Nearly 8,000 UNITE HERE hotel workers at Marriott-operated hotels in four North American destinations will hold strike votes the week of September 10. The strike votes by approximately 7,800 workers come on the heels of the Labor Day demonstrations UNITE HERE Marriott workers across the country protesting what the union claims is Marriott’s lack of movement with contract negotiations on key labor issues, including wages, basic job protection and safer working conditions and standards. According to UNITE HERE, more than 100 hotel workers were arrested in multiple cities for staging acts of civil disobedience outside Marriott hotels on September 3, 2018.

Katherine Lugar, president and CEO of American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is departing the organization later in 2018. Lugar has accepted a new position as president and CEO of the American Beverage Association (ABA).

Tourism industry leaders, including Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, and 13 member CEOs, met Sept. 4 with President Donald Trump to discuss pressing travel issues, including inbound international visitor arrivals, and the importance of tourism to the U.S. economy.

San Francisco police arrested 75 hotel workers on Labor Day who were protesting outside the J.W. Marriott’s Westin St. Francis San Francisco, a Union Square hotel, for blocking the street, according to AP News. Those arrested face misdemeanor charges of failing to obey a police officer.

Thousands of Marriott International union workers across eight U.S. destinations are planning massive demonstrations and civil disobedience on Labor Day, September 3 in response to an ongoing contract fight. UNITE HERE union Marriott workers, including hotel housekeepers, front desk reception, bellmen, cooks, dishwashers and servers will target downtown Marriott hotels in several major U.S. destinations.

The C2 Melbourne collaborative event that was scheduled to take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in October 2018 was officially canceled this week. The news comes on the heels of the sudden departure from C2 on August 16, 2018, of the event creator and C2’s CEO Asia-Pacific Martin Enault. According to Conference News, a UK-based events publication, reports cited health reasons for his decision.

As staying fit on the road continues to be a top priority for business travelers, including busy meeting professionals planning events or attending industry conferences, the recent Mollie Tibbetts tragedy is a reminder that we must continue to keep our guard up while running and exercising.

Union hotel workers are set to strike at 30 properties in downtown Chicago September 1, 2018, following the expiration of the UNITE HERE Local 1 contract. Union members authorized a strike by a 97 percent vote August 16, 2018, and although spokespeople for the union are remaining tight-lipped leading up to the possible strike, its Twitter page has the appearance of an imminent labor action.

As Tropical Storm Lane continued to move away from the Hawaiian Islands over the past few days, life in the islands is quickly returning to normal, according to George D. Szigeti, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), with no major impact to the tourism infrastructure.

In response to the growing number of active shooter incidents, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in May 2018 released “NFPA 3000,” a provisional standard created with insight from law enforcement, fire officials, EMS, medical providers, facility managers, the CIA, the FBI and other experts. The standard provides whole-community guidance on planning for, responding to and recovering from an active shooter incident and other hostile events.