Screenfire adds two hospitality veterans to leadership team

Screenfire named Kathleen Kubota and Jennifer Chap to senior roles in its Hospitality Marketing Group as the agency expands its push to help independent hotels, resorts and destinations lift direct bookings and digital performance. The hires add decades of experience across tourism, luxury resorts, attractions and global travel brands.

Why it matters: - Screenfire is deepening its hospitality bench at a time when independent hotels are competing for attention across search, social, review sites and online travel agencies. - The move is aimed at helping hospitality clients improve visibility, direct bookings, website performance and measurable growth.

What happened: - Screenfire said Kathleen Kubota and Jennifer Chap have joined the leadership team of its Screenfire Hospitality Marketing Group. - Kubota is Senior Director of Integrated Marketing. - Chap is Senior Brand Strategist. - The announcement was made Aug. 11, 2026, in Los Angeles.

The details: - The Hospitality Marketing Group works with independent hotels, resorts, hospitality brands and destinations. - Its services include strategic consulting, digital marketing, website optimization, search visibility, direct-booking strategy, performance marketing, customer insights and brand development. - Kubota brings more than 20 years of hospitality and destination marketing experience. - Kubota spent more than 10 years at the San Diego Tourism Authority, where she led brand and digital marketing, website and platform transformations, and global content strategy. - Kubota also held senior marketing leadership roles at Town and Country Resort, Hotel del Coronado and Miramonte Resort and Spa. - Kubota has advised clients in hospitality, real estate, technology and retail. - Kubota is a graduate of USC’s Marshall School of Business and holds HSMAI certification as a Certified Hospitality Digital Marketer. - Chap spent 10 years in executive leadership at Universal Orlando Resort. - Chap’s roles there included Vice President of Advertising & Research, Vice President of Strategic Planning & Research for Universal Studios Florida and Vice President of Marketing for Universal’s Islands of Adventure. - Chap also co-founded StrataVerve, a strategic brand marketing practice. - Chap has advised clients including Baha Mar, Atlantis Paradise Island, Universal Beijing Resort, LEGOLAND, the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board, Yosemite National Park and Outward Bound USA. - Screenfire Managing Director Marc Zasada said the two hires bring the kind of leadership and expertise independent hospitality brands need. - Screenfire Director of Digital Marketing Max Porter said the agency helps independent hotels turn their guest experience into visibility, direct demand and measurable growth. - More information is available on Screenfire’s hospitality group page.

Between the lines: - Screenfire is positioning the Hospitality Marketing Group around a core industry pain point: fragmented guest discovery and rising competition for direct bookings. - The company is leaning on executives with both destination-marketing and brand-strategy backgrounds, suggesting a push to connect storytelling with performance metrics.

What's next: - Screenfire will likely use the expanded leadership team to pursue more independent hospitality accounts and sharpen its advisory offering. - The agency is signaling that future growth will center on digital performance, audience insight and booking conversion.

The bottom line: - Screenfire is betting that senior hospitality operators can help independent brands compete more effectively in a more crowded digital market.