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NAR Eliminates Mandatory Buyer Broker
Commission in Settlement
By Julia Stumbaugh
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has agreed to a $418 million settlement that could change who pays broker fees and reshape how Americans sell their homes.
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National Grocers Association Breaks Attendance Record at 2024 Trade Show… The National Grocers Association (NGA) hosted 3,600 attendees for their annual 2024 NGA Show at the Caesars Forum Convention Center in Las Vegas from March 10-12. That made it the best-attended show in 42 years of association history, according to NGA. “The bar continues to rise as we plan our next show for 2025,” said NGA President and CEO Greg Ferrara. The NGA will return to the Caesars Forum Convention Center for year’s event in February 2025.
Energy Associations Celebrate House GOP’s “Energy Week”… Energy associations including the American Petroleum Institute (API) and National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) are celebrating House Republican’s decision to call the week of March 22 “energy week,” in which legislators plan to focus on bill cutting down Environmental Protection Act (EPA) regulations on oil and gas producers while streamlining permitting processes for new energy projects. “We welcome the House of Representatives’ actions this week to increase access to America’s oil and natural gas resources, strengthen energy infrastructure with commonsense permitting reforms, and repeal taxes on energy production that weaken U.S. security and add costs to American families,” said Mike Sommers, President and CEO, API.
Hotel NEWS
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The Singer Oceanfront Resort in Singer Island, Florida, announced on March 14 the completion of its property-wide, multimillion dollar renovation.
When the property opens this spring, it will do so under the Curio Collection by Hilton umbrella. The newly completed transformation of the 223-room hotel will include reimagined restaurant concepts, Singer Island excursions, refreshed guest rooms, lobby and common spaces, and meeting venues.
“While Palm Beach is a popular travel destination, we’re excited to unveil this new resort experience that will undoubtedly put a spotlight on Singer Island,” said Steve Contos, Executive Vice President of Davidson Resorts, the company operating the Singer. “This newly enhanced resort offers a coastal haven in Florida for travelers near and far.”
A newly renovated guest room at The Singer Oceanfront Resort.
Global lifestyle brand, Kenneth Cole and Hotel Emporium, a direct manufacturer of hotel amenities, have partnered to bring eco-conscious, bulk amenities to 854 Presidential Reserve Suites at Wyndham Destination properties throughout the United States, St. Thomas in the Caribbean and Bali in Indonesia.
“We are inspired by Wyndham’s commitment to take eco-consciousness to the next level, showing the hospitality industry what is environmentally possible and helping to move the needle towards a better and brighter future, both environmentally and socially,” said Kevin Maciulewicz, Sr. Vice President of Resort Operations for Club Wyndham and Margaritaville Vacation.
The Kenneth Cole collection available at select Wyndham Destinations properties will include dispensers of shampoo, condition and body wash, hand wash, body lotion and dish soap.
“We are excited to see the good that comes from the partnership between Wyndham Destinations and Kenneth Cole, knowing that our dispenser programs are contributing to a larger environmental goal,” said Andy De Silva, CEO of Hotel Emporium.
Convention Bureau/Center NEWS
CVB Update
The Baltimore Convention Center on March 20 announced a new partnership with Levy, the market-leading hospitality team of major convention and meeting venues across the country.
Through a comprehensive RFP process, the Baltimore Convention Center selected Levy as their new exclusive food and beverage provider. Together, the two will bring an elevated, refreshed mindset to food and beverage, with a focus on elevating downtown Baltimore as a destination for world-class events and hospitality. Levy will officially begin operating at the Baltimore Convention Center in July.
The Baltimore Convention Center and Levy will work together to craft menus, dining concepts and catering experiences to be activated throughout the venue. In addition to new offerings, the partnership will focus on creative, elevated catering for major events that attract visitors to Baltimore. Levy and the BCC will prioritize partnerships with local community organizations and minority- and women-owned businesses, while also continuing to elevate sustainability initiatives by buying local, reducing food waste, and expanding other green initiatives.
“The potential in the BCC/Levy partnership is almost limitless in Baltimore,” said Mac Campbell, Executive Director, Baltimore Convention Center. “With the exciting new patron-facing capital improvement concepts to be unveiled in the coming months along with Levy’s bespoke approach to telling the Baltimore story through food, we’ll be ensuring a decade’s worth of guests will return home full but with a hunger to return and explore more of our amazing city.”