As part of Women Leading Travel & Hospitality’s 2024 Top Women in Travel & Hospitality report, which features in-depth interviews with leading female executives from across the industry, we asked honorees several questions, including “How do you stay informed about industry trends and emerging technologies, and what role does continuous learning play in your ongoing personal and professional development?” Here are a few of their responses:

“I go to a lot of in-person events. Some are industry events, some are not. I keep up-to-date on industry news and emerging trends at both. I pull from my journalism background and ask lots of questions. I believe if we aren’t growing, we’re atrophying, so I’m always trying to learn something new.” –Rene Banglesdorf, Founder, The Aviation Collective

“I strongly believe in the power of travel, curiosity, and having an open mind to everything around you. Hospitality spans across so many professional verticals, so it’s important to attend meetings and events that do the same. Some of our greatest innovations have been inspired by trends in other lines of business. For example, SXSW has done an incredible job melding several tracks into one event. There’s inspiration all around at SXSW, from experiential marketing, music, film, food and beverage trends, change champions and diverse keynote speakers. If you’re aware and present, you’ll see inspiration within the same verticals along your daily activities. Be curious and enjoy observing. Sometimes when learning about something new that I may not think is relevant is when the lightbulb goes off and I think this could be transferred and a real game changer. The beauty of working in hospitality is that at the core of it, we’re just taking care of people and providing experiences that allow them to disconnect. Finding moments for me to disconnect allows me the opportunity to learn, stay current and create.” –Tori Chivers, CMP, Vice President, Meetings and Events, MGM Resorts International

“Everyone learns and absorbs information differently so find what works for you. I like short, sharp articles and in today’s online world it’s easy to subscribe to great industry publications, some daily and others with monthly updates that keep you connected. I’m also fortunate enough to have a brilliant team around me from whom I learn every day. We share information and discuss it as part of our daily business rhythms. In addition, networking across the industry, being part of groups and mentoring others inside and outside the industry can give you so many rich insights. Lastly, we also have the benefit of so much online learning be it part of our Hilton University or other leadership courses working with others. This last year I’ve been doing an executive learning course which has really ignited my interest in further developing my skills for the future.” –Patricia Page-Champion, Senior Vice President and Global Commercial Director, Hilton

“As an executive of a global hospitality brand, it’s essential that I stay tapped into what’s happening in both our industry and the world at large. I stay informed with daily worldwide news briefings, through my team, and our internal worldwide press coverage. I also use social media like LinkedIn for news, industry insights and networking. When I want to dive deeper into a specific topic, I’ll look up podcasts (which are handy when I’m on the go and multitasking). I try to attend and speak at multiple conferences throughout the year in order to network and learn from other travel and hospitality professionals in a more personal and engaging way.” –Carolyne Doyan, President and CEO, North America and the Caribbean, Club Med

“There’s a treasure trove of emerging trends available by listening to the voice of the customer. We do this through direct feedback and surveys, and this strategy is paramount to our success. However, we know that our greatest asset is the talents of our employees, so we lean into our internal customer feedback with equal importance. Focusing on the customer experience, both internal and external, is the way we ensure that we’re evolving and remaining relevant. At The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center, we apply the same strategy to that of our hotels. Through our consulting services, we work with our clients to lean into both their internal and external customer insights to create impactful change across their organizations. Our clients evaluate their success through the work that they do with us by analyzing how these insights change after we deploy our co-created strategies. My entire career with The Ritz-Carlton and Marriott International has been a continuous learning experience. The most dynamic thing about our company is the depth and varied opportunities for growth available to employees. Often employees seek growth in title. Although this is important, seeking growth through new experiences and advancing our skills is of greater importance. When we advance our skills and push outside of our comfort zone, title advancement will eventually come. I’m proud to have joined this company as a housekeeping manager at The Ritz-Carlton and now lead the helm of The Ritz Carlton Leadership Center that provides consulting services to Fortune 500 companies globally. Pretty cool.” –Amanda Joiner, Global Vice President, The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center

To hear more from these women leaders (as well as other honorees) on additional important topics related to both leadership and the travel and hospitality industry, download the full report, 2024 Top Women in Travel and Hospitality.