“AAHOA has been proud to celebrate the important work women are doing at every level of hospitality, and this initiative further underscores our commitment to the women of AAHOA and elevating their contributions to the industry,” said Laura Lee Blake, president/CEO, AAHOA. “While there’s still much work to be done, AAHOA recognizes the significant strides women have made to be seen at industry events, heard in the boardroom, and valued in the workplace – ElevateHER celebrates these accomplishments and will further drive our association’s work around elevating and supporting women in the industry.”
In what has been a predominantly male-dominated industry, AAHOA understands how important it is to foster, promote and empower women entrepreneurs—and the impact that ElevateHER can have to help women shatter the glass ceiling and pursue their own entrepreneurial journey, according to the association.
“Women play an active role in all areas of hospitality—from welcoming guests at the front desk to providing the best in housekeeping services to owning and operating hotel properties, women hoteliers continue to step up to leave their mark in the industry,” said Lina Patel, female director, Eastern Division, AAHOA. “I’m proud to work alongside the entire AAHOA team to launch the ElevateHER program and give women hoteliers the chance to learn from and inspire each other, and set everyone up for years of progress and success.”
AAHOA’s ElevateHER program will offer networking and educational opportunities for women hoteliers and hospitality industry professionals, and elevate AAHOA to be the foremost resource and advocate for women in the industry. This initiative will ultimately support all women in their endeavors and ensure more stability and opportunities for generations to come.
“Women are the backbone of this industry, and AAHOA recognizes the importance of helping advance women’s initiatives in our industry and beyond,” said Neal Patel, chairman, AAHOA. “I’m proud to see more and more women hoteliers in top leadership positions within the association, and the industry at large. AAHOA’s ElevateHER initiative further highlights our organization’s commitment to encouraging women hoteliers to take an active role in hospitality with a program created to elevate them in every way.”
As part of its initial launch of this initiative, AAHOA is hosting a Women Hoteliers ElevateHER Conference on October 26-27 in Cincinnati, which will focus on bringing together AAHOA’s engaged community of women hoteliers for education, inspiration and empowerment.
“AAHOA has long been an advocate of amplifying women’s voices within the industry, and the brand-new ElevateHER program invites more and more women to shape the future of hospitality and advance their careers,” said Tejal N. Patel, female director, Western Division, AAHOA. “Additionally, the 2022 Women Hoteliers ElevateHER Conference will aim to expand women hoteliers’ scope and view of what is possible professionally and personally in hospitality. I could not be more excited for all that will be accomplished thanks to ElevateHER and AAHOA’s renewed focus on elevating women leaders in the industry.”
To learn more about industry programs aimed at promoting female ownership, see the cover story of the August issue of Hotel Business.
Tags: AAHOA, ElevateHER, Laura Lee Blake, Lina Patel, Neal Patel, Tejal N. Patel, Women Hoteliers ElevateHER Conference
