Hospitality & Leisure

Moldova's Rîmscaia Crowned Overall Champion at Julius Meinl Barista Cup 2026

Vienna – September 12, 2026 -- Elizaveta Rîmscaia from Moldova was crowned Overall Champion 2026 at the Julius Meinl Barista Cup Grand Finale, held on September 4 at Vienna's MuseumsQuartier, beating 14 other national champions across three competitive categories.

More than 350 baristas from 15 countries entered the annual competition

National competitions were held across 15 countries, including Austria, Italy, Germany, China, Georgia and Croatia, drawing over 350 applications before 15 national champions advanced to the Vienna finale. Competitors were judged by an independent international panel across Espresso, Cappuccino and Signature Drink categories.

AIMS Restores Michel Bréal's Grave, Launches Global Marathon Day

Paris – September 12, 2026 -- The Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) has funded the complete restoration of Michel Bréal's grave at Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris, including a new memorial stone, and will mark the work with a ceremony on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 14:00 to 15:00.

AIMS names Michel Bréal 'Founder Emeritus' for the first time

The organization, which represents 470 marathons and distance races across more than 120 countries, is conferring on Bréal the honorary title of Founder Emeritus in recognition of the 1894 letter he wrote to Pierre de Coubertin proposing a race from Marathon to the Pnyx for the revived 1896 Olympic Games. Bréal, a Collège de France professor and classical philologist who never competed in athletics, personally commissioned and funded the winner's silver trophy, awarded to Spyridon Louis at the first modern Olympics.

18th Lyon Biennale Opens Trade Days Sept 17-18, Public Access Follows

Paris – September 12, 2026 -- The 18th Biennale de Lyon – Contemporary Art will open two professional preview days on September 17 and 18, 2026, ahead of a public run spanning 11 venues and 120 artists through December 13, 2026.

Accreditation Deadline Falls September 16 for Two-Day Trade Preview

Artists, curators, gallerists, museum directors, collectors and cultural-sector professionals must apply for personal accreditation by September 16, 2026, to access exclusive viewings on the two trade days. Accredited visitors also gain entry to the opening reception at Les Grandes Locos on September 18 and to the first two public days, September 19 and 20.

Saalfelden Relaunches as Unified B2B Experience Brand for Sept. 2026

Saalfelden, Austria – September 12, 2026 -- Experience World Saalfelden will launch as a standalone B2B brand on September 9, 2026, consolidating a decades-old Austrian automotive and events site into a single alpine destination for manufacturers and corporate clients.

Three separate facilities merge under one brand identity

The site, built around the ÖAMTC Fahrtechnik Zentrum established in 1989, combines an onroad track with an Experience Center, an offroad park, and an ice arena. The adjacent Hotel Gut Brandlhof adds meeting and wellness capacity directly on location, removing the need for transfers between venues during multi-module corporate programs.

Target Hospitality Prices $259M Secondary Offering, Buys Back $30M in Stock

The Woodlands, Texas – September 12, 2026 -- Target Hospitality Corp. (Nasdaq: TH) has priced an upsized secondary offering of 14,000,000 common shares at $18.50 apiece, generating approximately $259 million in gross proceeds for the selling stockholders. The Company itself will not receive any proceeds from the transaction.

TDR Capital-linked entities offload stake through Arrow Holdings and MFA Global

The shares being sold belong to Arrow Holdings S.à r.l. and MFA Global S.à r.l., entities controlled by TDR Capital LLP acting as investment fund manager. Underwriters have also been granted a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 2,100,000 shares, which could push total proceeds higher. The offering is expected to close on September 10, 2026, subject to customary conditions.

BODYBAR Pilates Opens First Kentucky Studio in Lexington

Lexington – September 12, 2026 -- BODYBAR Pilates has opened its first Kentucky studio at 4257 Harrodsburg Road in Lexington's Palomar neighborhood, expanding the reformer-based franchise's national footprint to 86 locations and more than 21,000 members.

Husband-and-wife team brings franchise to Lexington market

The 2,500-square-foot studio, BODYBAR Pilates Palomar, is owned and operated by Cara Groth, a pharmacist of 23 years, and Jason Groth, a physician assistant. The couple was inspired to pursue the franchise after their daughter, a professional ballerina, began working at a BODYBAR studio in Georgia. The Palomar location features 14 Reformers, group classes led by certified instructors, private lesson sessions during off-peak hours, and a retail boutique.

Target Hospitality Investors Sell 13M Shares, Firm to Buy Back $30M

The Woodlands, Texas – September 12, 2026 -- Target Hospitality Corp. (Nasdaq: TH) launched an underwritten secondary offering of 13,000,000 shares of common stock on behalf of its controlling investor group, while simultaneously committing to repurchase up to $30,000,000 of stock from the deal's underwriters.

TDR Capital-linked entities sell 13 million shares in secondary offering

The shares are being sold by Arrow Holdings S.à r.l. and MFA Global S.à r.l., both controlled by TDR Capital LLP acting as investment fund manager. Target Hospitality is not issuing any new shares and will not receive proceeds from the offering. Underwriters have been granted a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,950,000 shares.

COPA Leads $7M Funding Round in Shoot 360, Forms Strategic Partnership

Vancouver, Wash. – September 12, 2026 -- Shoot 360 has secured a $7 million growth funding round led by COPA Innovation Laboratories and its investment arm, COPA Venture Capital, as part of a new strategic partnership between the two sports technology companies.

Shoot 360 scales technology-powered basketball training beyond 65 locations

Founded in 2012 by Craig Moody, Shoot 360 operates more than 65 franchise locations across the U.S. and internationally, pairing immersive basketball training with performance-tracking software. The company has built partnerships with several NBA teams and maintains a significant pipeline of new locations in development.

Genesis House Taps Hand Hospitality for Fall Culinary Relaunch

New York City – September 12, 2026 -- Genesis House, the Genesis Motor North America flagship in the Meatpacking District, has partnered with New York Korean-American hospitality group Hand Hospitality to relaunch its restaurant concept later this fall.

Genesis House restaurant closes in September ahead of Hand Hospitality takeover

The current restaurant operation will temporarily close beginning in September 2026, ending Genesis House's culinary partnership with Restaurant Associates, which had run the food and beverage program since the venue opened in November 2021. Hand Hospitality, founded by Kihyun Lee in New York City in 2011, will assume leadership of the space and reopen it under a new concept later this fall; specific menu, design and timing details have not yet been disclosed.

Green Sports Alliance Names Jeff Pacini Executive Director

Portland – September 12, 2026 -- The Green Sports Alliance has appointed Jeff Pacini as its new Executive Director, placing a two-decade sports management and philanthropy veteran atop the global coalition of sports team and venue executives focused on sustainability.

Prodigy Search led the national executive search that selected Pacini

The Green Sports Alliance conducted an extensive national search through Prodigy Search before selecting Pacini to steer the organization, which convenes professional sports leagues, governing bodies, colleges, teams and venues around environmental and social impact initiatives.