GALA HONOREES:
Lindsey Ueberroth, CEO, Preferred Travel Group
Hospitality Award
Susan L. Birnbaum, President & CEO, NYC Police Foundation
Champion of Public Safety Award
Frank DiLella, Emmy Award Winning Journalist
Host, “On Stage” Spectrum News NY1
Broadway Award
Event Featured Performance by “BOOP! The Musical”
The Hotel Association of New York City Foundation (HANYC Foundation) , the philanthropic arm of the Hotel Association of NYC, hosted its annual “Red Carpet Hospitality Gala” on April 7, 2025 at JW Marriott Essex House in Manhattan, honoring leaders from the hotel and tourism industry, Broadway, and the public safety sector, and raising money to support the HANYC Foundation’s charitable goals.
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2025 HANYC Foundation "Red Carpet Hospitality Gala" award recipients. Pictured (left to right): Vijay Dandapani, President & CEO, Hotel Association of NYC; Frank DiLella, Host, “On Stage” Spectrum News NY1, Broadway Award Recipient; Susan L. Birnbaum, President & CEO, NYC Police Foundation, Champion of Public Safety Award Recipient; Lindsey Ueberroth, CEO, Preferred Travel Group, Hospitality Award Recipient; and Heather Davis, Chair, HANYC Foundation. Credit: Ronald L. Glassman
The event featured a major announcement by the HANYC Foundation to boldly refocus its mission on tackling three of New York City's most pressing challenges—public safety, sanitation, and immigration—while continuing to be a strong and vocal advocate for the hospitality industry. As part of this new effort, the HANYC Foundation unveiled an exciting new partnership with the New York City Police Foundation which will support initiatives designed to enhance the safety of hotel guests, employees, and the broader community.
The partnership’s first two joint public safety initiatives include: 1) Expanding the NYC Police Foundation’s highly successful Crime Stoppers Hotline to help combat human trafficking, which has been a key issue for the HANYC Foundation since its founding; and 2) Patching in security cameras of participating hotels to the NYPD’s sophisticated Lower Manhattan Security Initiative.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch attended the event in a strong signal of their longstanding support for NYC’s essential hotel and tourism industry which generated total economic activity of $79 billion and welcomed 65 million visitors last year.
HANYC President & CEO Vijay Dandapani said: “For decades, the Hotel Association of New York City has stood as the premier membership organization representing every dimension of the city’s hotel industry. As pillars of New York's tourism economy and fabric of daily life, our members have always understood that the success of our industry is deeply intertwined with the success of our city.”
HANYC Foundation Chair Heather Davis said: “Public safety is essential to maintaining New York’s reputation as welcoming destination where tourists and business travelers feel safe and secure, eager to explore all our great city has to offer.”
NYC Police Foundation President & CEO Susan L. Birnbaum added: “For more than fifty years, The New York City Police Foundation has made direct, strategic investments to enhance public safety and support the men and women of the NYPD who keep us safe. Our partnership with the Hotel Association Foundation is a perfect extension of our mission because when people feel safe, they visit, they stay, and they thrive.”
Preferred Travel Group CEO Lindsey Ueberroth, and this year’s recipient of the HANYC Hospitality Award, said: “What stands out most to me about our industry is our ability to adapt, to push forward, and to keep doing what we love. I admire how we embrace innovation while staying true to the timeless values of service, warmth, and genuine care. Hospitality isn’t just about creating beautiful experiences; it’s about making real, human connections. It’s about making people feel something. That’s what makes this industry so special.”
The gala performance featured a number by Lizzy Tucker from the cast of “Boop! The Musical.”
HEADLINERS: The HANYC Foundation honored Lindsey Ueberroth, CEO, Preferred Travel Group, with its Hospitality Award; Susan L. Birnbaum, President & CEO, NYC Police Foundation, with its Champion of Public Safety Award—the first award of its kind; and Frank DiLella, Emmy Award Winning Journalist, Host, “On Stage” Spectrum News NY1, with its Broadway Award.
The Red Carpet Hospitality Gala was co-chaired by Vijay Dandapani, President and CEO, Hotel Association of New York City; Heather Davis, Chair, Hotel Association of New York City Foundation; and Shane Cookman, Acting Chair, Hotel Association of New York City. Brian Kuchcicki, VP, People + Culture, Visiting Media, served as the emcee for the Gala.
HOST COMMITTEE: Steve Batta, Group President East Coast for Highgate; Simon Chapman, Complex General Manager, Benjamin Royal Sonesta & Fifty Sonesta Select; Charles Flateman, Executive Vice President, Shubert Organization; Mark Gaber, Chief Operations Officer, U.S. East, Marriott International; Karambir Kang, Area Director, USA, Taj Hotels; Suri Kasirer, President, Kasirer; Raj Khubchandani, Vice President, Luxury & Lifestyle Operations, Americas, IHG Hotels & Resorts; Lisa Linden, Media Strategist, Resilere Partners; Simon Mendy, Divisional President for Select Service Division, Aimbridge; Jaime Novikoff, Senior Counsel, Labor Relations, Hilton; Mark Pardue, Senior Vice President, Field Operations, Americas, Hyatt Hotels Corporation; Carlo A. Scissura, President and CEO, New York Building Congress; and Jonathan M. Tisch, Executive Chairman, Loews Hotels & Co.
Established in 1878, the Hotel Association of New York City (HANYC), Inc. is one of the oldest professional trade associations in the nation. Today the Hotel Association of New York City is an internationally recognized leader in New York City’s $7 billion hotel tourism industry, representing nearly 300 of the finest hotels with over 80,000 rooms and approximately 50,000 employees. http://www.hanyc.org/
The HANYC Foundation is the charitable arm of the Hotel Association of NYC, utilizing the talents and resources of member hotels and partners to direct philanthropic efforts toward the most vital issues affecting the hospitality industry, with a focus on public safety, sanitation, and immigration. Today, the Foundation fosters collaboration and drives meaningful change by supporting organizations that safeguard New York City's $7 billion hotel tourism industry. https://hanycfoundation.org/
The New York City Police Foundation provides resources for the NYPD to innovate and enhance the quality of its services; build bridges with the community; and make New York City a safer place to live, work and visit. https://www.nycpolicefoundation.org/
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Contacts
Media contact: David Simpson, Resilere Partners – dsimpson@resilere.com
