Women of Hospitality Conference goes virtual Nov. 9-12
A powerful, nationwide conference hosted by the Delaware Restaurant Association returns for a second year, inviting women to jump online and re-engage, reconnect, and re-inspire their drive and determination to rise to the top of the hospitality industry. From those starting their career to those already enjoying success in leadership or entrepreneurial roles, this unique (now fully online) professional development conference was created to inspire, connect and empower present and future professional women of business. #SheMeansBusiness is more than just a hashtag - it's the motto!
This year’s conference will be held Monday-Thursday, Nov. 9-12, with two sessions occurring each day at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Conference registrants will have the option to attend some or all of the sessions that speak to their individual interests and professional goals, or replay sessions after the conference concludes. Event registration is $49 and tickets are available at www.womenofhospitality.com.
Kicking off the conference will be a powerful discussion titled “COVID-19 and Gender Equality: Countering the Regressive Effects,” exploring a recently published article by the McKinsey Institute that included these disturbing facts: “Between August and September, 865,000 women dropped out of the labor force (compared to just 216,000 men). Meanwhile, one in four women are considering reducing work hours, moving to part-time roles, switching to less demanding jobs, taking leaves of absence from work, or stepping away from the workforce altogether.”
Panelists for the session include: Carrie Leishman, president and CEO of the Delaware Restaurant Association; Nora Gardner, senior partner, McKinsey & Company; Joanna James, WoH alumni speaker and director/filmmaker/producer of “A Fine Line” documentary; and Melanie Ross Levin, executive director of The Office of Women's Advancement.
Panelists will unravel the truth of how COVID-19 has directly impacted progress on gender equality and women in the workplace, how this may affect women and their businesses going forward, and what can be done now to counter the effects of these devastating trends.
“The negative effects of COVID-19 have disproportionately affected women and gender equality, placing women's advancement at risk. Women today shoulder the stress in their role as primary caregivers of families, as well as financial contributors – yet have lost more opportunities for advancement, are less financially stable, and have lost more employment than men due to the pandemic. Creating support and solutions to advance women is good for the economy as well as for society. This conference provides the thought leadership, support and collective wisdom community leaders and women in hospitality, as well as all professions, need to help guide their emotional, financial and career success,” said Leishman.
Closing out a week of sessions, the keynote address will feature Sallie Krawcheck, CEO and co-founder of Ellevest, who will ignite the investing flame for women, speaking on the importance of financial stability and independence, updating audiences on the present and future status of the gender pay gap, and investment as a tool to boost careers beyond limitation.
For more information, visit www.womenofhospitality.com.
