Heather Carnes Featured in Today’s Hotelier Magazine 10th Anniversary Story

Carnes Agency founder Heather Carnes was featured in the August 2026 issue of Today’s Hotelier as the publication marked its 10th anniversary, reflecting on her role in helping develop and launch the magazine in 2016.

The milestone carries particular meaning for Carnes. As she shared on LinkedIn, Today’s Hotelier became her gateway into hospitality — introducing her to an industry, a community, and what would ultimately become her life’s work. A decade after holding the inaugural issue as managing editor, Carnes now leads her own agency serving many of the same hospitality owners, leaders, and organizations she first came to know through the publication.

Before founding Carnes Agency, Carnes spent much of her career leading marketing, communications, and strategy within the association and hospitality industries. She served as the founding editor of Today’s Hotelier, helping transform AAHOA’s former publication into a new brand and editorial platform designed specifically around the needs and experiences of hotel owners.

The anniversary feature revisited the publication’s earliest days, including:

• Developing the Today’s Hotelier name and brand

• Reimagining the publication’s editorial strategy and audience

• Creating a member-first platform centered on hotel owners and their stories

• Launching the inaugural issue at AAHOACON 2016

• Continuing to evolve the magazine around actionable, relevant content for AAHOA Members

The inaugural issue came together on a compressed timeline and debuted on stage at AAHOACON 2016 — a moment Carnes described as one of the proudest of her career.

Over the decade that followed, Today’s Hotelier evolved into a member-first publication focused on authentic storytelling, hospitality ownership, leadership, entrepreneurship, and practical business guidance. It has also earned numerous national awards for its editorial content and design.
For Carnes, the 10-year anniversary is also a reminder of how one opportunity can shape an entire career. What began as the chance to launch a magazine ultimately opened doors to association leadership, hospitality strategy, industry relationships, and, a decade later, the creation of Carnes Agency.

Today, the same principles that shaped Today’s Hotelier — understanding the audience, telling meaningful stories, building strong brands, and continually asking how the work can be better — remain central to the work Carnes leads through the agency.