Women's Baseball, What We're Reading, and Supporting Mentorship!

We’re bringing the latest industry news straight to your inbox with flair - a new opportunity every week to engage with the ILCommunity as we talk about upcoming events, perks, current happenings, and everything in between.

If you missed last week’s edition, don’t forget to check out our article about Meg in Miami, Muscle Cars, and Miami Ironside!

Last week's Off the Cuff

What’s Hot - Sporting events that are worth the trip.

Sports fans have been making their mark on the hospitality industry all summer long, with the 39 day-long Fifa World Cup, and will continue into the fall. With momentous announcements in the sports world, such as the launch of the Women’s Pro Baseball League and LeBron James signing to the Philadelphia 76ers, hospitality is sure to experience an upsurge with fans traveling to upcoming events.

Philadelphia couldn’t be more excited to welcome “The King,” LeBron James, to the 76ers team! The whole city was abuzz on July 27th following the announcement, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro even declared the day ‘LeBron James Day.’ Following the announcement, NBA Preseason tickets have quadrupled in price, from $68 for regular-season games to $271 for the first home preseason game against the Celtics.

The City of Brotherly Love is already sharing the love, with local businesses promising free cheesesteaks for LeBron and even painting murals in his honor. Philadelphia-based artist Chenlin Cai, recently painted a mural to honor LeBron, his historic signing to the 76ers, and a “tribute to the contributions of Philadelphia’s Chinese community.” With the upcoming basketball season, Philadelphia and nearby cities are sure to experience a second wave of tourists, following the hosting of the 23rd FIFA World Cup. Leveraging these opportunities to create unique moments of hospitality for guests can truly set apart an indie brand from a larger chain, and we look forward to seeing the events unfold during basketball season!

Alongside the exciting basketball news, the Women’s Professional Baseball League is making history as the first women's pro league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was dissolved 52 years ago. This is a significant step forward in women’s representation in professional sports, and we couldn’t be more excited! The league currently consists of four teams (New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco) and will play a regular season, playoffs, and an All-Star Game.

Each team and brand identity was inspired by trailblazing female pioneers, from civil rights and women’s rights leaders to female physicians and activists paving the way. The intentionality behind their brand decisions reflects the mindset that hospitality individuals often set when developing spaces and atmosphere. As humans, we look for stories that resonate and create meaningful connections.

Fans are always looking for new and interesting hospitality options, from lodging to food and beverage, and even travel assistance. According to a report on 2026 travel trends from GWI, the number of sports fans traveling abroad is projected to increase by 20%, and domestic sports travelers by 17%. With exciting sports events, like the start of basketball and women’s baseball seasons, tourism and travel sectors will surely have an eventful end of summer.

Let’s get personal. This section features a weekly ‘ILC Three’ where we highlight three things that are on the top of our overstimulated minds.

For this week’s ILC 3, we’re featuring three Substack pages we have been loving recently. These blogs create a perfect synergy of hospitality and personal experience from those currently working in the industry. If you’re looking for a new read, or were wondering what the ILC team has in rotation, we recommend the following articles:

1. “Your Hotel Lobby is Giving Fake Third Place” by Emily Isenberg of Public Life

   Our first article comes from one of ILC’s very own Advisory Board members, Emily Isenberg of Isenberg Projects. Public Life is a blog dedicated to social design rants and building meaningful human connections in everyday interactions, hence the name ‘public life.’ Isenberg emphasizes the importance of authenticity when creating hospitality spaces, and not staging furniture to simply come across as a comfortable and inviting place. She highlights the Ace Hotel in New York as a successful example of developing a kind of vibe that feels true to form and the culture of the city, from its design to programming. The question of whether a developer actually wants to make a third space, or wishes to emulate the aesthetic credibility of one, is a thoughtful reflection that all hoteliers could benefit from and help to curate their space more authentically.

2. “High-Key Ways to be Low-Key While Traveling” by Tracy Georgiou of Long Weekend

   Tracy Georgiou is the founder of Long Weekend, a creative studio that develops and grows irresistible brands. Tracy thinks that travel shouldn’t feel like a big production. Her article discusses staying true to yourself while visiting new places, and keeping up with rituals that are important to you. For Tracy, this can include organizing toiletries, setting times for meals, or even making arrangements for exercise classes. She states that the key to being ‘low-key’ while traveling is staying yourself, just in a different place. This allows for focus on the exploration of a new place, rather than on your internal conflict and strain to adhere to a new lifestyle. Staying grounded in your routines and rituals, even when traveling, assists with enjoying your time away from home and taking in all there is to see and discover.

3. “I have a secret & the travel newsletter I think you should start” by Brandon Berkson of Hotel Espresso by Hotels Above Par

   Brandon Berkson, founder of boutique-hotel-focused, independent media company, Hotels Above Par (HAP), encourages readers who are considering making their own Substack pages to do so, especially those in the travel industry. The article discusses the niche, smaller audiences and how they are untapped groups for opportunity, due to the rise of national travel writers. The ability to appeal to local and regional media outlets, as opposed to setting your sights on a much larger picture, is a jumping-off point that is mostly overlooked. Being able to select a specific city, valley, coastline, or corner of the country and writing about its ongoing trends and events is an unrecognized niche that builds community. As stated by Berkson, local or regional newsletters “pick a piece of the world and matter enormously to everyone who cares about it.” Genuine connections reap genuine results, and this is a common thread with independent hospitality.

Our team is based in Philadelphia, PA, and this portion of our newsletter is set to provide updates on our local hospitality scene, our host cities, and members of our community who are doing interesting things in their city.

At each event, ILC hosts a silent auction and donates 100% of proceeds to Big Brothers, Big Sisters Independence Region, a youth mentoring organization that serves 1500+ youth in Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania, and Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties in New Jersey. ILC’s founder, Andrew Benioff, has been an active advocate for the Independence Region Chapter of Big Brothers, Big Sisters for several years. Through their programming, young people are able to receive mentorship and resources that support success throughout their lives.

Established in 1915, Big Brothers started as a solution for too many children being sent to reformatory schools. By 1975, they expanded Big Brothers to include Big Sisters and provided one-on-one mentorship to youth of all backgrounds. The Independence Region Chapter celebrated 100 years in 2014, and became the third largest affiliate in the network nationally, with over 330 agencies and serving 3,300 children. Because of its location and longtime association with our events, this organization feels close to home. Our team values giving back to our community whenever possible, and we’re grateful to have the opportunity to support children and young adults in our area is incredibly important to us.

Our next event will be INDIECongress in Miami, FL, on October 27th-29th. If you are interested in participating in our silent auction by donating a stay or service, reach out to coordinator@ilcongress.com.

Thanks for reading! Let’s keep the conversation going. See you in October for our INDIECongress in Miami, FL.

INDIECongress Passes