AHLA strengthens conferences and events team with new senior VP

WASHINGTON (Sept. 26, 2024) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) today announced it has hired Steven Okuley as its new senior vice president for conferences and events.

Okuley previously served at American Airlines, where he was Director of B2B Customer Engagement & Communication and oversaw all global sales and distribution tradeshows, internal meetings, customer events, sales incentives, and advisory boards. Prior to that, Okuley was Director of Global Meetings & Events for Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

Okuley joins AHLA Sept. 30 and will lead a seasoned team responsible for creating and executing high-value events for the association and the AHLA Foundation that drive member engagement and deliver value for sponsors and contributors. Over the last several years, AHLA has steadily expanded its portfolio of events that are either AHLA-owned or produced with partner organizations, establishing AHLA as a thought leader and provider of industry-leading events, including:

• The award-winning Hospitality Show, the industry’s premier technology and operations event that draws thousands of attendees, and its powerful regional event series.
• AHLA Foundation’s annual Night of a Thousand Stars gala, a hospitality tradition since 2019 that celebrates the talented frontline employees who make America’s hotels successful.
• AHLA Foundation’s annual ForWard conference and its regional event series, aimed at recognizing and celebrating women in the hospitality industry.
• AHLA’s global events series that draws the top hospitality minds from around the world: HTNG Connect: Europe and HTNG Connect: Asia-Pacific.

“As the leading organization representing every segment of the hotel industry, AHLA serves an important role in convening hoteliers, vendors, and other stakeholders to network, learn, and make deals that create jobs and prosperity,” said AHLA Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey. “Steven’s track record of planning and executing industry-leading experiences will help us continue to grow and improve our amazing lineup of conferences and events, which are key to our membership value proposition and help drive the revenue and contributions that support our advocacy and charitable work.”

About AHLA

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the largest hotel association in America, representing more than 30,000 members from all segments of the industry nationwide – including iconic global brands, 80% of all franchised hotels, and the 16 largest hotel companies in the U.S. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA focuses on strategic advocacy, communications support, and workforce development programs to move the industry forward. Learn more at www.ahla.com.

About AHLA Foundation

AHLA Foundation, the charitable arm of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, works to support the hotel and lodging industry’s greatest asset – our people. By connecting employees, employers, and their communities, we seek to continuously nurture a culture of professional growth and belonging. When the people who work in our industry thrive, the industry thrives along with them. The Foundation is funded by grants and charitable contributions from generous individuals and organizations who want to support individuals seeking opportunities to thrive in the hotel and lodging industry. Learn more at www.ahlafoundation.org