Hospitality & Leisure

Las Vegas – September 28, 2026 -- IGT will unveil a new brand identity at the 2026 Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas, running Sept. 28 through Oct. 1, marking a formal repositioning of the gaming technology provider following its combination with Everi Holdings.

IGT ties new identity to four operational pillars for casino operators

The rebrand centers on integrated solutions across the casino floor, in-demand game content, applied industry expertise, and a stated commitment to customer growth outcomes. IGT describes the identity as built on being 'fluid, frictionless and magnetic,' departing from its previous corporate visual style.

Los Angeles – September 25, 2026 -- Los Angeles Orbit, the newest franchise in League One Volleyball (LOVB), unveiled its team name, logo and brand identity today at Intuit Dome ahead of its inaugural professional season.

Ohanian, Rae and James headline ownership group at Intuit Dome reveal

Team owners Alexis Ohanian, Issa Rae and Savannah James attended the unveiling alongside LOVB Commissioner Sandra Idehen and volleyball legend Misty May-Treanor. Players including Carli Lloyd, Kotoe Inoue, Annie Drews Schumacher, Madi Kingdon Rishel and Kathryn Boden joined the event, which also featured activist Malala Yousafzai.

Los Angeles – September 25, 2026 -- The Taiwan Tourism Administration (TTA) closed its three-city U.S. workshop series on Sept. 18 in Los Angeles, linking nearly 70 Southern California travel professionals with Taiwanese travel agencies, hotels and airlines for direct business meetings.

US arrivals to Taiwan hit a record 710,000 in 2025

More than 710,000 U.S. visitors traveled to Taiwan in 2025, with nearly 60% citing tourism as their primary purpose -- a record for the destination. The market is backed by over 200 weekly round-trip flights connecting Taiwan to 13 major North American cities.

Chicago – September 25, 2026 -- The Taiwan Tourism Administration (TTA) brought its U.S. workshop series back to Chicago on Sept. 16, 2026, ending a seven-year absence from the Midwest market and drawing 53 local travel industry representatives.

Taiwan logged a record 710,000 U.S. visitors in 2025

Nearly 60% of those arrivals were tourism-driven, the TTA reported, a record high for the destination. The agency credited strong air connectivity, with more than 200 weekly round-trip flights linking Taiwan to 13 major North American cities.

Repeat visitors matched pre-pandemic peak at 42.25% of arrivals

Through its "Tourism Dual-Wheel Drive Program," the TTA is courting repeat visitors, MICE travelers extending stays for leisure, and incentive travel groups. The 42.25% repeat-visitor share in 2025 equaled the pre-pandemic high recorded in 2019.

Toronto – September 25, 2026 -- LUG Sports Group Inc. has placed No. 146 out of 375 companies on Report on Business magazine's 2026 list of Canada's Top Growing Companies, marking its second consecutive year on the ranking.

LUG posts 174% three-year revenue growth to secure repeat ranking

The list ranks Canadian businesses on three-year revenue growth, and LUG qualified with a 174% increase over that period and a 239% growth rate over five years. The company also placed No. 5 on the Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation category list.

Bethesda, Md. – September 25, 2026 -- Stayntouch has completed a phased migration of all seven Imperial London Hotels properties onto its cloud property management system, culminating in the cutover of the 1,379-room Royal National Hotel, the largest hotel in Western Europe.

Royal National Hotel becomes largest property on Stayntouch's EMEA platform

The Royal National Hotel's onboarding marks the largest property to join Stayntouch in EMEA to date, demonstrating the platform's capacity to run enterprise-scale operations alongside boutique properties within the same portfolio.

New York – September 25, 2026 -- The Taiwan Tourism Administration (TTA) launched a three-city U.S. workshop series in New York, drawing more than 70 local travel industry representatives and media, before continuing to Chicago and Los Angeles.

Taiwan returns to the Midwest travel trade after a seven-year absence

The delegation, comprising Taiwanese travel agencies, hotels and airlines, marked Taiwan's re-entry into the Chicago market for the first time in seven years as part of the workshop tour.

U.S. arrivals to Taiwan hit 710,000 in 2025, a record for tourism-purpose travel

More than 710,000 U.S. visitors traveled to Taiwan in 2025, with nearly 60% citing tourism as their purpose -- a record high for the destination. Taiwan's air connectivity underpins this volume, with more than 200 weekly round-trip flights linking the island to 13 major North American cities.

Bridgetown, Barbados – September 25, 2026 -- NCL GT20 Canada, the country's professional T20 franchise tournament, will stage its 2026 edition in St. Vincent and the Grenadines during the October-November window, marking a one-year departure from Canadian soil before the league returns to Canada in 2027.

Cricket West Indies secures direct franchise investment under new governance framework

Under a collaborative structure between Cricket Canada and Cricket West Indies (CWI), CWI will handle governance, compliance and regulatory coordination for the 2026 edition while also holding a direct franchise investment stake. The arrangement is designed to build sustainable sporting and commercial connections across the Americas rather than relocate the tournament permanently.

Fort Worth, Texas – – September 25, 2026 -- Crescent Real Estate LLC has closed the sale of The Hotel at Avalon, a 330-room luxury property in Alpharetta, Georgia, marking one of the most notable hotel transactions in the Atlanta market in recent years.

Crescent acquired the property in September 2020 during peak pandemic uncertainty

The firm bought the hotel amid what it called "unprecedented uncertainty" in the hospitality sector, betting on the long-term strength of the asset despite widespread investor caution at the time. Christopher Goff, Senior Managing Director and Head of Capital Formation at Crescent, said the firm acquired the property at a basis reflecting that period of extraordinary market disruption.

Winnipeg – September 25, 2026 -- Activate has ranked No. 35 among 375 companies on The Globe and Mail's 2026 list of Canada's Top Growing Companies, posting 958% growth and placing No. 2 in the arts, recreation and entertainment category.

Activate expands from 50 to over 80 locations across 12 countries

The Manitoba-based entertainment company has grown from more than 50 locations to over 80 since first appearing on the Globe and Mail list in 2024. Activate now operates in 12 countries spanning North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and has served more than 14 million players worldwide.

CEO ties international scale-up to Canadian R&D base

Adam Schmidt, CEO of Activate, said the company continues to invest in games, technology and innovation from its Winnipeg headquarters even as it expands internationally, calling this the foundation of its growth.