Why Hotel Sales Is Still a People Business | Sonesta Hotels | IMEX America | Brian Macaluso

Exclusive interview with Brian Macaluso, VP of Global Sales at Sonesta Hotels, at IMEX America 2026. Key Highlights: 1. Brian Macaluso says it has been an amazing week, and that IMEX is one of his favourite shows, because people come not only to see colleagues and reconnect but to do business. 2. He says every meeting has had a purpose and driven results, and that it is all about partnership. 3. He says face-to-face meetings never go away, and are one of Sonesta’s four principles. 4. On negotiating modern MICE contracts that benefit both sides, he describes Sonesta’s value proposition, “Sonesta First”: flexible, innovative, reliable, swift and transparent. 5. He says the company wants to be upfront and honest with clients every day and to build a two-way partnership. 6. He says it wants to understand what the client needs and what is important to them, so the better the two sides connect, the quicker they reach a decision. 7. He says the sales teams partner with the hotels and operations teams to make sure client needs are understood. 8. On brand consistency with localised events, he says Sonesta has a family of 13 brands today, each with defined brand standards. 9. He says the hotels also take on the culture and identity of their own location and bring that to life through events, giving the examples of a New Orleans experience at Royal Sonesta New Orleans and a Fort Lauderdale experience at Sonesta Fort Lauderdale. 10. On the healthcare and medical meetings market, he says part of being innovative is the partnership with MPI (Meeting Professionals International) on HMCC (Healthcare Meeting Compliance Certification), a certification that teaches how to deliver a medical meeting. 11. He says it matters to medical meetings partners that the hotels understand their business, so Sonesta leans into the programme across its managed hotels. 12. He explains that the individual sales contact gets the certification, and the Verified Venue status then makes the hotel itself verified to welcome medical meetings, so the hotel understands what is needed. 13. He says combining the certified sales contact with hotel operations that understand the value of medical meetings serves planners better, and that MPI has been a great partner. 14. On technology and dynamic pricing, he says the company is in a people business, and trains its teams to use technology to educate themselves and be better prepared. 15. He says teams should not use technology in place of the first face-to-face connection, but should use tools to be more beneficial to the client, then talk to them and have transparent conversations. About Travel And Tour World: Travel And Tour World is a global travel media platform covering travel, tourism, hospitality, aviation, MICE, cruise, and luxury travel, with readership across 195 countries. [Brian Macaluso, Brian Macaluso Sonesta, Sonesta Hotels, Sonesta Hotels International interview, Sonesta First, Sonesta First value proposition, Sonesta 13 brands, Royal Sonesta, Royal Sonesta New Orleans meetings, Sonesta HMCC Verified Venues, Sonesta MPI partnership, MPI, HMCC, Healthcare Meeting Compliance Certification, medical meetings, healthcare meetings, how to plan a medical meeting, MICE, meetings and incentives, corporate meetings, how to negotiate a hotel contract for meetings, transparent hotel group contracts, hotel contracts, hotel sales, face-to-face meetings never go away, AI vs personal relationships in hotel sales, corporate meeting and incentive buyers IMEX America, IMEX America, IMEX America 2026, IMEX America 2026 interview, Travel And Tour World] #BrianMacaluso #Sonesta #SonestaHotels #RoyalSonesta #SonestaFirst #MICE #MedicalMeetings #HMCC #MPI #HotelSales #MeetingPlanners #IMEXAmerica #IMEXAmerica2026 #TravelAndTourWorld