How Marriott is Staying on Top of Industry Trends

Taylor Smith
Marriott International Luxury Brands Booth at IMEX America 2022
Marriott International Luxury Brands Booth at IMEX America 2022

The journey to create a more inclusive meetings and events industry is ongoing, and year after year, new projects and programs are being implemented and shared as a way to improve DEI initiatives and strategies throughout the industry.

At IMEX America 2022, Marriott partnered with Google on The NEU Project, paving the way for planners to create more neuro-diverse-friendly meeting and event environments through what is being coined as an experience institute. Tammy Routh, Marriott's head of global sales, said the project is centered around trying to figure out the future of meetings and events founded on the emotional purpose of meetings.

The Neu Project Booth at IMEX America 2022
The Neu Project Booth at IMEX America 2022

By focusing on the neuro-inclusivity of meetings and events, The NEU Project aims to help those with medical disorders, learning disabilities or other conditions easily find their place in meetings and events, as well as encourage planners to be more thoughtful about that part of their audience, Routh said.

While partnering with Google on The NEU Project was one of Marriott's key announcements and initiatives at IMEX America 2022, Marriott shared even more exciting news regarding what to expect from the brand in 2023, including information about the new Marriott headquarters in Bethesda, the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Experience, new workforce labor initiatives and more.

Meetings Today sat down with Routh at IMEX America 2022 to discuss it all. Tune into the podcast below to listen in on what you can expect from Marriott in the future, and don't forget to check out the rest of Meetings Today's IMEX America 2022 coverage, live from the tradeshow floor.

Listen to the episode:

Read this next: Optimism and Growth: American Express Reveals 2023 Global Meetings & Events Forecast

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About the author
Taylor Smith | Content Manager, Destinations

Taylor Smith serves as content manager, destinations for Meetings Today, where she leads coverage of global meetings destinations as well as the production of the biannual online magazine Incentives Today. She is also author of “The Z: Planning for the Industry’s Next Generation,” an award-winning column examining how Gen Z is influencing the future of meetings, events and workplace culture.

 

Recognized as one of Eventex’s 100 Most Influential People in the Events Industry (2024) and 50 Most Influential People in the U.S. & Canada (2025), Smith has quickly established herself as a leading voice on emerging generational shifts. In 2026, The Z earned a regional Azbee Award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors, with national honors pending.

 

In addition to her editorial work for the FOLIO: Eddies Award-winning magazine, Smith is co-host of Meetings Today’s Eventualists podcast, shedding light on the unspoken realities of a career in the events industry through authentic, raw conversations. She is also a frequent speaker, taking the stage at shows including IMEX America, MPI’s World Education Congress and SITE Global, and often appears on prominent industry podcasts and webinars.

 

Based just outside Chicago, Smith brings both professional insight and personal curiosity to her reporting, driven by a passion for the “people-people” nature of the meetings industry.

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