At its core, Women Leading Travel & Hospitality seeks to create a community for women in this dynamic, exciting industry. We plan to do this through a combination of content, events, networking, and more, all with an eye towards recognizing the current women leaders in this space, as well as grooming the future women leaders of tomorrow.

So, you may be wondering why a man is writing an opening letter for a women’s organization. That’s a good question. The answer is that I’m a part of the Retail & Travel Group at NAPCO Media, parent company of Women Leading Travel & Hospitality. Officially, my role is editor-in-chief of the three brands within the group — Total Retail, Women in Retail Leadership Circle, Women Leading Travel & Hospitality — and I oversee content. It’s been my pleasure working with the members of Women in Retail Leadership Circle, and I know it will be the same for Women Leading Travel & Hospitality.

Getting back to my original point, Women Leading Travel & Hospitality is working to provide the travel and hospitality industry with a unique community that fosters thought leadership, networking, compelling content, and much more. We plan to do that through multiple channels, including events (in person and virtual), content (e-newsletter, website, research), networking forums, among other ways. Here are just a few of the offerings that we’ve worked on to get us started:

  • 2021 Top Women in Travel & Hospitality: This in-depth report spotlights the women leaders who are helping to shape the industry and its future. In addition, you can learn more about these leaders through in-depth interviews, which touch on a variety of topics, including leadership styles, their advice for the next generation of women leaders, the technology or trend they believe will have the biggest impact on the industry in 2021, and much more.
  • Women Leading Travel & Hospitality Virtual Exchange: This livestream event will feature presentations and interviews with women leaders, including Kristie Goshow, chief marketing officer, Preferred Hotels & Resorts; Stephanie Linnartz, group president, Marriott International; Linda Rutherford, senior vice president and chief communications officer, Southwest Airlines; and others. Tune in to get insights that will help further both your personal and professional growth.
  • Women Leading Travel & Hospitality membership: Benefits of membership include discounted event registrations, exclusive member-only content, a job directory, and a private networking forum. Women Leading Travel & Hospitality is offering a founding membership rate through 2021.

I look forward to the opportunity of working with some of the brightest minds in the travel and hospitality industry. We want this brand to be a community that’s reflective of all the truly great people in this space, and that includes you. We hope you can join us for this journey!