The Travel Industry Executive Women’s Network (TIEWN) Inaugural Conference Well Attended
For the first time, members of this LinkedIn-only group met in person to discuss opportunities and success factors for women in travel, tourism & hospitality. The group includes more than 8,055+ members globally.
Los Angeles, CA, August 5, 2014 – In a bid to bring its digital members together in real life, the LinkedIn-only group called the Travel Industry Executive Women's Network, powered by BLLA - the Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association, held its inaugural Global Leadership Conference on July 30–31, 2014 in Los Angeles.
The lovely Viennese Ballroom of the Langham Hotel in Pasadena was a full house with attendees taking full advantage of education, wisdom and networking which the conference offered all registrants. Attendees shared their sentiments on social media (#TIEWN) of how inspired they were by the panelists and top industry executives who imparted their wisdom and knowledge to an audience eager to participate, listen and learn.
Frances Kiradjian keynoted the conference describing how she felt a real sense of responsibility to bring this group to life in order to promote and enhance the importance of women in the industry. She shared her experiences over the past 25 years making it clear that the road to success should include being an engaged member of a group such as TIEWN. An important factor is attending conferences.
TIEWN prepared an overview of the conference with the following summarizing key points discussed during the 7:30 am – 7:30 pm conference:
The gap between the number of women and men who occupy top spots at companies, boardrooms, and conferences, continues to be wide.
While the female perspective of two of the largest hotel conferences in the U.S. this year was largely missed (149 men speakers compared to only 14 female speakers at a recent New York hotel conference and 179 men compared to 27 women speakers at a Los Angeles hotel conference), more and more women are stepping into the industry.
"We are in a relationship economy," says Eldonna Lewis Fernandez, retired Air Force veteran and author of Think Like a Negotiator. "Emotionally connected people perform better." And one of the best ways to emotionally connect and build relationships is to join a professional association or organization.
The importance of women's participation on boards in today's travel & hospitality sector as well as in general, is making an impact on today's global companies. And while joining a board may bring invaluable professional and business development opportunities for today's women travel executives, it's about knowing how to be a successful contributor.
A new study by Ketchum, a global PR agency, was shared by partner and associate director Melissa Kinch, examining the perceptions of over 6,500 people in 13 countries on five continents regarding effective leadership and communication. A defining facet was revealed in today's new era of leadership communication: The characteristics people associate with positive leadership are associated with feminine qualities.
Today's leader must be an effective communicator with a deep understanding of technology. Particularly, the importance of intelligently using social media to build a strong online community, utilizing your online network, and showcasing your professional expertise, has never been more valuable.
Maximize your financial potential. "Credit runs everything," states Angela Setters Bessard, CEO of Conquer Credit Management. "It's the difference between buying a home or getting a loan." By understanding spending habits through credit cards and tools like mint.com, it's possible to not only be more disciplined, but possible to create realistic spending budgets – tools to help both entrepreneurs and professional optimize financial confidence.
See Technology as an opportunity. Caryl Helsel, head of revenue & IT at the Roosevelt Hotel Group explains the biggest challenge working in tech is gaining the respect of the men in the room. Her biggest tip: Find a mentor. Also, find someone you can mentor. By mentoring someone else, we learn to identify those things that have been successors and failures – inherently creating more confidence and empowerment.
Education as a tool for advancement. Belinda Borden, director of travel services at UCLA, suggests joining associations and taking advantage of offered educational sessions. The GBTA (Global Business Travel Association) offers a multitude of educational programs focused on leadership and technology. Another option: UCLA Extension. Extension classes are designed for the working professional, offering certificates in small business management and international trade and commerce.
Perpetuate a healthy lifestyle. For Founder & President of Lather Emily Hoyt, she creates balance through inspiring creativity or opening up to a new experience. At the end of the day it's about "feeling healthy and rested" to maximize our full potential both personally and professionally.
Don't create a mental barrier. Edie Rodriguez, president & COO of Crystal Cruises, explains how she started at the bottom and worked her way up, to now running the most luxurious cruise line in the world. "Find your passion, set your sights on where you want to go and then make a game plan," recommends Rodriguez.
The full report is viewable here: http://bit.ly/TIEWN2014Insights
Top executives from the following companies participated as speakers at the event:
Atkins Hotel Advisory, Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA), Corniche Group, Crystal Cruises, Curry Spa Consulting, Genares Worldwide, Glencove Capital, Hilton Worldwide, Hospitality Resources Worldwide, Hospitality Evolution Resources, Hospitality Social Selling, HVS Global Hospitality Services, Indidesign, Integrated Travel Solutions Technology LLC, Jayne McAllister Travel Wellness, Jones Lang LaSalle, Kay Lang + Associates , Ketchum, Lather, Mira Costa College, Mosaic Financial Partners, Navesink Advisory Group, LLC, PR Hollywood, Preferred Hotel Group, Roosevelt Hotel Group, Sabre Hospitality Solutions, Solutionz Holdings LLC, Stellé Audio Couture, Stiletto Dash Inc., The Betsy-South Beach, The Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona, UCLA, WorldHotels, Your Travel Insider/Northstar Travel Media.
Sponsors include: APPYHOTEL, BLLA, Gilchrist & Soames, Greenberg Traurig, CohnReznick, Conquer Credit Management, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, Universal Points, YoDog!
Charities: Invincible Me, Whole World Water.
The official website for this event is www.tiewn.com.
About TIEWN
Founded in 2008 by Frances Kiradjian, Founder & Chair of the Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA), this network is about forming connections globally both online at LinkedIn and offline through conferences and events. The more than 8,000 global members are executive women who make significant contributions to all the categories within the travel industry including hotel & lodging, airlines, cruise lines, car rental, tourism, travel agency, corporate travel manager, tour operator, rail, travel technology. They are professional women who have chosen the travel, tourism or hospitality sector and who make it their life's work and passion. This group supports all organizations in this industry who work at organizing professional women.
Frances Kiradjian
Founder & CEO
+1 818 264 4810
BLLA
