IPD Hospitality recently convened general managers, directors of sales and key leadership team members from across its portfolio for its Annual General Manager & Director of Sales Meeting in Orlando, Fla.
The multi-day conference—which took place from October 25-30—brought together leaders from throughout the Suwanee, Ga.-based management company with a shared focus on strengthening leadership capabilities, elevating guest experience standards and driving operational excellence at every property.
This year’s meeting featured an expanded agenda designed to support performance at every level of hotel operations. Through hands-on training and immersive sessions, general managers and sales leaders explored strategies for creating exceptional guest journeys, implementing advanced cleanliness and housekeeping standards and applying revenue management approaches that balance profitability with a consistently high-quality guest experience.
Educational sessions emphasized real-world execution, addressing critical topics such as optimizing front-desk interactions, strengthening service recovery techniques, reinforcing brand standards and maintaining superior room cleanliness. Attendees also examined market-demand analysis and revenue optimization strategies to support smarter pricing, forecasting and sales decisions. New operational tools, performance dashboards and guest satisfaction insights were introduced as well.
In addition, networking events throughout the week encouraged cross-brand and cross-region dialogue, giving participants opportunities to share best practices, discuss challenges and align on operational priorities.
The conference included the annual awards ceremony, held at NASA, where IPD Hospitality recognized leaders for their contributions to the organization. The 2025 award recipients included Anton Davidson of Home2 Suites, named General Manager of the Year; Corinne Kania of Comfort Inn Jasper and Patrice Elliott of Hampton Inn Greenfield, both honored with Leadership Awards; Natalie Reeves of Hampton Inn Cartersville, recognized with the Rising Star Award; Becca Giles was named Sales Manager of the Year; and Ronda Jameson of Holiday Inn Express & Suites Salem, recipient of the Guest Services Award.