Beyond

Annie Fitzsimmons sits down with Jack Ezon to unpack his Embark Beyond's Q1 and Q2 trends report, combined for the first time thanks to a whiplash-inducing year of headlines. Before getting into the data, Jack and Annie trade notes from travel and events–a private dinner for Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp inside the Delvaux flagship on New Bond Street in London; an Embark top producer trip to the Ranch...

What we loved in Rio, live from Embark Immersion Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack Ezon and Annie Fitzsimmons recap a whirlwind stretch: being with the world's top event planners in Monaco, an incredible 40th anniversary celebration for Noteworthy at the Natural History Museum, how to plan the ultimate 16th birthday in Paris and more - shopping in Charleston, a cool project in Morocco, and meeting gorillas in Uganda along the way. They also talk through the real whiplash af...

In the first ten minutes, Jack and Annie talk art, permanence, and the psychology of design decisions. Annie is still trying to buy a rug (four years and counting), Jack argues that not everything has to be forever. They also zoom out to where to find trusted travel intel when editorial lines feel increasingly blurred...and a quick mention of Embark's growth to $350 million. Plus, a recurring...

January starts with a little existential whiplash but then it’s turned into a travel and trends forecast. In the first half, Jack and Annie start planning for 2026 and look back on surprises of the last month: Dubai’s glow-up (Jack likes to say it’s the new winter St. Tropez); client shifts like less alcohol and the most-requested feature of the moment: a padel court. Annie shares her latest obses...

Jack and Annie give a recap of ILTM (International Luxury Travel Market) Cannes (only a small bit of gossip this year), plus favorite hotel openings and destinations for 2026 from the Q4 trends report and why sustainability is the word of the quarter, but not in the way you're thinking. And at the end, listen for Jack's big tip on how to save 50% on airfare to Japan and add on a trip to Amanpulo a...

Jack and Annie check in after a buzzing trip to Milan (“Salone is the new Art Basel”) and break down why the city is on fire right now. They swap hotel notes–the Park Hyatt Milan bar playlist really is that good–before diving into Annie’s new Roman obsession, the Orient Express La Minerva, and the fabulous hotel in Germany where she got the best Botox of her life (“a tiny but exquisite facelift”)....

Jack and Annie check in live from Hotel Lutetia in Paris, swapping honeymoon ideas for Taylor Swift (think Royal Malewane, Cape Town, Singita, and Kisawa), their own fall goals (half marathons, stylists, Africa trips, and launching lifestyle experiences), and why travel is the ultimate way to activate passions. Then, a conversation with Omer Acar, CEO of Raffles and Fairmont, one of the top minds...

Recorded live at Wilderness Mombo camp in the heart of Botswana,  Annie Fitzsimmons  and safari expert and Embark Safaris founder  Justin Huff, share the unforgettable moments and reasons that make Botswana unlike anywhere else on earth. From leopard sightings under a double rainbow to the great elephant crossings of the Linyanti River, this conversation dives into why Botswana isn’...

Over the decades, Eli Zabar has built a mini‑empire on the Upper East Side that includes  Eli’s Market , an artisan bread bakery, a wine shop, and restaurants, all driven by his obsessive pursuit of quality and what satisfies him. He is the youngest son of Louis and Lillian Zabar, founders of Zabar’s on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. In 1973, he struck out on his own, opening  E.A.T....

The Embark Q3 Trends Report will launch on Friday, August 8th. Jack and Annie talk about the report and key highlights, analyzing the current state of luxury travel as we enter Q3 which is typically the industry’s strongest season, but this year is marked by shifts in demand and guest behavior.  This is rich but restrained...and is it a vibecession? A data-informed look at what...

Celebrity Event Planner Colin Cowie on "Whatever It Takes"  This week, Jack and Annie catch up on: • Super last-minute summer trips + what to book this fall + villas • Annie’s new love of beach clubs (at least if it's in Cannes) & the next evolution of Hair Botox in London Then, world-renowned lifestyle expert and event designer  Colin Cowie  joins the show. Known for creating e...

This week, Jack and Annie talk where to go when you're hot in the summer (cruises in Iceland, Scandi cities, Bavaria), and debate whether Jack might be talking a little too much about beach clubs–Annie thinks yes but that isn't stopping her from flying to La Guerite in Cannes. Then, top travel and lifestyle journalist Mark Ellwood joins to talk about what joy really looks like in travel today...

We sit down with Filippo Arnaboldi, CEO of Frette, to explore the power of relationships, how to stay relevant in a changing world, what to do if you and your partner can’t agree on sheets, the myth of high thread count, plus his favorite hotels and where he'd live for the rest of his life. Why does everyone love Filippo? This episode will help explain it.  We also talk about why Jack flew to...

We’re joined by the legendary Marcy Blum, who shares the hotel she’d happily live in forever and her secrets to working with some of the world’s biggest personalities. We also dive into our word of the year, the rollercoaster state of the world, yacht charters, Mallorca, and why Zara jeans might just be unbeatable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where We've Been and Where We're Going (Personally and Professionally)  Jack and Annie on a true mixed bag of topics including: 2025 Goals Jack’s Brand Crush (vs. Industry Crushes) The Best Hotel at Disney World Jack’s Business Goals Are People Using Websites Anymore? Annie Has Two Lives (Travel + Home) Paris in the Winter Turks & Caicos Recap The Glorious History of Beaverbrook Is The Mo...

Jack and Annie talk about the hottest hotel openings and destinations for 2025, plus a recap of ILTM (International Luxury Travel Market) Cannes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The dynamic Cindy Novotny has been branded the “Radical Mentor” and holds rooms of hundreds and thousands of people in rapt attention. She tells us about living with no balance, why you should never fake it, secrets to career success, how passion is a combination of love and anger, and always starting with the most important person in the room, the customer. Hotels she loves: Borgo Egnazia, Grand...

CEO of Virtuoso and the greater purpose of enriching lives through human connection, his top advice for how to become a luxury travel advisor, and SOME OF his favorite hotels (not his ONLY favorite hotels) which include The Brando in French Polynesia, &Beyond Masai Mara Bateleur Camp, the Bulgari in Rome, Capella Bangkok, Raffles Old War Office in London, and the Bellagio in Vegas.  First...

We talk to the amazing Bob Chavez of Hermès, who heads up a team of 1,800 people, on everything from how to scale a business through culture, how store directors (not managers) go to Paris 4x a year to buy product for their individual store–plus, fun stories on why the Hermès box is orange and how Sex & the City changed the trajectory of the Birkin bag. Annie asks if he has special insurance f...

Why Annie won’t shut up about M&S All-Butter Biscuits; Jack’s favorite family tradition and things to buy for his kids while traveling.  Plus: Tenniscore, the Great Japan Debate (and why one Embark advisor hated it), Taylor Swift changing all the lives, rates in the Mediterranean and why cruising is so popular, how to plan a multigen trip without meltdowns, and is there actual value in di...

Singita, Passalacqua, Chem Chem, Schloss Elmau, Peninsula Hong Kong, Palacio Principe Real, Hotel du Cap Eden Roc, Hermosa Inn in Arizona  How do you choose between Le Bristol, La Réserve, the Shangri-La Paris, Cheval Blanc, Le Royal Monceau, Plaza Athénée, The Ritz, the Four Seasons George V, the Lutetia, J.K. Place Paris, and SO MANY MORE amazing luxury hotels in Paris? Jack Ezon divides th...

The Story of Embark Beyond (still a business baby at five years old) and why it’s all about culture and emotional impact. Plus, co-founder Jack Ezon’s former life as a lawyer and what led to the creation of Embark Beyond. And Annie Fitzsimmons on why she calls herself a “travel person” being involved in many aspects of the business and a tiny bit about her new book, National Geographic’s 100 Hotel...

Jack and Annie welcome you to a new Podcast from Embark! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.