Latest news with #ForWard
Travel Daily News
12-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Power takes the stage in Atlanta at ForWard Conference 2025
ForWard 2025 gathered 1,000 professionals in Atlanta to empower women in hospitality through leadership tools, bold dialogue, and industry networking. ATLANTA, GA – The power of women in the hotel and lodging industry was on full display as the AHLA Foundation's flagship ForWard Conference made its Atlanta debut this week, bringing nearly 1000 hospitality professionals to the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. With a theme centered on recognizing, accessing, and amplifying power, the two-day event delivered bold conversations, practical leadership tools, and high-impact programming – all designed to elevate women in hospitality. Featuring top industry executives and immersive experiences, ForWard 2025 marked a continued investment in building a more inclusive and dynamic future for the hotel and lodging industry. While women represent the majority of the hospitality workforce, that majority isn't reflected in leadership positions. The ForWard initiative, which extends well beyond this annual conference, continues to address this imbalance through targeted professional development and networking opportunities. 'Our industry thrives on connection,' said Kevin Carey, President & CEO of the AHLA Foundation. 'By bringing ForWard to Atlanta, we placed this important dialogue in the heart of a major hospitality hub, allowing us to engage with a broader audience and drive meaningful change.' 'Forward has become a force in this industry, bringing women and men together to champion the next generation of leaders,' noted Rosanna Maietta, President & CEO of AHLA. 'There is power in this movement. I'm thrilled to see how our industry has embraced this conference and is meaningfully showing up for women in our industry.' The conference featured executive speakers from across the industry, and select speakers from adjacent industries, including Jennifer Hyman, CEO & Co-Founder of Rent The Runway; Lamiaa Laurene Daif, Worldwide Strategy Leader at Apple; and Grammy-nominated songwriter Makeba Riddick. Notable sessions included: Negotiations Workshop with Kathryn Valentine , CEO of Worthmore Strategies, sharing tactics specifically designed for hospitality contract and vendor relationship management , CEO of Worthmore Strategies, sharing tactics specifically designed for hospitality contract and vendor relationship management The Future of Guest Expectations panel featuring Heather Balsley , IHG Chief Commercial Officer; Mary Ellen Jelenek , American Express ; and Monica Xuereb , Loews Hotels , moderated by Kristie Goshow , Chief Commercial Officer of Peregrine Hospitality , IHG Chief Commercial Officer; , ; and , , moderated by , Chief Commercial Officer of Unlocking AI: The Power of the Right Prompts conducted by Steve Berrey , Global Head of AI & ML Solutions at Onix , Global Head of AI & ML Solutions at Hidden Careers in Hospitality panel exploring non-traditional leadership paths within the industry Hotels as Local Hubs discussion on strengthening community connections as a competitive advantage The 2025 ForWard Conference was sponsored by American Express, DIRECTV Hospitality, Ecolab, Encore, and RTRX.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Hospitality Women's Innovation Council Joins the Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance to Further Expand Opportunities for Women and Collaboration Across the Hotel Industry
The fastest-growing working group for women leaders in hospitality joins forces with the largest consortium of women's organizations in the hotel industry RICHARDSON, Texas, April 10, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Hospitality Women's Innovation Council, the fastest growing women's leadership group in the industry, has joined the Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance to advance the cause of women and underserved communities across the industry, while collecting women's input to enhance innovation. The Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance was founded in 2021 as a consortium of organizations networking in concert to maximize their efforts at advancing women in hospitality. The Women's Innovation Council (WIC) has become the thirty-fourth member of the Alliance, and will benefit from the amplified messaging, programs and initiatives available and offered by all participating organizations. Sponsored by industry technology innovator Visual Matrix, WIC was formed in 2023 to help hotels identify and overcome stubborn challenges, particularly the need to improve collaboration across tech disciplines and between technology providers, hotel owners and managers, and to advance the cause of women and underserved communities across the industry. The group includes executives from hotel companies, technology developers, AHLA's ForWard women's initiative members, and more. "The Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance is the flagship organization promoting women across the hotel industry, and the Women's Innovation Council is thrilled to join their ranks as the latest group helping to build bridges across the hospitality tech landscape," said Georgine Muntz, CEO of Visual Matrix. "Through collaboration and ongoing contact, the Women's Innovation Council has helped create a groundswell of support for women's growth and development across hospitality tech, and alongside the Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance, we plan to continue escalating the conversation until our industry is as innovative and efficient as we all know it can be." "We've been participating in the rapid development of the Women's Innovation Council and are excited to be formally welcoming them to the Alliance and help amplify their efforts and foster collaboration among all of the organizations," said Rachel Humphrey, Founder and Chair of the Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance. "Together we are stronger, and the entire hotel industry benefits." To learn more about The Women's Innovation Council, visit For more information about the Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance, visit About Visual Matrix More than 3,000 properties in 30+ countries worldwide choose the Visual Matrix hospitality operating platform to optimize hotel operations and serve guests from reservation to return stay. Our system includes a game-changing PMS supported by powerful features and key integrations that are easy to use, including revenue management with automated rate tiering, a fully integrated channel manager, and a mobile app for tracking performance on the go. The Visual Matrix MOP housekeeping and maintenance tool automates routine tasks and streamlines communication to keep the front desk, housekeeping, and maintenance staff focused on guests. It also includes a built-in panic button as an Emergency Safety Device (ESD) to help keep hotel staff from harm. For more information, visit About The Women in Hospitality Industry Leadership Alliance The Women in Hospitality Industry Leadership Alliance is a consortium of 34 organizations advancing women in hospitality. For more information about the Alliance or to request access to or be included in the Alliance's industry-first Speaker Directory, launched in 2024 to elevate the visibility and representation of women across all industry stages and media, visit or contact whlalliance@ View source version on Contacts Michael FrenkelMFC PRmichael@ Sign in to access your portfolio
