Hospitality & Leisure

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 13, 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 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.

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.

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, 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.