TORONTO — This year’s Women in Tourism & Hospitality Summit (WITH) virtual event is fast approaching on October 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. EST. Now in its fifth year, WITH offers a global leadership summit to foster opportunities, inclusion and advancement. This year’s Summit — proudly presented by WITHOrg.com (Women in Tourism and Hospitality) in association with Kostuch Media Ltd., (Foodservice and Hospitality magazine, and Hotelier magazine) and Sequel Hotels & Resorts — is free to attend.
Since its inception, the summit has become the meeting place for individuals and companies committed to advancing diversity and inclusion in the tourism and hospitality industry. As part of the annual global summit, WITH will offer engaging and thought-provoking, world-class speakers; tailored networking opportunities through its app; and introductions and connections to assist professionals to achieve excellence in their careers.
This year’s agenda includes a one-on-one with Zita Cobb, the visionary social entrepreneur behind the world-renowned Fogo Island Inn, who will talk about Re-generative Tourism and how she’s created an award-winning, sustainable and architecturally stunning inn by combining nature, community and culture with food and adventure. The discussion will be moderated by Rosanna Caira, co-founder of WITH, and editor and publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality and Hotelier magazines.
Anne Larcade, co-founder of WITH and CEO of Sequel Hotels & Resorts, will host a fireside chat with Robyn Streisand, founder and CEO of the Mixx and Titanium Worldwide, NYC. Streisand’s commitment to drive diversity and inclusion is through her work with companies to assist them with “visionary creative that ignites emotion and generates action.”
WITH’s popular Rapid-Fire sessions return this year, featuring three thought-provoking leaders from different segments of the industry). Participating in the session are Ritou Maloni, co-founder, president and CEO of Pur and Simple; Alex Josephson, co-founder, Partisans; and Gunjan Kahlon, VP, Franchise Sales & Development, Wyndham Hotels.
The Katie Taylor Economic Empowerment Award will be once again presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to advancing women in hospitality and tourism globally. This year’s winner is Heather McCrory, CEO, Accor. McCrory is being recognized for her work and efforts in helping to make diversity and inclusion a major tenet of Accor’s philosophy and driving women’s advancement. As one of the largest hotel brands in the world, Accor has worked, over the years, to create awareness of diversity and inclusion by focusing on four components: gender equality, diversity of cultures, diversity of generations and integration of people with disabilities.
McCrory has been integral in promoting programs within the company that spotlight women’s advancement, starting six years ago with WAGG (Women at AccorHotels Generation), which eventually evolved into RiiSE, a program that includes 14,000 members worldwide, and whose goal it is to foster an inclusive workplace, touching on both gender, diversity and inclusion.
Accor has also established key metrics around diversity and inclusion, with the primary metric being its HeForShe commitment, which aimed to have 35 per cent female GMs by 2020. According to McCrory, diverse teams perform better, a reality, she says, that has been proven in all regions of the company. In addition to these programs, Accor has also created a mentorship program that pairs mentors and mentees across 20 countries.
In the last year, due to the pandemic, two million women have been forced out of the workforce. As the business world learns to navigate the COVID-19 landscape, it’s more important than ever to ensure that women are no longer under-represented in the executive ranks and that they continue to have opportunities for growth, leadership and advancement.
To register for this event register here
