NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality Welcomes the U.S. Travel Association's Geoff Freeman to its 19th Annual Grossinger-Bergman Distinguished Lecturer Series

Featured Speaker Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, Discusses "The State of Travel Today and Our Vision for the Future"

NEW YORK, April 17, 2023—The NYU SPS School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality will present the 19th Annual Grossinger-Bergman Distinguished Lecturer Series in Travel and Tourism, featuring guest speaker Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. The event will be held at the New York Marriott Marquis on Monday, April 24, at 6 p.m.

Freeman will be introduced by Eddie Bergman, president of Innovative Development Services (IDS) and CEO of Proxima Hospitality Group. Freeman will discuss the vision for U.S. Travel and the industry as a whole—building off the U.S. Travel Association’s already strong foundation to increase travel to and within the United States and position travel as an essential contributor to the U.S. economy. He will lay out opportunities to strengthen and grow travel industry segments—all while ensuring we continue to educate and engage our nation’s most influential decision-makers within the federal government.

Geoff Freeman is the leading advocate for the $1.2 trillion U.S. travel and hospitality industry. Freeman is a seasoned CEO with a proven track record of building successful organizations that unite member interests, grow member value, increase revenue, and unlock growth opportunities. Previously, Freeman was president and CEO of the Consumer Brands Association, a trade association for America’s $2.1 trillion food, beverage, and consumer products industry. Freeman previously served as COO of the U.S. Travel Association from 2011 to 2013, helping to conceive and lead a campaign that resulted in the passage of the bipartisan Travel Promotion Act, which was hailed as "the industry’s biggest legislative victory in a decade."

The U.S. Travel Association is the national nonprofit organization representing all components of the travel industry, which generates $2.6 trillion in economic output and supports nearly 15 million American workers. As the industry’s united voice, the U.S. Travel Association prioritizes high-impact issues affecting the sector and advocates for policies that will advance and elevate travel on the national level. U.S. Travel has led recent efforts to secure federal support for travel businesses as they recovered from the pandemic, provide Congressional support for Brand U.S.A., enabling it to pursue rebuilding of international inbound travel, and to reduce excessive wait times for U.S. visitor visa applicants worldwide.

To RSVP for the event, please register here.

If you are a member of the press who wishes to cover the event, please contact Michael DeMeo at michael.demeo@nyu.edu.

About the Grossinger-Bergman Distinguished Lecturer Series in Travel and Tourism
Established in 2003, the NYUSPS Tisch Center of Hospitality’s annual Grossinger-Bergman Distinguished Lecturer Series provides a forum for the discussion of significant issues and developments within the business of tourism. The speakers and panelists selected epitomize the highest accomplishment for leadership in the hospitality and tourism industry.

About the NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality
The NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality is a leading center for the study of hospitality, travel, and tourism. Through its undergraduate degree in hotel and tourism management, its graduate degrees in hospitality industry studies, tourism management, and event management; a plethora of continuing education programs; and its world-renowned hospitality investment conference, students gain the knowledge and the skill sets that enable them to manage change, to communicate, to thrive in complex work environments, and to advance the businesses of hospitality, travel, and tourism.

The Tisch Center recently launched the Hospitality Innovation Hub (HI Hub), which will foster entrepreneurship and creative solutions for the industries it serves. The state-of-the-art facilities offer students, start-ups, established industry partners, and investors opportunities to learn, discover, innovate, and invest.