greatEvent Welcomes Former Marriott Group President Liam Brown as Strategic Advisor

Former Marriott executive will provide independent strategic guidance on greatEvent’s growth in the meetings and events market

ROCKVILLE, MD, UNITED STATES, October 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — greatEvent, creator of the patented Real-Time Booking (RTB) platform, welcomes Liam Brown, former Group President, U.S. & Canada at Marriott International, as a strategic advisor. Brown will provide strategic guidance on the company’s growth, industry positioning, and engagement with hotel owners, operators, and other hospitality stakeholders as it expands its presence in the meetings and events market, including the rollout of EventBank.

“Liam brings extraordinary experience in hotel operations, owner relationships, and the broader hospitality industry,” said Dipak Thakker, CEO and founder of greatEvent. “His understanding of how hotel companies operate, combined with his perspective on the evolving needs of owners and customers, will be invaluable as we develop our business and pursue opportunities across the hospitality sector.”

Brown retired from Marriott in June 2026 after 37 years with the company. He served as Group President, U.S. & Canada through March 2026, remaining at Marriott through June in a transition advisory capacity before retiring. In that role, he led Marriott’s largest region, comprising more than 6,000 hotels. His previous leadership positions included Group President, Europe, Middle East & Africa; President and Managing Director, Europe; and President, Select Brands and Owner and Franchise Services, North America. Brown began his Marriott career in hotel operations in 1989. His appointment to greatEvent is in an independent, personal capacity and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Marriott International.

Brown sits on the boards of Chatham Lodging Trust (NYSE: CLDT) and EPR Properties (NYSE: EPR), where he chairs the Compensation & Human Capital Committee. He served as Chair of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) until June 2026. He holds a degree from Trinity College Dublin and an MBA from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

EventBank applies the bedbank model to meeting and event space. Guest-room inventory has long moved through online travel agencies, global distribution systems, and bedbanks that aggregate rooms and resell them to travel agents and tour operators. Meeting space has not. Most of it is still sold through RFPs, phone calls, and email, and a planner can wait days for a quote on a single room.

Participating hotels and venues contribute live, bookable meeting and event space into a shared inventory that planners, agencies, and distribution partners can search and confirm in real time through greatEvent’s RTB platform. The demand already exists, what slows conversion is the closing: RFPs, calls, and email threads that can stretch for days. greatEvent compresses that entire cycle into minutes, delivering confirmed space and pricing instantly. For hotels and venues, it creates a sales channel for inventory that too often sits empty.

“Throughout my career, I’ve seen the opportunities and challenges that hotel owners and operators face in maximizing the value of their assets,” said Brown. “The meetings and events business remains an area where technology has the potential to improve efficiency and create additional revenue opportunities. I believe greatEvent has developed an interesting approach to addressing some of these challenges, and I look forward to contributing my industry experience and perspective as the company continues to develop its platform and business.”

About greatEvent
greatEvent, located in Rockville, Maryland, has developed a Real-Time Booking (RTB) platform for events, giving customers instant access to live venue availability and the ability to book spaces in minutes. The patented platform lets planners see meeting and event spaces in real time, eliminating the guesswork and delays of traditional sales and catering systems. In September 2026, the company launched greatEvent Sports, a booking vertical for team and tournament travel. greatEvent is backed by TEDCO’s Venture Funds. Learn more at www.greatevent.com.

Dipak Thakker
greatEvent Hospitality, LLC
+1 240-418-1086
dipak@greatevent.com

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