GUEST BLOG: Women In Travel launches European network at Business Travel Show

When Women In Travel (WINiT ) launched in America in January 2014, I jumped at the chance to get involved. I had heard about the not-for-profit organisation through an American colleague and discovered that its founder Mick Lee (Citigroup’s Head of General Services & Travel) had formed WINiT  to help further the careers of women in the travel industry.

Mick Lee

After sending a quick message to the WINiT group on LinkedIn, I signed up for free and became a member myself. Then things developed quickly.

Almost immediately, I found myself connected to an incredible network of talented and high-profile professionals from all areas of the travel industry. The range of men and women who were already involved – including executives from major hotel chains, banking institutions and airlines – was staggering and they had all joined for one reason: to try to change the fact that women are still underrepresented at senior levels.

Fast-forward to six months later and, in July 2014, I was in sunny Los Angeles helping to organise the global launch event for 400 WINiT members. There WINiT outlined its ambitions to:

• set up a global mentor scheme that will support women to go further
• connect professionals around the globe online and at conferences and events
• conduct research into the challenges faced by women in the industry
• work with travel recruiters and CEOs to promote career mobility

WINiT launch

The widespread support that WINiT has since received has been truly inspirational and now, at this year’s Business Travel Show, the organisation is coming to Europe.

So, on February 25^th-26^th 2015, you’ll be able to talk to members at the WINiT stand and become a member for free. You’ll also be able to come along to a one-hour introductory session, get more information about WINiT’s mentor scheme and find out about what we are aiming to achieve. If you’d like to become involved with WINiT, please drop by and say hello I’ll be on the WINiT stand B40 just by the entrance.

For more information in the meantime, please visit the WINiT website: http://www.womenintravel.org/

This post was written by Patricia Gardiner, Head of Global Marketing,

Tristar Worldwide Chauffeur Services.