Hospitality & Leisure

Orlando, Florida – October 07, 2026 -- Red Lobster has appointed Andy Pitts as Chief Marketing Officer and Jon Tryzbiak as Chief Information Officer, completing a leadership restructuring aimed at accelerating the seafood chain's digital and operational transformation.

Pitts moves from interim CMO to permanent role after launching loyalty program

Pitts has served as interim chief marketing officer since January 2026, a period during which he led Red Lobster's digital transformation and the launch of Red Lobster Nation, a redesigned loyalty program giving members more flexibility in earning rewards. He brings nearly two decades of restaurant marketing experience from brands including Wingstop, Smoothie King, Fogo de Chão and Dairy Queen. In his new role, Pitts will oversee brand strategy and guest engagement across channels.

Los Angeles – – October 07, 2026 -- Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) has priced a dual-currency debt offering totaling $730 million in 7.125% senior notes due 2032 and €600 million in 6.125% senior notes due 2032, with both tranches issued at 100.000% of face value.

Proceeds will retire existing 2027 secured notes

Closing set for October 15, 2026

New York – – October 07, 2026 -- A global survey of 3,250 travelers finds 89% want either a hybrid stay blending artificial intelligence and human service or AI confined to background tasks, with almost none favoring an AI-led experience, according to data released by hospitality platform Mews.

Guests reject full automation even for routine tasks

Human staff were preferred over AI at all nine touchpoints tested in the study, including arranging taxis -- the most automatable task surveyed -- where 44% of respondents chose a human versus 28% who chose AI.

The preference for human service intensifies as tasks require judgment or trust: 72% of guests want a human for bar and restaurant service, 66% for front desk welcome, and 58% for check-in and key handover. Room service orders showed the closest split, with 50% preferring a human and 23% opting for AI.

Irvine, Calif. – October 07, 2026 -- Great Park Live, the City of Irvine-owned, 10,000-capacity amphitheater operated by PSQ Productions, enters October with five distinct programming formats in a single month, underscoring its position as the anchor venue for a rapidly expanding entertainment district within the 1,300-acre Great Park.

October lineup spans cultural festivals, touring rock acts and community film nights

The venue's October calendar includes the two-day Mehregan Persian Festival (Oct. 3-4), the Irvine Global Village Festival (Oct. 10), a two-day Asian Food, Music & Cultural Festival (Oct. 17-18), a national touring concert from Rise Against with Alkaline Trio and Teen Mortgage (Oct. 23), and an Irvine Nights Halloween double-feature movie screening (Oct. 30).

Milan – October 07, 2026 -- Bar Leone in Hong Kong has been crowned The World's Best Bar, sponsored by Perrier, retaining the title for a second consecutive year as the 50 Best Bars 2026 list was unveiled in Milan.

Bar Leone becomes first repeat No.1 from Asia in list history

Co-founded by Lorenzo Antinori, Bar Leone built its win on a philosophy called Cocktail Popolari -- "cocktails for the people" -- drawing on the traditional neighbourhood bars of Rome's Trastevere district rather than theatrical techniques. The venue also secured The Best Bar in Asia award in the 18th edition of the ranking.

Top five spans Milan, Cartagena, Bangkok and Athens

Milan's Moebius Milano ranked No.2, followed by Cartagena's Alquimíco at No.3, Bangkok's Bar Us at No.4 and Athens' Line at No.5. The 2026 list covers bars across 26 cities, with 14 new entries this year.

Macao – October 07, 2026 -- Sands China Ltd. (HKEx: 1928) kicked off a five-day "NBA Cares x Sands Cares Community Impact Week 2026" on Oct. 7, expanding its youth basketball initiative beyond Macao to include 50 players from Hong Kong and mainland Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities for the first time.

The program, running Oct. 7-11 alongside The NBA China Games 2026, drew 300 total participants to the Macao East Asian Games Dome on its opening Youth Day, combining 150 players aged 11-14 from eight Macao schools with the GBA contingent.

Miami – – October 07, 2026 -- League One Volleyball (LOVB) has named the ownership group for LOVB Miami, its 10th professional team and South Florida's only major women's professional sports franchise, set to debut in the 2026-27 season as a founding member of LOVB Pro's new Eastern Conference.

Ownership group spans finance, sports and entertainment sectors

The group is anchored by Suprette, Jett Sports, Fifth Down Capital, Chase and Stephanie Coleman, and Jackie Garcia, mother of UNC volleyball player Jackie Taylor. It also includes owners tied to the NBA's Charlotte Hornets, MLB's Tampa Bay Rays, and the NWSL's North Carolina Courage, bringing cross-league franchise experience to the venture.

Tampa – October 07, 2026 -- Hotel Cala, a 281-room urban resort on Tampa's Riverwalk, will open in January 2027, bringing Tao Group Hospitality's LAVO and BarOnda dining concepts to a site that has anchored downtown Tampa since 1968.

Newbond Holdings redevelops a 1968-era property into a seven-story resort

Owner Newbond Holdings tapped design firm Rockwell Group to transform the longstanding Riverwalk site into a contemporary property drawing on Tampa's Italian and Cuban heritage. "For more than half a century, this site has been part of the fabric of downtown Tampa," said Neil Luthra, founding partner at Newbond Holdings, describing the project as a bid to give locals and visitors a new reason to engage with the waterfront district.

Cleveland – October 07, 2026 -- Tim Hortons posted the fastest drive-thru service among major quick-service chains with an average total time of 4 minutes and 20 seconds, according to the 26th annual QSR Drive-Thru Report released by QSR magazine in partnership with Intouch Insight.

AI ordering cuts hospitality cues, study finds

The report, based on thousands of data points and mystery-shopper evaluations, found that when artificial intelligence handled drive-thru ordering, employee behaviors such as saying "thank you" and displaying a pleasant demeanor declined significantly. The findings point to a widening gap between operational automation and guest experience as more chains deploy AI at the order window.

Starbucks tops order accuracy rankings

Starbucks led competitors on order accuracy, a metric the report identifies as critical to customer satisfaction alongside speed and convenience.

Las Vegas – October 06, 2026 -- UrVenue, a hospitality technology company serving venues, hotels and resorts, named five inaugural honorees of its new Hospitality Innovation Awards program on September 30 at an invitation-only reception during G2E week.

UrVenue unveils five inaugural honorees at Las Vegas Strip headquarters

The ceremony took place at UrVenue's new headquarters in the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort, drawing approximately 100 senior hospitality, gaming and technology executives. Caesars Entertainment won the Innovation at Scale category, while TAO Group Hospitality was recognized for Experience Innovation. Circa Resort & Casino took the Sportsbook Innovation award, Wynn Resorts received Special Event Innovation honors, and OpenTable was named the Technology Partnership winner.