Details

Join us at the historic Hilton Palacio del Rio

GBTA San Antonio + San Antonio Hotel & Lodging Association (SAHLA)

Join us for a special collaborative session bringing together two organizations that serve different sides of the same industry — business travel and hospitality.

GBTA San Antonio + San Antonio Hotel & Lodging Association (SAHLA)

Join us for a special collaborative session bringing together two organizations that serve different sides of the same industry — business travel and hospitality.

While our memberships sit on different sides of the table — buyer and supplier — our missions intersect in meaningful ways:

Program Focus

The bulk of the session will be a moderated discussion between SAHLA and GBTA San Antonio leadership exploring:

This session is designed to move beyond introductions and into actionable alignment — identifying practical ways our organizations can strengthen each other and elevate the broader travel and hospitality community in San Antonio.

Michelle Madson is the President & CEO of the San Antonio Hotel & Lodging Association (SAHLA), the leading advocacy and education organization for San Antonio’s lodging community. She joined SAHLA in 2016 and was appointed President & CEO in 2021, after helping guide the association and its nearly 300 members through some of the hotel industry’s most challenging years. Michelle works closely with hotel leaders, industry partners, and government officials to advocate for policies that support tourism, workforce development, and sustainable growth for the region’s hospitality sector.

 Previously, Madson worked at Spurs Sports & Entertainment as Premium Services Account Executive managing relationships and account services for AT&T Center Suite and Courtside Seat holders. As an added bonus, she was thrilled to be part of the organization when the Spurs won their 5th NBA Championship!

 Prior to her time at the Spurs, Madson served as Director of Leadership San Antonio and Public Affairs Coordinator for the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. During which time she coordinated a number of special events including the Mayor’s State of the City Address and the Bexar County Judge’s State of the County Address and was responsible for the daily operation of The Chamber’s leadership development program, Leadership San Antonio (LSA).

 In 2022 she was awarded the San Antonio Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40. Madson serves on numerous community boards and task forces including the Visit San Antonio Board, Tourism Public Improvement Board, and both the CAST Lead and UTSA Hospitality Event Management Program Advisory Boards.

 Originally from Southeast Texas (Port Neches), Michelle holds a B.S. in Public Relations with a Minor in Business Administration from University of Texas at Austin. She and her husband, Don, who serves in the Air Force, welcomed their first baby, Charlotte in June of 2023.

Hilton Palacio del Rio

Stetson Room

200 S Alamo St, San Antonio, TX 78205

PARKING for GBTA San Antonio at Hilton Palacio Del Rio (200 S. Alamo St, San Antonio):

Meet agenda as follows:

11:00 am - 11:30am     Arrival and Networking

11:30am -   Seated lunch service begins 

11: 45am - 12:00pm   Chapter Announcements and Speaker intro

12:00pm - 12:45pm    Speaker 

12:45pm - 1:00pm      Questions and Wrap-up

1:00pm - 1:30 pm  Property or Facility tours and Farewells