2022 Programme

Location:Central Saint Giles, 1-13 St Giles High St, London, WC2H 8AG

The International Women in Travel and Tourism Forum first came together as a result of a panel discussion in late 2018, moderated by Women in Travel cic and attended by industry leaders Carnival UK, Visit Iceland/Promote Iceland, Intrepid Group and by the First Lady of Iceland, Eliza Reid.

The panel recognised the need for an international and inclusive platform for women and like-minded men to come together to discuss ways to accelerate diversity and inclusion in the travel and tourism sector.

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Time	Activities	Speakers
8:30 – 9:15	Registration
9:15 – 9:25	Welcome	Alessandra Alonso, Women in Travel cic Zina Bencheikh, MD, EMEA, Intrepid Travel
THEME 1: LEADERSHIP
9:30-10:15	Moments that matter Defining moments that changed one’s career and life Personal and authentic insights into extraordinary leaders Inspirational breakthroughs	Georgina Lawton, Author and Travel Writer Alexa-Maria Rathbone Barker, Founder, Tripabrood Anna Pollock, Owner and Director, Conscious Travel Cat Jones, Founder, Byway Nena Chaletzos, Founder, Luxtripper Moderated by Fiona Anderson, GEC PR
10:30 – 11:15	Big Conversations – Why we need women to lead in turbulent times Leadership in 2022 and beyond: how will it adapt to turbulent times? What is the role played by women and diversity in the post pandemic world? Great resignation v great reinvention: how can we support women in the workplace?	Kate Nicholls OBE CEO, British Hospitality Association Dr Susanne Etti – Global Environmental Impact Leader, Intrepid Travel Jo Rzymowska, President & Managing Director, EMEA for Celebrity Cruises Julia Lo Bue-Said – CEO, The Advantage Travel Partnership Moderated by Emily Goldfischer, Editor, Hertelier
11:15 – 11:30	Networking break Connect in person and engage with fellow attendees over a cup of coffee or a soft drink
THEME 2: DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
11:30 – 12:15	DEI in travel and tourism: turning point or boiling point? After a couple of years where DEI became a bit of a ‘buzzword’, has the DEI dial moved backwards in the travel and tourism industry? Why is the sector still ignoring the spending power of affluent, ethnically diverse people? Why are women still encountering barriers on the way up to leadership? Which DEI initiatives exist to support representation and inclusion practices?	Dr. Sumeetra Ramakrishnan, Senior Teaching Fellown University of Surrey Patrice Gordon, Director Commercial Strategy Development, Virgin Atlantic David Meany, Director Partner Marketing, The Travel Corporation Aisha Shaibu, Founder & Director, Moonlight Experiences Moderated by Jamie-Lee Abtar, Multicultural Lead, Women in Travel cic,
12:15 – 12:45	Case Study Session
12:45 – 13:30	Networking Lunch Grab lunch, engage in conversations and make the most of the 9th floor terrace to enjoy stunning views across London!
THEME 3: TALENT MANAGEMENT
13:30-14:15	Addressing the talent crisis through diverse recruitment Exploring the talent crisis and possible routes to solutions How partnering with non-profits can be a win-win for employers Growing employees’ engagement through diverse recruitment	Christina Lawford, CEO, DiamondAir International Nadira Lalji, Founder at Inhabit Hotels, Director at Precis Advisory Moderated by Juliet Kinsman, Sustainability Editor Conde Nast Traveler and Founder, Bouteco
14:15-15:00	Harnessing the power of DEI in attracting and retaining a younger generation of talent Hear from the younger generation about their career choices Explore and understand why DEI matters in attracting GenZ talent	In partnership with ITT Future You Ella Paradis, Director and Founder, The Black Explorer Jaqueline Costa, Marketing Executive and Tourism Graduate Hayley Bowd, Lead Global Early Careers Recruiting, Expedia Group Nelma Neto, Graduate Moderated by Claire Steiner, UK Director, GTTP / Founder, ITT Future You
THEME 4: ALLYSHIP
15:00-15:15	Engaging men in the DEI conversation – why allyship matters What is allyship? How can male allyship at work empower women? Why should male leaders practice allyship and what do they stand to gain?	Toby Horry – TUI Interviewed by Daniel Pearce
15:15-15:45	Allyship in action: mentors and mentees tell their stories Last year the first Male Allyship Network was launched in industry following IWTTF 21 This year we hear from some of the couples that have been matched as mentor-mentee through the programme about what they have gained and learned from each other!	Allies / Mentors Toby Horry – TUI Shaon Talukdar, CEO, Geotourist Tom Power, CEO, Pura Aventura Mentees Danica Smith, Director of Product Engagement, ReviewPro Chantal Potgieter, Founder, Themba Travel Felicia Severns, Owner, Odyssey World Moderated by Daniel Pearce, CEO TTG Media
15:45-16:45	Reverse Mentoring Our popular reverse mentoring sessions return to stimulate learning and discussion!
16:45 – 17:00	Closing Remarks	Alessandra Alonso, MD, Women in Travel cic Finnbar Cornwall, Head of Travel, Google
17:00 – 18:30	Networking