These 20 Meetings Trendsetters are examples on how ingenuity, dedication and engagement with their peers can not only forge a career that they love, but also contribute to the greater whole. Congratulations to the Meetings Trendsetters class of 2024!

Chicago’s largest hotel and the largest Hyatt in the world, Hyatt Regency Chicago, completed a $150 million renovation, renovations to Courtyard by Marriott Detroit Downtown transformed both the interior and exterior of the hotel and the AAA Four-Diamond Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, a Marcus Hotels & Resorts destination located in Lake Geneva, completed a full renovation of its meeting and event spaces in May.

Great Wolf Lodge Mashantucket announced it would begin accepting reservations for stays beginning June 15, 2025, and Red Jacket Resorts, one of the mid-Cape’s largest independent hotel brands and featuring private beach access, completed a $40 million multi-property renovation.

Amsterdam’s historic The College Hotel, Autograph Collection, reopened following the completion of a multimillion-dollar renovation, and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) launched several initiatives to raise sustainability standards across the meetings and events industry and reinforce its marketing slogan as the “World’s Best MICE City.” 

Drury Hotels will center its new Meetings with More program around smaller group gatherings as a direct result of industry-related data and will offer the program at its 150-plus hotels in 26 states. 

Visit Orlando announced that it hired Las Vegas meetings veteran Lisa Messina as its new chief sales officer. She will begin her new role August 19.

Former SITE CEO Didier Scaillet passed away July 9 following a hospital stay, according to an announcement from the association. 

Here are some key insights, trends and best practices shared at Global DMC Partners’ 10th annual Connection, which addressed inflation rates, budgets and more meetings and events industry trends. 

Longtime Explore St. Louis president Kathleen “Kitty” Ratcliffe is set to step down August 31, almost 10 months ahead of her contract expiration in June 2025. 

Meetings and event management leader Maritz acquired Convention Data Services , a registration, onsite and lead services partner for tradeshows and association events, from Freeman July 1.