Love2Lead

In Episode 8 of Love2Lead, Al and Aaron are joined by Gregg Caren, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, for a conversation on leadership, resilience, and the power of destination marketing to drive economic impact and civic pride. With decades of experience across hospitality, venue management, and the tourism industry, Gregg reflects on what it takes to lead throu...

In Episode 7 of Love2Lead, Al and Aaron are joined by Fred Dixon, President and CEO of Brand USA, for a conversation on leadership, partnership, and the power of travel to connect people and communities. With decades of experience across the tourism and destination marketing industry, Fred reflects on what it takes to lead through change, build alignment across stakeholders, and champion the Unite...

In Episode 6 of Love2Lead, Al and Aaron welcome Don Welsh, President and CEO of Destinations International, for a conversation on leadership, collaboration, and the evolving future of travel and tourism. Drawing on decades of experience leading destination organizations and industry initiatives, Don shares insights on building high-performing teams, fostering meaningful partnerships, and navigatin...

In Episode 5 of Love2Lead, Al and Aaron are joined by Michelle Mason, President and CEO of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), for a conversation about mentorship, servant leadership, and the value of strong professional communities in a rapidly changing world. Michelle reflects on her journey to leading ASAE and shares lessons learned from guiding one of the association industr...

In Episode 4 of Love2Lead, Al and Aaron sit down with Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, for a conversation on leadership, industry growth, and where travel is headed next. Geoff shares perspective from leading one of the industry’s top advocacy organizations, including his work strengthening the industry’s voice in Washington and driving policies that support demand,...

In Episode 3 of Love2Lead, Al and Aaron sit down with Julie Coker, President and CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions, for a thoughtful and inspiring conversation on career growth and leadership. Julie shares her journey from serving as a hotel GM to becoming the CEO of multiple destination organizations, offering insight into the challenges and opportunities she encountered along the way. The episode...

In the debut episode of Love2Lead , Al and Aaron sit down with PCMA President and CEO Sherrif Karamat and PCMA Board Chair Kelly Ricker for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, growth, and the lessons that shaped their journeys to the top of the business events and tourism industry. Together, they share practical guidance, hard-earned insights, and perspectives on leading organizations throu...

In Episode 2 of Love2Lead , Al and Aaron are joined by Angela Val, President and CEO of Visit Philadelphia, for a candid conversation about leadership, growth, and career progression. Angela reflects on her journey from receptionist to CEO, sharing practical insight into navigating an organization, building credibility, and preparing for the C-suite. Our Guest: Angela Val leads Visit Philadelphia’...

Love2Lead brings together Al Hutchinson, a veteran leader with 30 years of experience in destination marketing organizations, and award-winning podcast host Aaron Dante. Each episode explores what strong, effective leadership looks like in the tourism industry through conversations with accomplished leaders and professionals. The show breaks down core leadership principles, practical strategies, a...