#skalinternational

🎉 Please Join Us in Welcoming Our Newest Skål Philadelphia Member! 🎉 We are excited to welcome Cassandra Razzi, Senior Manager, Business Development at Orange 142 | Direct Digital Holdings, to Skål International Philadelphia!

Cassandra is an accomplished, top-performing business development executive with an impressive track record in the B2B online media industry. Her expertise in strategic partnerships, client engagement, and business growth will be a tremendous asset to our organization and our members.

At Skål International Philadelphia, we are proud to connect leaders from every sector of the travel, tourism, hospitality, meetings, and business communities to build meaningful relationships and create opportunities to "Do Business Among Friends."

Cassandra, we are thrilled to have you as part of our growing network and look forward to your contributions, leadership, and the new connections you'll make throughout our local, national, and global Skål community. Please join me in giving Cassandra a warm Skål Philadelphia welcome!

🦀✨ I Saved the Best for Last… Baltimore SKAL! ✨🦀 What a fantastic way to wrap up my Skal Club visits! 💙

There's something truly special about Skål Baltimore. Your club has a unique energy that celebrates genuine friendship and lasting relationships.🌎🤝

I had a wonderful evening joining the club for dinner at Hudson Coastal. A great place for a delicious seafood! 🍽️

A heartfelt thank you for your warm hospitality and for making me feel so welcome.

Special shout-outs to: 👏 Chrissy Mayhew – it was wonderful spending time with you! 🏨 Hans – you are a walking encyclopedia of hotel history! (And yes... I'll be sure to tell Frank you said hello! 😄) ⭐ Katie Doherty, CHA & Fannie Austin – you were my North Stars throughout the trip. Your friendship means so much, and it was such a joy to spend time together. Experiences like this remind me why Skål is so much more than a professional organization it's a global family built on friendship, and unforgettable memories.

🌟 What an honor to represent Skål Philadelphia as Past President (2019–2020) at the Skål International New York Past Presidents Cookout & Silent Auction! 🌟 🍔🔥 It was wonderful to reconnect with fellow Skålleagues from across the years, sharing fond memories, celebrating friendships, and reflecting on the impact of our Skål journey together. Events like these remind us that the true strength of Skål lies in the relationships we build and the camaraderie we share throughout our careers. 🤝✨

Last night’s Skål Philadelphia April Program spotlighted key insights, leadership examples, and impactful networking as we explored the evolving future of customer service in hospitality front-office management.

At Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse, hospitality professionals came together to discuss how to balance innovative technology with the human touch, sharing practical strategies and success stories.

Thank you to moderator Gary Wooten of Global Philadelphia Association for leading an engaging discussion.

Our panelists: Mateo Sanabria (Sofitel Philadelphia) Coco M. Mantey (Warwick Rittenhouse Square Hotel) Tashna Seaton-Small (Kimpton Hotel Palomar Philadelphia)

The panel shared practical insights and discussed leadership strategies for adapting to new guest expectations, excelling at service standards, and preparing Philadelphia’s front-office teams for global recognition.

We were pleased Jim Dwyer President SKAL NEW JERSEY and past President Skål International USA joined us, highlighting the value of collaboration in our Skål network.

Programs like this highlight Skål’s vital role in uniting tourism and hospitality leaders dedicated to shaping our industry’s future.

Excited and counting down—I can’t wait! Leaving soon for the 2026 North American Skål Congress (NASC)!

This incredible travel and tourism industry conference, hosted by Skål International New York, takes place May 2–7, 2026, aboard a 5-night cruise ⚓ from New York City to Bermuda.

It’s an amazing opportunity to connect with tourism and hospitality professionals from across North America, engage in educational sessions, and strengthen global partnerships.

What a terrific evening at our second Skål Philadelphia program of 2026 — and that’s a wrap! Webinar "AI IN ACTION Real-World Strategies for the Workplace & Tourism Industry"

We were honored to welcome Ary Aranguiz, CPTD, AIPM, Future-Ready AI Group, LLC, who delivered an extensive and highly engaging presentation on AI tools and their practical applications in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Ary walked us through platforms such as NotebookLM, Gemini, and Claude, demonstrating how these tools can support:

✔️ Data analysis ✔️ Content creation ✔️ Knowledge base development ✔️ Workflow automation

Through live demos, she showed how to build a knowledge base from industry reports and generate AI-powered content tailored specifically to hospitality professionals. Most importantly, she emphasized the responsible use of AI, thoughtful data handling, and the importance of human oversight in implementation.

As I shared in my introduction, Ary has a unique talent for making complex AI concepts accessible and actionable, and she certainly delivered.