With a background in financial analytics, one could argue that Mulberry Development Principal & CEO Michael Buono was as equipped as anyone to weather the economic collapse of 2008 that tore through the construction and real estate industry like a Category 5 hurricane.

One thing is undeniable: The close-shave timing of his entry into the hospitality development business couldn’t have been worse. “The word on the street was we were the last project that was funded [as a lender] in Manhattan by HSBC before the financial meltdown took place,” Buono said of his Ace Hotel New York project. “What I saw was fear and lots of instability because the market just imploded.”

01.15.19 Update: According to Reuters, German airport security staff have started a one-day strike. Lufthansa said it would cancel around 500 flights, 28 of which are intercontinental.

01.14.19 Update: Lufthansa announced it will cancel at least 414 flights due to a possible strike on Tuesday, January 15 at eight German airports, including Frankfurt. The airline said the cancellations include 386 flights within Europe and 28 international flights.

Airline passengers planning on traveling to, from or through Germany’s Frankfurt Airport during this timeframe may have to find alternative plans.

According to a notification on Lufthansa’s homepage, due to a strike by security staff at the airport, a major European hub, Lufthansa Group flights to and from Frankfurt will be considerably hindered Tuesday, January 15.

Karen Kotowski resigned as CEO of the Events Industry Council (EIC), a post she has held for 10 years.

Here are seven event planner takeaways from Netflix's "7 Days Out" that show what factors into the success of any event.

VisitDallas executives, including CEO Phillip Jones, addressed major concerns brought to light in a Dallas City Hall audit that claimed a lack of oversight of the bureau.

The trends revealed in the future of business events study by Marriott and PCMA, as presented at Convening Leaders 2019, touched on the following areas: emotional intelligence, orchestrated serendipity, multimodal design, bigger than oneself and sense of place.

As the U.S. government shutdown continues, one of the major issues that could have an increasingly detrimental impact on travel safety and convenience is Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers calling out from work. The situation has the potential to leave passengers dealing with longer lines at TSA checkpoints and possibly less security restrictions should the problem ensue.

As PCMA Convening Leaders 2019 continues in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the association announced that it became a signatory of The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism, in partnership with ECPAT-USA, also known as The Code.

Effective January 7, 2019, visitors to Japan will pay a 1,000 yen (about $9 USD) departure tax when leaving the country, regardless of nationality. The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) reported that the tax is expected to expand and enhance the country’s tourist infrastructure.

The massive data breach of guest information at Marriott-owned Starwood Hotels & Resorts properties revealed by Marriott International at the end of November 2018 has grown in its severity, with the passport numbers of more than 5 million guests compromised, according to The New York Times.