Live from HITEC in San Antonio, the Steve Turk and Sarah Dandashy recap the inaugural Hospitality Creator Summit, created by Anna Blue and Anthony Melchiorri, which drew 200+ attendees for a full day of networking and creator-focused education. Sara shares first impressions of the high-energy event, meeting online peers in person, and the supportive, low-ego atmosphere.

A panel on “behind the brand deal” featured Margaritaville and My Place Hotels discussing how brands choose creators, partnership paths from in-kind to paid, and the challenge of tracking bookings driven by content, including working with small-audience creators for fit and aesthetic.

They note sessions on newsletters and podcasting milestones, HITEC’s creator booth with interview and green-screen setups, and floor trends like better booth experiences, fewer AI buzzwords but more specific integrations, data consolidation, and room automation savings, plus a push for brands to create personality-driven, value-first content.

A big shout out to our sponsor Lodgify! Starting June 17th to June 30th, use promo code THM60 for 60% off

00:00 Live From HITEC

00:21 Sponsor Shoutout - Lodgify

00:58 Creator Summit Recap

02:55 Brand Deals Panel

05:09 Creator Growth Tips

05:50 Meet Tyler Behind Scenes

06:37 Content Booth Setup

07:31 HITEC Floor Highlights

08:27 Tech Trends And AI

09:57 Venue Vibes San Antonio

10:16 Creators Take Over

10:57 Booth Snacks and Vibes

11:24 Why Brands Need Content

12:55 Make Value Not Ads

14:19 One Post Big Impact

16:05 HCS First Day Energy

17:54 After Party and Wrap

Host Steve Turk interviews Milan Mijatovic, founder of SILA Miami. Milan explains SILA as a social wellness club in Upper Buena Vista featuring longevity services (float tank, hyperbaric oxygen, lymphatic suit, red light therapy, bioscan/bodywork), outdoor classes (yoga, Pilates, functional strength, kettlebells), and contrast therapy (cold plunges and a 14-person sauna).

He recounts starting in hospitality as a dishwasher at Atlanta’s Dante’s Down the Hatch, moving to Chicago to become a bartender and competition mixologist, then relocating to Miami where he worked at the Versace Mansion reopening, Regent Cocktail Bar alongside Julio Cabrera, and as a cachaça brand ambassador.

After nightlife management at Rockwell and reflecting on industry excesses, a trucking-business detour, and a renewed focus on recovery and nature, he launched SILA without a formal business plan, emphasizing community support, systems, and a goal of a second location and future beach flagship.

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:31 Sponsor Lodgify

01:34 Meet Milan

02:48 What Is Sila

04:13 Steve Joins Sila

05:17 First Hospitality Job

09:52 Chicago Hustle

12:13 Cocktail Roots

14:18 Mixology Rise

15:31 Miami Calling

17:31 Cuba Turning Point

20:58 Versace And Regent

22:32 Brand Ambassador Era

23:48 Nightlife Management

26:43 Surviving The Scene

28:59 Wellness Seeds

30:11 COVID Pivot to Trucking

31:34 Owning the Leap

33:17 Back to Nightlife Again

34:31 Wellness Aha Moment

35:35 Cold Plunge Origins

38:11 Third Shot at Business

40:25 CELA Vision and Nature

42:37 Finding the Perfect Space

46:08 Building Sila Community

50:08 Next 12 Months Vision

51:57 Trust the Journey

52:59 Closing and Sponsor

Host Steve Turk welcomes Larry Korman, co-CEO of Korman Communities and president of AKA Hotel Residences, to discuss his lifelong path in hospitality and residential real estate, from childhood work in the family business to leading a five-generation legacy. Korman explains how his father’s pie-shaped Philadelphia apartments sparked the furnished-apartment concept, later branded as Korman Suites, and how Larry and his brother built Korman Communities and evolved the model into luxury hotel residences under AKA, now spanning 16 properties over 22 years.

He shares formative training in England, insights from Japanese hospitality, and a leadership philosophy centered on earning respect by doing frontline work, supporting teams and staying on property. Korman details AKA’s partnership with Airbnb that helped shape Airbnb Luxe, a strategy of optimizing cash flow, and plans to repurpose iconic hotels, expand in Florida, and grow globally with a strong health and wellness focus.

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:31 Sponsor Lodgify

01:34 Meet Larry Korman

02:03 Early Hospitality Roots

02:57 Five Generation Legacy

04:11 Birth of Furnished Stays

04:51 Branding Korman Suites

07:03 Design Passion Duke Days

08:17 Old School Training

09:28 Japan Hospitality Lessons

12:27 Earning Team Respect

15:21 COVID Leadership Onsite

16:29 Synergy And Marketing

20:31 Why Residences Win

23:14 Airbnb Luxe Partnership

27:07 Scaling AKA And Ave

30:03 Collaboration Culture

30:49 Leading Without Dashboards

31:28 On Site Hospitality

32:29 Home Away From Home

33:36 Brother Partnership Split

35:28 Growth Through Repurposing

38:34 Miami Florida Expansion

40:01 Global Wellness Vision

43:08 Hospitality Role Models

45:30 Keeping Teams Loyal

49:33 Advice To Younger Self

50:54 Wrap Up Sponsor Biscayne Coffee