Your Career

Industry Groups Focusing on Women

March 6, 2024

These four meeting industry groups offer places where women can network, learn from one another and help each other advance their careers.

Women Leading Travel and Hospitality

This membership-based association is made up of senior-level women from across the industry who are coming together to learn from each other and help each other succeed. Focused on business strategy and executive professional development, this association offers women leaders the opportunity to network, discuss industry issues and learn how to become better leaders.

“Women Leading Travel & Hospitality’s priority is to unite, educate and inspire our community of executive women leaders in all sectors of the travel and hospitality industry by providing unparalleled resources, education, live events, virtual events, support and motivation to achieve personal and professional growth,” says Hannah DeMaio, Vice President of brand strategy for Women Leading Travel & Hospitality. “This community continues to grow in so many extraordinary ways and we are honored to be able to help and champion all of our members and partners as they make history in this world!”

Mission: The Women Leading Travel and Hospitality mission is to unite, inspire and empower the community of executive women leaders by providing unparalleled resources, support and motivation to achieve personal and professional growth in the travel and hospitality industry.

Membership: Open to senior executives (director-level and above), individual memberships start at $249. Corporate Partner and Consultant memberships also are available. For questions about eligibility, contact [email protected].

Mentorship Opportunities:The Women Leading Travel & Hospitality offers peer groups, career coaches and ambassador programs for members. They also have a ton of amazing events coming up, including their National Summit in June.

WINiT

Mission: GBTA WINiT, a program of the GBTA Foundation, is a network of global women and men who serve as catalysts to drive change by providing support and empowering women to take the next step in their careers through its pillars of mentorship, education and development, and network and community. In recognition of International Women’s Day, WINiT is hosting a live webinar on March 8 at 11 a.m. ET. where a panel of women business travel leaders will share practical tips for fostering belonging, inclusion and empowerment. Registration is free and open to everyone: http://bit.ly/3w6ILpF.

“WINiT’s peer 1:1 mentoring benefits both the experienced professional and the mentee, allowing each the opportunity to grow, foster meaningful connections and propel each other forward both personally and professionally. We view this partnership as an essential step toward not only ensuring equality in the business travel industry, but building a community of current and future leaders who are dedicated to fostering a fair and just career path for everyone,” says Bev Heinritz, Director, GBTA Foundation Programs.

Membership: GBTA membership is required if you want to utilize the mentoring program: $370 for Direct or Buyer membership, $420 for Allied (suppliers and consultants). All Access membership is $495 for Direct and $545 for Allied. If not, there is no cost to be part of the WINiT community.

Mentorship Opportunities:WINiT members can participate in GBTA Ladders, a team mentor program. The GBTA Ladders Program mentors are executives from both buyer and supplier organizations with proven success in the travel business. These leaders volunteer their time to help mentees build connections, knowledge and skills.

SITE Women In Leadership

Mission: SITE Women In Leadership was created in 2018 to “powerfully change the lives of women in the global MICE industry by advocating for women in leadership, raising awareness on equality, furthering education, supporting entrepreneurship and being a catalyst for personal and professional growth and leadership development at all stages of their career.”

Among other projects, the group creates educational seminars and podcasts dealing with issues for women in our industry.

“I’m honored to be part of this group of women who are dedicated to helping industry women advance, both personally and professionally. Among our most recent efforts are a Community Lounge at the Annual Conference that just wrapped up in Turkiye, and Prevue is hosting an upcoming webinar with three of our women leaders (Rhonda Brewer, Norma Jean and Annemarie Rogers). We will also be doing a research report on women’s issues, with the group’s input, this summer,” says Prevue Editor Barbara Scofidio.

Membership: SITE membership is required.

Mentorship Opportunities:This group offers mentorship opportunities, including a peer-to-peer mentorship program that was designed as a way to connect a “Young Leader”(defined as someone in the business under five years or age group 35 and under) with a trusted advisor. For more info: [email protected].

Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance

Mission: Founded in 2021, the Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance is a consortium of organizations dedicated to advancing women in hospitality. To date, 31 organizations have joined forces to maximize their efforts through collaboration and partnership. While each of these independent organizations continues its work, together they collaborate to amplify their programs, messaging, and initiatives advancing women in leadership, striving to move the needle farther and faster in an effort to maximize the impact of each and collectively of all. They encourage people to visit their website and follow them on social media.

“There are so many organizations and leaders committed to this important initiative,” says Rachel Humphrey, founder of the Alliance. “At a time when human resources and financial resources are at a premium, it’s great to see these groups getting together and sharing with one another in an effort to maximize the impact of each and collectively of all.”

Membership: There is no membership fee for the organizations to be a part of the Alliance and most of the organizations which participate are also barrier free to those who want to participate, although a few are membership based.

Mentorship Opportunities: Participating organizations share their goals, upcoming efforts, educational resources, event information, and one another’s messaging to amplify the overall and collective mission of advancing women in hospitality.