Episode description

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman joined Trade Show Talk to share his experience as the leading advocate for the $1.1 trillion U.S. travel and hospitality industry. In this role since September 2022, Freeman talked about recent lobbying wins, including the Congressional passage in March of $50 million in funding for the U.S. Department of State to reduce visitor visa interview wait times — welcome news for business events, with average wait times of 400 days for top markets like Mexico, Brazil, India and Columbia. We did a deep dive into the data from a Tourism Economics forecast that revealed international inbound travel and domestic business travel will continue to remain below pre-pandemic levels in 2024. Find out what he thinks it will take to bring back international travel to the U.S. and domestic business travel to pre-pandemic levels. 

Want to know more about what U.S. Travel? Here are links to recent news:

U.S. Travel Applauds Much-Needed Funding to Lower Visitor Visa Wait Times

Stunning New Research Ranks United States Nearly Dead Last in Competition for Global Travelers

Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel

Hundreds of Travel Advocates from 50 States Call for Action on Capitol Hill

Top legislative priorities at U.S. Travel’s Destination Capitol Hill (fly-in):

• Lower visitor visa wait times, which average 400 days for top source markets

• Lower customs wait times, which can reach up to two hours at peak times at major U.S. airports

• Fully fund the office of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism for FY 2025

• Advance the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill

Seamless & Secure Travel Commission Field Visit to Las Vegas Spotlights TSA Innovations

U.S. Travel on FAA Reauthorization Committee Passage: Get Compromise Bill to President’s Desk

NEW Forecast Predicts United States will Continue to Struggle for International Inbound, Domestic Business Travel

In this role, Freeman is charged with ensuring the industry’s full recovery from COVID-19, positioning the industry to seize emerging opportunities in a post-pandemic market environment and further establishing travel as a vital economic force in the United States.

Freeman is a seasoned association CEO with a proven track record of building successful organizations that unite member interests, grow member value, increase revenue and unlock growth opportunities. Prior to joining U.S. Travel, Freeman was president and CEO of the Consumer Brands Association, the trade association for America’s $2.1 trillion food, beverage and consumer products industry. During his tenure, Freeman launched a strategic campaign to transform the association into a powerful, modern advocacy organization aimed at driving growth and delivering sound regulatory and legislative outcomes that benefit industry leaders and consumers. During his tenure, Freeman grew membership by 35 percent and boosted total revenue by nearly 50 percent.

Freeman joined the Consumer Brands Association after serving for five years as president and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA). In that role, Freeman led a successful effort to reform and modernize the AGA, build public support for the gaming industry and open new pathways for industry growth. Under his leadership, the AGA spearheaded a multi-year, research-driven campaign to demonstrate gaming’s broad support across the political spectrum and promote the industry’s role in spurring economic growth, job creation and tax revenues in communities across more than 40 states where gaming is legal. That campaign created the tailwinds needed to advance AGA’s signature initiative achieved under Freeman – the legalization of sports betting in the United States. While leading AGA, Freeman drove a 200 percent increase in membership and doubled association revenue.

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.” In the aftermath of 9/11, Freeman created a blue-ribbon panel headed by former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to analyze how to improve travel security without compromising travel efficiency. This effort led directly to the creation of TSA PreCheck. Both the Travel Promotion Act and TSA PreCheck demonstrate Freeman’s ability to identify industry opportunities, craft a winning policy response and drive campaigns that succeed in gaining broad support among diverse stakeholders.

Freeman’s previous experience includes roles at APCO Worldwide, America’s Health Insurance Plans and Freddie Mac.

A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Freeman lives in Arlington, Va., with his wife and three children.

His LinkedIn profile here.

Podcast Host: Danica Tormohlen

An award-winning journalist who has covered the trade show industry since 1994, Danica Tormohlen is VP of Content for Informa Connect. In her role, she oversees editorial for Trade Show News Network, Corporate Event News and Exhibit News Now. These leading media brands publish websites, newsletters, social media channels, video, podcasts and online and in-person programming for the trade show, corporate event and exhibition industries.

Tormohlen currently serves as a board member for Women in Exhibitions Network North America chapter. She has been a speaker and moderator at major industry events, including the TSNN Awards, IMEX, IAEE, SISO, UFI, ESCA and Large Show Roundtable — to name a few.

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