Hospitality, Travel & Events

Visalia, Calif. – September 16, 2026 -- Crunch Fitness franchisee Fitness Ventures LLC will open a $5 million, 50,000-square-foot club in Visalia, California, in late 2026, marking the company's 26th location in the state.

Crunch Visalia debuts the brand's new 3.0 design format

Located at 3535 S. Mooney Boulevard, the facility will feature Power Half Hour Circuit Training, Olympic lifting platforms, hot yoga, a functional HIITZone with indoor turf, HydroMassage beds, an infrared sauna, a Frost Locker, and Kids Crunch babysitting. Pre-sales open in late 2026, with memberships starting at $9.99 per month. The first 500 founding members will get $1 down, one month free, a t-shirt, and discounts on training packages.

Providence, R.I. and Dallas, Texas – September 15, 2026 -- Procaccianti Companies and joint venture partner Rugger Capital have acquired the 217-key Charleston Harbor Resort in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, while Suntex Marinas has separately acquired the adjacent Charleston Harbor Marina, one of the state's largest in-water marinas with more than 450 slips.

Two buyers split ownership of a single waterfront destination

The resort and marina, though physically adjacent and jointly anchoring access to historic downtown Charleston, will be owned and operated independently. Procaccianti's hospitality affiliate, TPG Hotels & Resorts, will manage the resort, while Suntex will own and operate the marina, which accommodates vessels from recreational cruisers to superyachts.

Austin, Texas – September 15, 2026 -- Walden Media Group (WMG) has been designated an approved marketing vendor for CycleBar, the indoor cycling brand operating more than 200 locations within the Extraordinary Brands portfolio.

WMG gains access to CycleBar's 200-plus studio network

The partnership brings WMG's localized performance marketing framework directly to CycleBar franchisees nationwide, targeting rider acquisition and membership growth at the individual studio level.

Las Vegas – September 15, 2026 -- Chief executives of MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts will share a Main Stage panel at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) 2026 on Sept. 29, addressing expansion strategies for a U.S. casino industry valued at $329 billion and supporting 1.8 million jobs, organizers announced.

G2E 2026 opens Sept. 28 at The Venetian Expo with over 25,000 professionals expected

The four-day event, running through Oct. 1, will draw attendees from more than 120 countries, regions and territories alongside nearly 400 exhibitors. Programming spans more than 100 education sessions featuring over 300 speakers, organized by RX and presented by the American Gaming Association (AGA).

Monaco – September 15, 2026 -- YachtWorld will open YachtWorld House, an invitation-only hospitality venue on Port Hercule, during the 2026 Monaco Yacht Show running September 23-25.

YachtWorld extends its Monaco Yacht Show partnership with a dedicated industry venue

The space, located steps from the show, is designed as an extension of YachtWorld's existing partnership with the Monaco Yacht Show. It will host shipyard leaders, superyacht brokers, media and other industry professionals for private meetings, curated lunches and informal gatherings overlooking the harbour.

Silver Spring, Md. – September 15, 2026 -- The Big Greek Café has partnered with restaurant technology providers Deliverect and Thanx to consolidate first-party ordering, third-party dispatch and loyalty onto a single integrated platform across its U.S. locations.

Menu management failures pushed the brand toward a unified tech stack

Chief Operating Officer Niko Kontos said the Maryland-based Greek fast-casual chain was spending excessive time fixing menu errors and working around platform reliability issues instead of serving guests. The new stack folds the brand's loyalty program directly into checkout rather than keeping it as a separate sign-up process.

Orlando, Florida – September 14, 2026 -- Grande Lakes Orlando has completed a resort-wide renovation that expands its meetings and events footprint to more than 169,000 square feet across The Ritz-Carlton Orlando and the JW Marriott Orlando, targeting corporate conferences, incentive trips and executive retreats.

Renovated ballrooms and 56 breakout rooms now anchor the property's group business strategy

The multi-year transformation began with guest rooms and has now reached group gathering areas at both hotels. The Ritz-Carlton Orlando offers reworked ballroom, indoor and al fresco event spaces, while the JW Marriott Orlando has redesigned convention space including breakout rooms and outdoor venues. The combined 169,000 square feet includes 56 breakout rooms suited to board meetings, galas and full-property buyouts.

Birmingham, Ala. – September 14, 2026 -- The World Baseball League (WBL) will stage its inaugural Field of Dreams Festival October 15-17 in Dyersville, Iowa, at the original movie site from the 1989 film and its adjoining stadium, marking the upstart league's first multi-day showcase event.

Hall of Famer Frank Thomas and his newly launched streaming platform, Big Eye Network, have signed on as the festival's exclusive broadcast partner, producing coverage of the weekend's marquee moments including a ceremonial first pitch thrown by Thomas.

Miami – September 14, 2026 -- Acqualina Resort & Residences, a Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five Diamond property named USA Today's "No. 1 Best Destination Resort" for the sixth time in 2026, has relaunched its website in partnership with Miami-based agency Digital Silk.

Digital Silk rebuilt Acqualina's site around four business priorities: revenue, brand awareness, credibility and guest loyalty.

The redesign followed a full audit of positioning, audiences and business goals, producing a new brand book, style guide and custom CMS. The final build integrates a booking engine, interactive maps, event calendars and a live beach camera, with distinct navigation paths for accommodations, dining, spa and events.

Vienna – September 13, 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.