981: Jerry Inzerillo on Saudi Arabia’s $64B Diriyah Project & Vision 2030

Las Vegas is evolving from a gaming town into one of the world’s premier sports destinations — and MGM Resorts International is leading the charge. In this interview, Lance Evans, SVP of Sports & Partnerships at MGM Resorts, explains how: ⚾ The arrival of Major League Baseball will transform the Las Vegas calendar.  🏒 The success of the Golden Knights, Raiders, and Aces unlocked a new era of major league sports.  🏟️ MGM’s position in the “Golden Triangle” creates unmatched opportunities for fans and visitors.  🏎️ Formula 1 and other global events elevate Las Vegas to an international stage. 🎶 Sports partnerships fuel not only ticket sales, but food, beverage, entertainment, and loyalty experiences.  This MGM Resorts International series is brought to you by Uniguest, whose Hotel Hub solution connects the guest journey to your messaging and branding. Learn more at uniguest.com.  #MGMResorts #HospitalityLeadership #LasVegas #Sports #Hotels

Management companies don’t always get top billing in deal conversations… but they should. At The Lodging Conference, I sat down with Mark Crisci, Principal & Chief Investment Officer at Azul Hospitality, to dig into the real role management companies play in transactions—especially in a slow market. Here’s what stood out: 👉 With deal flow down, management changes are often triggered by lender involvement rather than new owners. 👉 Azul approaches every potential takeover carefully. If the current operator’s performing well, they say so. If it’s broken, they explain exactly how they’ll fix it. 👉 Mark stressed the high stakes of inheriting someone else’s problem without a smart strategy. 👉 Selectivity matters more than ever—Azul aligns only with ownership groups that share their philosophy. 👉 And on a personal note, Mark opened up about the two scariest moments of his career: the death of a mentor and leading through early COVID. Both tested him. Both made him stronger. This conversation is a sharp reminder that operations drive performance, and choosing the right management partner can make or break a deal. 🙏 Thanks to our friends at Unifocus — technology that drives value and makes better workforce management possible. Learn more at Unifocus.com.

Saudi Arabia is building one of the most ambitious #hospitality and #tourism projects in the world—and Jerry Inzerillo is leading it. On No Vacancy Live, Anthony Melchiorri and I spoke with Jerry, CEO of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority, about the $64B master plan to transform the birthplace of the Kingdom into a cultural destination with 42 new hotels, 1,000 shops, and a fully walkable heritage city. Here’s what stood out: 👉 The project has already welcomed 4 million visitors since reopening the UNESCO site in 2019 👉 Tourism’s share of Saudi GDP grew from 3% to 5% in just a few years—with a goal of 10% by 2030 under Vision 2030 👉 50,000 workers are on-site daily, and 39% of the staff are women—part of a major workforce shift 👉 By 2030, Saudi Arabia will host the World Expo, and in 2034, the World Cup Jerry’s message was simple: “All are welcome. Come see for yourself.” This conversation was a masterclass in vision, authenticity, and communication—and a glimpse into how Saudi Arabia positions itself for the next century. 🙏 Thanks to our advertiser Actabl. Benchmark your performance this budget season at HotelData.com.

Margin pressure. Rate uncertainty. Shifting investor expectations. Welcome to 2026 planning season. During The Lodging Conference, I spoke with David Duncan, President & CEO of First Hospitality, and Marissa Ballan, Chief Investment Officer, about how their team approaches the next phase of the hotel cycle — with discipline, data, and confidence. Here’s what stood out: 👉 First Hospitality has spent months renegotiating contracts and sharpening cost control to offset margin compression. 👉 The company’s revenue management and analytics platform helped 76% of its hotels grow share last month—even longtime assets. 👉 Investors see 2025–2026 as a transition period, with falling rates expected to unlock real opportunity in Q1. 👉 Marissa’s focus: expanding capital partnerships and attracting institutional investors to fuel growth. 👉 David’s focus: building culture through authentic service, not scripted soundbites. They summed it up perfectly: Control what you can. Focus on people. Build transparency and trust. 🙏 Thanks to our friends at Entegra, the world’s leading group purchasing organization. Tap into GPO power to save money and strengthen operations at EntegraPS.com.

Technology shapes the industry — but humanity defines it. At The Lodging Conference, I spoke with Eric Rubino and Ryan Alpert of Extreme Hospitality about how hotel leaders can balance technology, fundamentals, and human connection to stay grounded in an unpredictable market. Here’s what stood out: 👉 Deals are harder to pencil out, so success depends on discipline and daily fundamentals. 👉 Conferences like this one help leaders share ideas, gauge sentiment, and stay realistic—not overconfident or pessimistic. 👉 Great hotel companies use tech to empower people, not replace them. Data informs decisions, but heart drives hospitality. 👉 Extreme Hospitality invests in training and empowerment, teaching rising leaders how to think critically and act confidently, not just follow a playbook. 👉 Guests still crave authentic experiences and human connection—and that’s what keeps hotels from becoming commodities. As Eric said: “We’re not in the business of just selling a room. We’re in the business of delivering an experience.” 🙏 Thanks to our friends at Unifocus—technology that drives value for hotels. Learn how they help operators improve labor efficiency and guest satisfaction at Unifocus.com.

Hospitality pros are feeling the headwinds — but also something else: cautious optimism. For #NoVacancyNews I spoke with Brittney Jones of Brittain Hotels & Resorts to find out what owners are really thinking. From interest rate shifts to #hotel brand reinventions to economic headwinds, we get into the mindset behind the moves. We discuss the emotional fatigue that’s driving hope, the surge in independent hotel strategies, and why experiential travel isn’t just a buzzword — it’s the new baseline. If you’re navigating Q4 with grit and strategy, this one’s for you. 💡 Special thanks to my friends at Entegra — if you're still overpaying, you're doing it wrong. Visit Entegraps.com and get serious about saving. 🎧 Key takeaways: Brittney says owners are cautiously optimistic about Q4 and 2026 Emotional exhaustion is fueling a desire for momentum New brand launches are leaning into memory-making over material perks #Independenthotels are gaining traction — and major brands are watching Brittney shares how Brittain Hotels is adapting to the shift I remind us: if we survived COVID, we can handle anything

Budget season feels tighter—and more uncertain—than ever. At The Lodging Conference, I spoke with Joseph Bojanowski, President of PM Hotel Group, about how he’s tackling budgeting, inflation, and a confusing economic outlook heading into next year.   Here’s what stood out: 👉 Hotels can’t control government shutdowns, tariffs, or global politics—but they can control performance delivery. 👉 Joseph’s team focuses on guest experience and value—if the stay feels worth more, guests are willing to pay more. 👉 Group business shows real strength, with Q1 and Q2 bookings up 107% year over year, driven by strong event demand. 👉 Even as uncertainty grows, consumer travel remains resilient, especially across leisure and group segments. 👉 The path forward? Focus internally—on what you can control, and make every guest interaction count. Joseph summed it up perfectly: “Performance, performance, performance.”   🙏 Thanks to Unifocus , the leader in workforce optimization and labor management technology. They help hotels boost productivity and employee engagement while improving the guest experience. Learn more at Unifocus.com .

Leading a new company doesn’t start with a strategy—it starts with trust. At The Lodging Conference, I spoke with Ben Perelmuter, President & CEO of Remington Hospitality, about how he’s shaping the company’s culture, building his leadership team, and staying focused on what matters most: property performance. Here’s what stood out: 👉 Trust takes time. Ben already knew many on his team, which gave him credibility on day one—but he knows leadership means earning it every day. 👉 He built his executive foundation fast, hiring Jason Krull as COO and Corey Chambers to lead revenue and sales—two people he’s worked with before and deeply trusts. 👉 Their chemistry creates a “one plus one equals three” effect—moving faster because they share shorthand and alignment. 👉 With RevPAR growth slowing and cost pressures rising, Remington focuses on execution, group business, and performance at the property level. Ben’s philosophy is simple: focus on the fundamentals, hire people you trust, and build from the ground up—one brick at a time. 🔗 Watch the full conversation: [Insert link] 🙏 Thanks to Entegra, the leading group purchasing organization helping hotels save money and strengthen operations. Learn more at EntegraPS.com.

We gave control of our hotel inventory away once before. Let’s not do it again. At The Lodging Conference, I spoke with Jeff Wagoner, President and CEO of OUTRIGGER Hospitality Group for hashtag#NoVacancyNews, about how hashtag#AI is reshaping hotel search, discovery, and distribution — and what hoteliers must do to stay in control this time. Jeff drew a clear line between the post-9/11 OTA era and what’s happening now with generative AI. Back then, the industry leaned on online travel agencies for visibility and lost direct connections with guests. Today, agentic AI tools like ChatGPT could either hand that power back to hotels—or repeat the same mistake. Here’s what Jeff shared: 👉 AI isn’t just about asking questions—it’s about how search renders your brand in a conversational environment. 👉 Hotels must feed accurate, high-quality data into AI systems to ensure they show up first. 👉 Understanding geo-based and algorithmic search will soon matter as much as SEO once did. 👉 Operators that invest early will save on distribution costs and regain control of guest relationships. Jeff’s message was clear: The AI era is another inflection point for hashtag#hospitality. Get educated now — or risk falling behind. Thanks to our friends at Unifocus for sponsoring this video. Unifocus , technology that drives value, visit them at Unifocus.com

Tonight we have David Bowman, EVP at NewGen Advisory is here to advise Glenn, Craig, Producer Dave and Doctor Producer Suzanne on how not to screw up a happy hour podcast. Our guess: It doesn't work.