ATLANTA—Officials of Castell Project, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the careers of women professionals in the hospitality industry, announced its inaugural Women Speakers in Hospitality (WSH) list of female hoteliers and hospitality real estate executives with the knowledge and experience to offer unique perspectives on today’s changing marketplaces. Referrals from the list are available to all conference organizers seeking to add diversity to their lineups of highly qualified and sought-after presenters.
“Conference organizers and sponsors have found it difficult to reach outside of their traditional networks to identify diverse speakers. The WSH list is a resource to broaden speaking opportunities for women and create more diverse and interesting programs,” Castell Project President Peggy Berg says.
“As we researched the speaking opportunities awarded to women, we found that top events, including ALIS, NYU, the Lodging Conference, and the Hunter Hotel Conference, have been working to open the podium to female leaders and experts,” Berg adds. “However, women still are severely underrepresented. Less than one in six speakers at hotel investment conferences are women, even though women comprise 21 percent of attendees, 52 percent of industry employees, and 67 percent of the industry’s talent pipeline.”
Castell Project says that opening the podium to more female speakers is critical to showing prospective employees that the industry offers a future for women. Opportunities to speak lead to recognition and opportunity for rising female executives.
The WSH list was distilled from lists of executives in the industry. Women who wish to be added to the list may submit their name, contact information, and speaking experience/background.
