Executive Promotions @ Questex Hospitality + Travel

Questex Hospitality + Travel has promoted John McMahon to executive vice president and Marilyn McHugh to vice president, global events.

McMahon assumes responsibility for the Questex portfolio of eMedia and eLearning products serving the hospitality and travel sector, the International Meetings Review Network, Travel Agent University as well as the group's Travel Agent, Luxury Travel Advisor and Hotel Management magazines.

McHugh's responsibility includes the company's worldwide portfolio of Hotel Investment, Hotel Management, Luxury Travel and Global Meeting & Incentive Travel events, including the IHIF series, Luxury Travel series, Incentive Travel Exchange series and HOTEC Americas series.

“John and Marilyn have an exceptionally strong level of experience in hospitality and travel industry marketing, media and events. We are proud to recognize their accomplishments with these well-deserved promotions,” said Kerry Gumas, President and CEO of Questex Media Group LLC. “Each has had a distinguished career and we are pleased to be in the position to have two such accomplished executives leading this division.”

McMahon has more than 20 years of industry experience in management and sales. He has been the driving force for many successful products and event launches throughout his travel media career including Luxury Travel Advisor and Luxury Hotelier magazine as well as Luxury Travel Expo, HotelWorld Expo & Conference and Incentive Travel Exchange. He has also led the group's eMedia development and sales initiatives developing the company's eLearning and loyalty programs into a blockbuster business.

Prior to joining Questex, McMahon spent 10 years at Reed Travel Group and also served as publisher of the Official Hotel Guide and the OAG Business products. He is also a member of numerous hotel and travel advisory boards, foundations and serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater New York Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

McHugh brings more than a quarter century of hospitality experience to her position, having earlier served Wyndham Worldwide and its predecessors, Cendant Corporation and Hospitality Franchise Systems, for 18 years in key corporate and brand marketing roles.

As Wyndham Hotel Group’s vice president of B2B Marketing & Communications, she created a global business-to-business marketing plan and established long-term sales strategies for the company’s 12 lodging brands. She also managed global sales, operations, b2b marketing, trade shows and training and communications.

Among her accomplishments there, McHugh developed and launched an online directory for meeting planners, championed a social media marketing campaign for travel management companies, implemented an online specialist program for travel agents and led automation of the request-for-proposal process.

Prior to joining Questex, McHugh was brand director for UBM Live, where she led a business unit responsible for organizing several of the world’s largest cruise industry exhibitions and conferences, managing the marketing team, setting strategies and implementing social media initiatives to drive brand revenue.

McHugh is a magna cum laude graduate of Farleigh Dickinson University, Madison, N.J., where she received a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and currently serves as an adjunct professor of Hospitality. She earned the Certified Hotel Administration designation from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute.

See other recent news regarding: Airlines, Airports, Awards, Flights, Codeshare, FFP, Inflight, Lounges, First Class, Business Class, MICE, GDS, Rewards, Miles, Hotels, Apartments, Promotions, Spas, Yoga, Retreat, New Hotels, Traffic, Visitor Arrivals, Cruises, Free Deals, Interviews, Videos, Tickets, Questex, VP, Vice President