It has been five days since I returned home from the Women in Retail Leadership Summit (April 25-27), and I’m still feeling the love! The Summit, which is produced annually by Women Leading Travel & Hospitality’s sister brand, Women in Retail Leadership Circle, is a gathering of some of the most talented, ambitious, kind and lovely women leaders in the retail industry. They come together to listen to insightful content, do fabulous shopping at the assorted pop-up shops and, of course, make great connections that will lead to long-term relationships long after the Summit has ended.

While the Summit has been great since its inception eight years ago (if I must say so myself!), this year felt, well, different. Maybe it was because it was the first time many of the attendees had been to an in-person event since the pandemic began. Or maybe it was because of the fabulous speakers, including Jamie Kern Lima, Suzy Batiz, Indra Nooyi, to name a few, who blew the crowd away with their messages of compassionate leadership and the importance of making decisions with your gut. Regardless, it was one of the best. But instead of me telling you, let me show you. Below are a few of the messages we’ve seen on LinkedIn in the days since the Summit:

  • “WOW! I have been struggling to come up with one word that would sum up my experience this last week at the Women in Retail Leadership Summit and I keep coming back to WOW! I had heard great things, but had no idea what I was in for.”
  • “‘Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.’ Dr. Seuss. The Summit has been my favorite ever since I attended my first many years ago, but 2022 has been THE BEST YET!”
  • “One of the best weeks of my life. Thank you!!”

So, why am I telling you this (and giving you a severe case of FOMO)? Because Women Leading Travel & Hospitality will be creating the same kind of magic at its upcoming two-and-half-day Summit in 2023! While dates and a location are “to be announced,” you can be rest assured that the event will be as great as the Summit. After all, the same dream team will be working on it!

In the meantime, check out our upcoming Women Leading Travel & Hospitality Roundtable events, taking place in Dallas (June 1), Chicago (July 14) and New York City (Oct. 5). Truly unique, these events — specifically created with women in travel and hospitality in mind — will feature content focused on executive professional development and business strategy. They will also include several fun networking activities as well. Trust me, you don’t want to miss them! You can register for either one (or both!) here.

I’m looking forward to seeing you there!