W.I.T.H. Expands its Resources & Relationships
W.I.T.H. spent the summer 2020 performing a wellness check up. In view of the Spring 2020 disruption caused by the COVID pandemic, the #metoo movement, systemic racism, and the calls for social justice, we took a good look at what was happening in our industry. We developed virtual meeting sessions and we talked with tourism and hospitality leaders to help you figure out where we go from here professionally and individually.
This winter we resolved to continue our check up. We decided to take a deep dive into our industry’s hotels and lodging sector so I reached out to Peggy Berg, founder and chair of the Castell Project. For the past three years The Castell Project, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit, has published outstanding reports on women in hospitality industry leadership. Their 2020 reports are no exception.
To assess the individual growth of women and their impact on the corporate culture, they reviewed 2019 data on the number of women on the podium at four large hotel conferences and the distribution of women in hotel company executive ranks. Their report shows that women are making moves forward in leadership roles and gaining acceptance in virtually every field across the hotel and lodging sector.
Castell also published a report on Black Representation in Hospitality Industry Leadership 2020. Hospitality is even more dependent on Black employees than other industries in North America so equity, equality and inclusion are vitally important. The grim statistics shown in the report could only occur in an industry that is structurally biased against Black employees.
With heightened awareness of the challenges facing Black people in all aspects of life and work this report is an unbiased benchmark from which the industry can measure progress. Their report shows that rehiring post-COVID-19, provides a unique opportunity to reshape the industry for a diverse future marketplace.
I reached out to Peggy to learn more. I was excited to hear more about their work developing tools to support the advancement of women in hospitality. Peggy and I both realized that we shared the goals of more women in positions at all levels of hospitality industry leadership. We decided to collaborate.
I invited Peggy and she accepted my invitation to host a fireside chat at our W.I.T.H. 2021 conference March 18-19, 2021 at the Four Points by Sheraton San Diego Hotel in San Diego, CA. You will be able to meet Peggy and learn more about the leadership training they offer, their efforts to impact corporate diversity and what we plan to do together to support you.
Click here to learn more about the W.I.T.H. 2021 Conference
Click here to access The Castell Project’s Women In Hospitality Leadership Report 2020
Click here to access The Castell Project’s Report on Black Representation in Hospitality Industry Leadership 2020
We are excited about this new collaboration with the Castell Project, as we continue to form alliances so we can learn and grow together.
Clara