The Successful Return of the Women in Travel & Hospitality Conference

Female executives came together to celebrate money, abundance, and manifestation in connection with their personal and professional lives

Los Angeles – The Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Association (BLLA) and the Travel Industry Executive Women’s Network (TIEWN) held their annual Women in Travel & Hospitality Conference on July 12th at the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, CA. An intimate group of established and up-and-coming leaders filled the space with overflowing knowledge, enthusiasm, and passion for the diverse future of the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries.

On the evening of July 11th, the Conference kicked off in Hollywood, beginning with a special presentation held in the Private Screening Room of The Aster, a new membership club and hotel opening on August 1st. Jaimi Brooks, Founder of The Well Lived Woman, led a frank discussion on power, wealth, trust, and confidence, which was a precursor to the theme for the following full-day conference. This was followed by an opening cocktail reception on the iconic Rooftop of the amazing Aster. Through the generosity and support of David Bowd and Kevin O’Shea, Co-Founders of Salt Hotels who are operating the property, and Bill Doak, Managing Director at Stockdale Capital, it was the perfect opening of this event. The breathtaking views, live entertainment, and exquisite cocktails and hors d’oeuvres were the ingredients to an unforgettable evening.

The following full day’s conference was packed with compelling case studies, panels, and fireside chats ranging from topics such as Travel & Hospitality Technology, The Traveler Marketplace for Women, Interior Design Reimagined, The Cheque Book of Financial Confidence, and The Energy of Money. 

Visit California’s CEO, Caroline Beteta, showcased the state’s current marketing campaign, which, as always, included Hollywood’s entertainment industry. This year comprised Anthony Anderson, Mario Lopez, and San Francisco Giant Brandon Crawford, with Austin Boyce as the main character (and scenes of beautiful California scenery). Caroline discussed opportunities for women in tourism with Ariela Kiradjian in a fireside chat.

“This very special day included a number of very open and blunt discussions, chats, and very special moments including a group meditation to enhance the theme of Money, Abundance & Manifestation,” stated Frances Kiradjian, Founder & CEO of BLLA and TIEWN. “The participants freely discussed their personal business and life experiences as well as imparting specific knowledge on subjects such as finance, the need to have a personal mentor and consultation, interior designs with women in mind, the importance of technology, and much more.”

“It was such a magical experience getting to witness immense transformation in so many women in just one day. We experimented a bit with this conference and added what we thought was relevant content, including manifestation tools, guided visualization meditation, embracing womanhood, energy alchemy, and such. Each woman and man present was so open-minded and open-hearted, I could not have asked for a better group of hospitality and travel industry executives,” stated Ariela Kiradjian, Partner & COO of BLLA and President of TIEWN.

From the sincere testimonials coming in, this year’s production of the Women in Travel & Hospitality Conference proves to be one for the books. Industry professionals from different walks of life united as a community to share their stories, embrace vulnerability as a strength, and truly tap into what it means to be a female leader within a contemporary age of travel, tourism, and hospitality.

To round out the eventful day, attendees were invited to an evening wine tasting and networking event sponsored by Sonoma County Tourism. The energy and camaraderie did not stop there, as all attendees were given exclusive access to the virtual event platform App. This allowed them to connect with all other attendees to continue the conversation beyond the conference, as well as visit Sponsors and download Resources.

The next TIEWN event plans are already underway and scheduled for March 2023 in Los Angeles. Email info@tiewn.com for more information.

Noteworthy quotes from the conference stage:

“If you don’t have a plan, then you’ve planned to fail.” – Angela Setters Bessard, Founder & CEO of Conquer Credit Management.

“If you walk into a room and you are the only woman in the room, you will be the one that is over-prepared.” – Andrea Grigg, Global Head of Asset Management at JLL.

“I’m so proud to be part of this day; what connected us is that we are all women, and against all odds, we have all shown up here today.” – Nile Tuzun, Founder & Chief Creative Storyteller at Studio Nilebrand.

About TIEWN
Founded in 2008 by Frances Kiradjian, Founder & CEO of BLLA (The Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Association), the Travel Industry Executive Women’s Network (TIEWN) was created to facilitate global connections between female hospitality, travel, and tourism executives, both online and face-to-face at conferences and events. TIEWN’s more than 13,000 global members have chosen their life’s work in hotel & lodging, airlines, cruise lines, car rental, travel agencies, corporate travel management, tour operation, rail, and travel technology. With a goal of collaboration and mutual support, TIEWN is in sync with other tourism organizations, such as LeadingHotelieres and more, working to improve the industry through the dynamic participation of professional women. TIEWN.com