand? What is your framework? Heidi Krupp: It all comes down to our core editorial process and having what I call a ‘media mindset.’ I challenge each client with three distinct

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book as a vehicle to build a business. The goal is to take that book and morph it into a comprehensive brand - driving speaking engagements, media contributor roles, digital content ecosystems, cultural longevity and legacy! We help people transform their backstory into a tool for massive public connection. We believe there is a book in everyone, and we help people get from that genesis of an idea to execution. O’Dwyer: Looking back across your history, your client roster reads like a cultural zeitgeist over the last thirty

years. Who are some of the standout legacy clients that helped define the agency’s trajectory? Heidi Krupp: We’ve been incredibly fortunate to work across multiple sectors from entertainment to wellness and beauty. In our earlier years, we launched the South Beach Diet, worked with Weight Watchers, spearheaded the launch of cryotherapy in New York City, and drove the phenomenon behind the book Go the F&$#k to Sleep. We’ve helped icons in thought leadership like Tony Robbins as he went from infomercial fame to billionaire life and business strategist. We’ve launched the likes of Tim Ferriss, David Bach, and others global brands like Chicken Soup for the Soul. We partnered with visionaries including Dr. Aliza Pressman, to expand her global footprint in parenting and personal growth. From Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph to documentary filmmakers like Kelly Noonan Gores (HEAL) to fashion icon and philanthropist Donna Karan, our clients were (and are) people who live their purpose and define possibility for countless others. We have had impact on so many lives through our work with amazing organizations like The Eating Recovery Center, Everyday Health, Prelude Inception, Gateway for Cancer Research, and Edelman Financial Services whose business efforts literally save lives and change the potential of humanity. O’Dwyer: Speaking of household names, you have a legendary story about working with Tony Robbins. How did that partnership come about, and what did it teach you about your own agency's horsepower? Heidi Krupp: Working with Tony Robbins was an absolute turning point. Tony is the ultimate life and business strategist, operating at a level of intensity that few can match. When he brought us on, it wasn’t about standard PR maintenance; it was about executing complex, fast-moving strategies at the intersection of publishing, live events, and global media. Tony famously called us "tenacious go-getters who won't stop until goals are a reality." He said we have "unmatched passion and horsepower." What that experience solidified for me is that purpose cannot just be a marketing line on your website; it must be your business filter. He has always taught that the leaders of their industries are those that figure out how to succeed while adding more value than

their competition. We operate with deep, genuine passion for what really matters. Tony taught us to hone in on what truly impacts people - he would say that “the secret to living is giving.” And that same horsepower is what we bring to every client we take on today. O’Dwyer: Let's pivot to the modern media landscape. On our recent call, you shared an amazing perspective on AI. I call it "Revenge of the Nerds" in reverse. How is Krupp Agency utilizing AI today? Heidi Krupp: Yes! It really feels like a total reversal. For years, the pure programmers and software engineers looked down on the English majors, the British Lit students, and the communications folks. But now, with generative AI, software can write 80% of basic code. What AI cannot replicate is authentic human connection, nuance, and strategic communication. Suddenly, the world desperately needs deep, seasoned communicators more than ever to guide these systems. At Krupp Agency, we view AI as the ultimate amplifier, not a human replacement. It’s the biggest technological shift I’ve seen since the birth of the internet. We use AI to sift through massive amounts of data, analyze client rosters, track macro-cultural trends, and optimize our workflow. But AI will never have relationships. It will never possess intuition. It can help start to write a pitch, but it can't earn trust over a 30year friendship with a producer or editor. We use technology to accelerate our logistics so that we can spend more time focusing on our humanity. O’Dwyer: Beyond AI, where do you see the future of media heading, particularly regarding platforms like Podcasts and Substack? Heidi Krupp: The traditional boundaries between PR, brand strategy, publishing, and digital content are completely dissolving. The next decade belongs to deep-dive, intimate content ecosystems. Podcasts and Substack have fundamentally changed how people consume information. Take a platform like Substack - it allows an expert or an author to possess unmediated, direct access to their community. It rewards depth, not clickbait. Podcasts do the same thing; people will listen to a two-hour interview with an expert because they want real substance, not a 30-second soundbite. Podcasts also give flexibility to content consumers that offers a fresh opportunity to consume content when they are

ready in sessions that meet their schedule and needs. What's fascinating to me is how these platforms uncover latent learning experiences. Often, we work with highly successful people who didn't even realize exactly how they became successful until we deconstruct their journey through long-form audio or newsletter strategies. We teach them to educate their audience, moving them from a transactional mindset to a legacy brand mindset. O’Dwyer: To wrap things up, who is occupying the Krupp Agency ecosystem right now? Who are your current clients, and what is driving the agency forward as you look past this 30-year mark? Heidi Krupp: Today, we have the privilege of partnering with some of the most influential voices shaping the future of health, wellness, business, and social impact. Our clients include longevity expert Dr. Stacie Stephenson, wellness entrepreneur Serena Poon, and Sue Hitzmann, creator of the MELT Method, alongside healthcare innovators such as reproductive health leader Inception and integrative surgeon Dr. Jason Snibbe. Beyond healthcare, we work with mission-driven organizations creating meaningful change, including charity: water and Gateway for Cancer Research, as well as cultural and lifestyle leaders such as Vanessa Cornell and NBC correspondent Chloe Melas. In the business and leadership space, we help amplify the voices of executives, thought leaders, and authors including Shelton Mercer III, Melissa Dawn Simkins, Matthew Abrams, and Eric Becker. What connects these diverse clients is a shared commitment to making a meaningful impact. Our role is to uncover the story behind that mission and transform it into visibility, influence, and lasting connection. Thirty years is not the finish line for us; it’s just proof that the foundation we built was worth it. Our 30th anniversary is the moment we turn forward with everything we’ve learned and dive into the next 30 years with even more intention, uncovering stories and helping to build businesses and brands that will continue to change the world. John O’Dwyer is the Publisher of O’Dwyer’s. Would you like to be interviewed for the magazine? Contact John at john@odwyerpr.com. O

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WASHINGTON REPORT

Our roundup of the agencies and executives that have been making waves in the nation’s capital, including companies that have registered with the Secretary of the Senate, Washington, D.C., to comply with the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. For a complete list of filings, visit www.senate.gov.

By Kevin McCauley, Editor-in-Chief

Palantir Picks Avoq for DC Work

TikTok USA Hires Trump-Tied Valcour

voq has landed Palantir Technologies, the controversial surveillance company founded by right-wing billionaire Peter Thiel, as a client. Democratic heavyweight & Avoq co-founder Steve Elmendorf heads the four-person Palantir team. He was chief of staff to Majority Leader Dick Gephardt and deputy campaign manager for John Kerry’s presidential run. Keith Castaldo (general counsel to New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand), Cedric Grant (chief of staff to Rep. Hakeem Jeffries) and Joseph Orlando (staffer to Democratic Reps. Frank Pallone and Jan Schakowsky) round out the Palantir team. Avoq is to represent the company on government programs supported by commercial technology. Palantir has provided tools to Immigration & Customs Enforcement for its immigration crackdown, and to identify targets in Donald Trump’s war with Iran. The company received some bad news this month as the French spy agency plans to drop Palantir's data tools in favor of a domestic supplier. "We must use our own AI models; we cannot accept new strategic dependencies in the digital sphere,” France’s prime minister Sébastien Lecornu posted on social media. “We cannot rely on tools developed by foreign powers. France must have its own tools.” Germany’s military also has dropped Palantir, while UK’s National Health Service is reviewing its $440M contract with the company.

ikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, which was established in compliance with the executive order signed by President Trump, has hired Valcour LLC, which has close ties with his administration, for DC representation. Valcour president Matt Mowers served as a senior White House advisor at the State Dept. in Trump’s first administration, worked on the transition team, and was a fundraiser for the Trump-Vance inaugural committee. He’s joined on the TikTok business by Bill Killion, an alum of Trump’s 2016 and 2024 campaigns, and Blake Center, former aide to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Valcour will handle issues related to data protection, privacy, algorithm security & integrity, content moderation and the economic impact of TikTok. TikTok managing investors Silver Lake, Oracle and MGX each control 15 percent of the platform. China’s ByteDance retains a 19.9 percent stake.

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Brunswick Vet Younis Takes NACD Post

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he National Association of Corporate Directors has named Brunswick Group veteran Mohamed Younis senior VP of content. He will oversee NACD’s content platform across governance research, director education, Blue Ribbon Commission initiatives, and member-facing insights, helping shape the organization’s voice on board leadership and corporate governance. Younis served as partner and global head of research for Brunswick’s global public opinion, market research, and analytics function. He advised clients on geopolitical trends, policy, reputation and strategic communications. Mohamed Younis Prior to Brunswick, he spent 16 years at Gallup, where he led studies on political, economic and social trends. Younis also was editor-in-chief, overseeing US polling, including the presidential approval tracking,

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Heritage Taps Phillips

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he Heritage Foundation appoints Brian Phillips as VP of communications. Phillips was most recently CCO at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Before that, he was SVP at Republican data and analytics firm WPA Intelligence. Phillips also served as director of rapid response for Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) presidential campaign, communications director for Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and was a member of the Heritage Foundation media team from 2004 to 2006. In his new post, he will lead Heritage’s media and public relations, digital content and production, marketing and creative services. “Brian is one of the most effective communicators in the conservative movement,” said Heritage Brian Phillips Foundation president Kevin Roberts. “He understands how to connect timeless conservative principles with the issues Americans care about most.”

Amazon’s Kierig Takes AAF Post

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nne Kierig, who was senior manager of public policy at Amazon, has joined the American Advertising Federation as VP-government affairs. She takes over for Clark Rector, who is retiring after a 37-year run at AAF. At Amazon, Kierig was primary subject-matter expert on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides legal immunity to online platforms. In that capacity, she briefed executives and lawmakers, crafted policy proposals and guided reform efforts. Kierig also was responsible for issues related to digital advertising, including transparency, targeting standards and consumer protection. Before Amazon, she was director of US government & policy at Blackberry, counsel at Venable, and attorney at DLA Piper. Based in DC, Kierig reports to AAF president/CEO Steve Pacheco. Rector will remain at AAF though July. O

INTERNATIONAL PR NEWS

Some of the firms that have recently registered with the U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., to comply with the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938. For a complete list of filings, visit www.fara.gov. By Kevin McCauley, Editor-in-Chief

Mercury Handles DC Push for Israeli Think Tank

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isgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy has hired Mercury Public Affairs for government relations advice and services, including outreach to government officials and potentially US media outlets. The Jerusalem-based independent think tank “advances pragmatic and realistic approaches in Israeli foreign and defense policy, grounded in the values of Zionism,” according to its website. The goal is to strengthen Israel as a Jewish, democratic, strong, secure and thriving state. Misgav's site notes that “the Iran deal is neither a defeat for Israel, nor a victory for the Islamic Republic,” and that “Iran has never won a war, but never lost a negotiation.” Mercury’s one-month contract began June 24. It calls for distribution of a strategic report and making virtual contact with members of key Senate/House committees, Abraham Accords Caucus and executive branch officials. Following the report launch, Mercury will handle a threeday Washington Engagement Program set for late July, designed to provide Misgav representatives access to policymakers and key government stakeholders. Mercury will support that push by providing message guidance, preparing briefing materials, handling coordination & logistics and offering strategic guidance. The Omnicom unit will receives a $5K fee for its services. Mercury senior VP Bill Cortese, one-time advisor to House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), leads the drive for Misgav.

BGR Inks $3M Pact to Rep Tanzania

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GR Group has signed a $3M one-year contract to provide government affairs and PR services to support Tanzania. The State Dept. in December said the US was comprehensively reviewing the relationship with Tanzania due to its ongoing repression of religious freedom and free speech and the violent crackdown that followed the Oct. 29 elections, which led to more than 500 dead. A commission appointed by Tanzania's government in April blamed outside agitators for the election upheaval. BGR’s work may involve lobbying, promotion, perception management, economic development and preparation and dissemination of informational materials. It will conduct outreach to US government officials, non-governmental groups and the media. Lester Munson, international & trade practice head; Steven Eisner, senior VP; and Alex Ellis, senior managing director; are on the Tanzania team. BGR’s $250K monthly retainer pact, which went into effect on June 15, is with Tanzania’s Drift Advisors, SL.

Liberia Hires Ballard to Enhance US Ties

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iberia has agreed to pay a $100K monthly retainer to Ballard Partners for counsel on how to improve its relations with the US. Signed May 18 by Brian Ballard and Samtel Stevquoah, Liberia's Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, the contract automatically renews for successive one-year periods. It calls for Ballard Partners to assist the western African nation in communicating with US government officials, businesses and non-governmental bodies. The agreement states that strategic communications services offered through Ballard Media Group are not included in the representation. The US and Liberia in December signed a five-year, bilateral health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding that calls for up to $125M in health assistance to Liberia, supporting critical areas such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, maternal and child health, and global health security. For its part, Liberia agreed to increase its domestic health expenditures by almost $51 million to gradually assume greater financial and operational responsibility for its domestic health systems. The US State Dept. says the MOU will accelerate Liberia’s transition toward self-reliance and sustainability, ultimately saving U.S. taxpayers’ dollars and securing long-term health outcomes.

Romania Issues $3.4M Pact to Eversheds Sutherland

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omania has signed a $565K monthly contract with Eversheds Sutherland for strategic counsel and government relations activities. The Presidential Administration of Romania announced the pact via a press release on May 26. "Contracting this type of services is a common practice in relations with the American administration, also used by other allied states, to facilitate institutional dialogue and to support objectives of national interest in relation to the US Administration and Congress,” it said. Eversheds Sutherland’s letter of engagement for the six-month contract calls for it “to consolidate the national security of Romania by broadly strengthening the strategic partnership and cooperation between the United States and Romania and bolstering defense, diplomatic, economic and/or trade relations between the two countries.”The firm also may retain strategic advisors and experts to assist its outreach to the executive branch, Congress, state governments, academic institutions, think tanks and other relevant stakeholders. The Financial Times reports that a Russian drone hit an apartment building in the Romanian city of Galaţi, in the early hours of May 29. Two people were injured. The incident is the most serious military spillover in a NATO and EU member state resulting from Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine. “Romania ... will not accept, under any circumstances, that the war of aggression waged by Russia against Ukraine be transferred to its citizens,” said President Nicușor Dan. Romania requested that NATO move more anti-drone capabilities into the country. O JULY/AUGUST 2026

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PR EVENTS

Matrix Award Honorees Pledge to Keep The Door From Closing Publicis Groupe Chief Strategy Officer Carla Serrano called on the 475 gathered for the 59th Annual Matrix Awards May 19th at NYC's Ziegfeld Ballroom to not let the night "be another awards ceremony" and make it "a moment where we refuse to be edited out, not now, not for AI, not ever." By Lara Murray-Sterzal, Correspondent n Tuesday, May 19th, seven women were honored by New York Women in Communications (NYWIC) at the 56th annual Matrix Awards, a celebratory ceremony for women in communications, media, and entertainment. Sheinelle Jones, Co-Host of “TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle,” emceed the event that drew 475 to New York City's Ziegfeld Ballroom. Publicis Groupe Chief Strategy Officer Carla Serrano was presented her award by Publicis Groupe Chairman Arthur Sadoun. “Don’t let tonight be another awards ceremony, let it be a line in the sand. A moment where we refuse to be edited out. Not now, not for AI, not ever. Because we’re not just holding the door open, we have to make sure it never closes again,” Serrano said. In an O'Dwyer's interview before the awards, Serrano reflected on what she’s learned throughout her career and realized “that the most valuable thing I could do -- for myself and eventually for clients-- was stop trying to fit that mold and instead bring my own point of view and voice. The mentors who pushed me toward that rather than away from it are the ones that made the biggest difference.” Matrix Winners Offer Advice Ashley Miles, Founder and CEO, Franklyn West (Presented by Marisa Thalberg, EVP, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, Catalyst Brands, CoHost, The Brand New Podcast): “The more things change, I’ll say this, do good business. The more things change, the more I believe in getting back to basics. Look people in the eye, deliver what you see you’re going to deliver, and always rise up and reach back. See what’s coming and shape what’s next. Don’t let things happen to you, find your inner bold, use your voice. Be a relentless student of your craft, be unapologetically and uniquely you!” Tamsen Fadal, Emmy award-winning Journalist, New York Times bestselling author, podcast host and Menopause Advocate (Presented by Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of Moms First): “What I found was every single time I put something out into the world was that the ripple was already there.

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O'Dwyer's correspondent Lara MurraySterzal (L) with Publicis Groupe SA Chief Strategy Officer Carla Serrano. Photo: Lara Murray-Sterzal Women were already ready for it and I think they were just waiting to hear somebody else alongside them was willing to talk about it. So here’s what I know now, the Butterfly Effect is not about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about being willing to be honest in a moment when honesty feels very, very risky.”

Diana Haussling, CEO of hello Products (Presented by Sarah Hofstetter, Board Director Campbell’s and Kenvue): “It’s the audacity mixed with mild illusion that propels so many of us to run towards the dumpster fire that others lack the vision to fully see as awesome potential. It’s also the vibe that also attracts our people, you know the ones, the ones that get you and create a community of badasses.” Khartoon Weiss, Vice President, Global Customer Solutions, Google (Presented by Daryl Lee, Global Chairman of McCann): “There’s a very particular kind of woman that New York creates. And I am certainly one of them… And I love New York women because underneath all of that philosophy is something deeply beautiful. We take care of each other. Not softly, not slowly, certainly not with spare time. We do it in motion.” Debra OConnell, Chairman, Disney Entertainment Television, The Walt Disney Company (Presented by Sade Baderinwa, Emmy-award winning ABC7/WABC-TV anchor): “Finding something you love is the easy part, figuring out the path to get

Beth Feldman (R), President of the New York Women in Communications presents Sheinelle Jones, Co-Host of “TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle” with an honorary Butterfly Effect Award at the 56th Annual Matrix Awards at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on May 19. Photo: Michael Priest photography

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there is something entirely different. That’s why organizations that we’re here supporting tonight, New York Women In Communications, matter so much.” Abbey Klaassen, Outgoing Global Brand President and U.S. CEO, Dentsu Creative, Incoming CEO, Tinuiti (Presented by Marla Kaplowitz, Board Director and Strategic Advisor): “Here’s what I want most to leave with you all tonight, the night of the Butterfly Effect. If you’ve ever had a teacher worth naming, and I’m betting everyone in this room has, someone right now is learning from you. Whether you know it or not. The award in front of us tonight isn’t just a tribute, it’s a reminder to find your teachers and then become someone else’s.” Recognizing Student Excellence Throughout the night, 2026 NYWIC Scholarship recipients were honored through various videos shown on the screen from when they got the news to what they elevated to be in the professional world. The audience applauded as they were all brought out on stage by Katie Corrado, multiple scholarship recipient and PIX11 News Jersey correspondent. NYWICI President Beth Feldman announced that not only did they reach

Honoree Carla Serrano and Arthur Sadoun, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Publicis Groupe SA. Photo: Michael Priest photography their $10,000 goal for the annual fundraiser, but they exceeded it to $13,910. This year’s "Butterfly Effect" theme was picked by Feldman because it represents “the embodiment of the metamorphosis of your professional life and

sometimes the metamorphosis of your own personal life during that journey as well.” “When I thought of someone as the host who is going to embody what this theme is about, it is absolutely Sheinelle Jones,” Feldman shared. Feldman explained it takes months in the honoree selection process with discussions beginning in the summer of the preceding year. “In years past we’ve had presidents and past Matrix winners submit their nominations, this year it was a combination,” Feldman said. NYWIC created their own internal committee with these women for the honoree selection process. Through connections made in her career, Feldman built a show production team who helped in various aspects including video producing, digital assets, script writing, and more for the Matrix Awards. Separate from the production, June Price, Founder and Principal Designer of JUNE PRICE Interiors, LTD., designed all the collateral for the event this year. Feldman also credits Executive Director DonnaJean Plante and Chief Matrix Officer Elina Kazan for their dedication in successfully preparing and executing the Matrix Awards. O

(L-R) Matrix Award honorees Diana Haussling, Carla Serrano, Debra OConnell, Abbey Klaassen, Khartoon Weiss, Tamsen Fadal, Ashley Miles. Photo: Michael Priest photography JULY/AUGUST 2026

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INTERVIEW

Q&A with Carolyn Izzo, Founder & CEO of CIIC PR From humble beginnings in a spare room in her mother’s home to an agency with offices in New York, Miami and Los Angeles, Carolyn Izzo has always believed in the importance of personal connections.

By John O’Dwyer

built over time through trust, reliability arolyn Izzo is the Founder and and sustaining the agency’s growth over and genuine care, even when there is CEO of CIIC PR, a full-service the past 30 years. no immediate ask on the table. public relations and marketing What’s one piece of advice you would Which platforms or tactics have been communications agency specializing give to anyone entering the PR or commost effective for growing your brand? in travel and tourism, hospitality, munications industry today? Thought leadership and strategic food and beverage, and luxury Be bold, and be yourself. Do not wait storytelling have been especially effeclifestyle. Celebrating 30 years in busiuntil you feel “ready.” Start where you ness, Carolyn has built are. Speak up, ask questions, CIIC into a nationally recand trust your instincts. ognized, award-winning This industry rewards agency and is a passionate creativity, grit, and strong storyteller and mentor, relationships. Lean into your deeply committed to strengths and surround nurturing the next generayourself with people who tion of communications challenge and champion leaders. you. What inspired you to Is there a mantra or start your own PR agency, philosophy that guides your and how did you get your leadership? first client? Yes. My mother once told My background is in theme, “To dream of the person ater, dance, and communiyou would like to be is to cations, so storytelling has waste the person you are.” It always been at the heart of reminds me to stay groundwho I am. Early in my PR ed, present, and appreciative career, I worked at some of how far I have already of the top agencies in the come. It also helps me lead country and learned from with authenticity, gratitude incredible mentors. Still, I wanted something more and purpose. personal and relationshipWhat are you most proud of driven. I wanted to build as CIIC PR celebrates its an agency that emphasized 30th anniversary? authenticity, creativity, I am most proud of the and senior-level service. people and relationships that With encouragement have made these 30 years (and a spare room in my possible. I am grateful to the mother’s home), I clients who trusted us to launched CIIC PR. My share their stories, and to the first client came through journalists, editors, produca personal connection, ers, and influencers who The CIIC PR Team: From NY to Miami to LA and beyond. reinforcing what I have have collaborated with us always believed: this busiPhoto: CIIC PR along the way. ness is built on relationMost of all, I am proud of ships. From there, I my team: hardworking, creative, and tive. We share our team’s expertise focused on delivering exceptional caring individuals who genuinely care work, growing a team with shared through editorial placements, speaking about our clients, our work, and one values, and building momentum one opportunities and industry collaboraanother. We have grown and evolved, relationship at a time. tions. We also believe in showcasing our but that sense of family has remained What’s your go-to strategy for buildpeople and celebrating their work at the heart of CIIC PR. Reaching 30 ing lasting relationships with clients because it creates an authentic connection years is an extraordinary milestone, and the press? to who we are as an agency. At the same and I do not take the journey for grantAuthenticity and consistency. time, a significant amount of our growth ed. I am filled with gratitude for what Whether you are speaking with a jourhas come through referrals, which is a we have built together and excitement nalist, client, or colleague, people want testament to the strong relationships we for what comes next. to feel heard and valued. I lead by lishave developed with clients, media, tening (really listening) to understand industry partners and colleagues both John O’Dwyer is the Publisher of what they need and how we can supwithin and outside the communications O’Dwyer’s. Would you like to be interport them. Relationships in PR are not field. Those trusted relationships have viewed for the magazine? Contact built through a single pitch. They are been essential to building our reputation John at john@odwyerpr.com. O

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JULY/AUGUST 2026