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Gender equality tops agenda at She Means Business as IMEX America 2019 set to drive diversity debate

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With a recent World Economic Forum report (Global Gender Gap Report 2018) projecting it would take 202 years for men and women to reach economic parity, gender equality remains a pressing issue. It’s one that tops the agenda at She Means Business, part of IMEX America taking place September 10 – 12 in Las Vegas.

She Means Business, a joint event by IMEX and tw magazine, supported by MPI, will launch at the show following its success at IMEX in Frankfurt, bringing with it trail-blazing speakers and a commitment to collaborate and make a difference to the 21st century workplace.

Gender equality: less words and more action?

Dr. Mara Harvey, Head Global UHNW Germany, Austria, Italy of UBS Switzerland AG, delivers the keynote address – Gender equality: less words and more action? – explaining why actions speak louder than words in addressing barriers to economic equality. Beginning by exploring the root causes of the gender pay gap including the implicit meaning of semantics around risk and money, Mara will share her advice for boosting financial confidence across the generations, including stories and tools for tackling the glass ceiling.

She also joins a high caliber roster of speakers delivering punchy and powerful TED style mini presentations about women in business, delving into diversity, gender equality and female empowerment.

Other speakers include Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line, Vicki Hawarden, VP Events for the Society for Human Resource Management and Melissa Ow, Deputy Chief Executive of the Singapore Tourism Board.

Professional & personal – finding a better balance

The sandwich generation: Balancing career and family is one that will resonate with many professionals, both women and men. With event management regarded as one of the most stressful careers in the world (Forbes, 2017), managing family obligations and a career can be challenging. An expert panel will debunk the myths, share best practices and solutions – the speakers are: Nelly Mukazayire, CEO of Rwanda Convention Bureau; Nicole Bowman, VP Marketing & Communications at IAEE; and Dale Hudson, Knowledge and Events Director of the IMEX Group.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, explains: “Issues around diversity and gender equality are more important than ever and She Means Business will provide women in events and their male counterparts with a platform for deeper understanding and action. The launch of this new conference at IMEX America follows two years of growth and refinement at IMEX in Frankfurt. It’s a valuable opportunity for planners to collaborate with and learn from inspiring speakers on crucial issues facing women today and – like all IMEX education – there’s no charge to attend.”

Kerstin Wünsch, Editor-in-Chief of tw tagungswirtschaft and Co-Founder of She Means Business, says: “We’re very excited to introduce She Means Business to IMEX America, in partnership with MPI. The conference aims for diversity, gender equality and female empowerment – we believe that if we come together, we can make a change.”

“We are thrilled to support She Means Business – an innovative and inspiring program in partnership with our strategic partner, IMEX Group,” said Paul Van Deventer, CEO and President of MPI. “Diversity and inclusion are at the core of MPI and we know the strong impact this program will have on our community.”

She Means Business takes place on Smart Monday, powered by MPI, a pre-show day of education on September 9, the day before IMEX America September 10 – 12 .

Registration for the show is free of charge and open to all who work in the meetings, events and incentive travel industry.

CCH Congress Center Hamburg sponsors the keynote at She Means Business. Singapore Tourism Board is the golden sponsor.

IMEX America, the heartbeat of the global business events community, will take place September 10 – 12 at the Sands® Expo and Convention Center at The Venetian®| The Palazzo® in Las Vegas, preceded by Smart Monday, powered by MPI, on September 9.

www.imexamerica.com

Exhibitor news can be found here:

https://portal.imexamerica.com/exhibitor-press-releases.php

Media Contacts:

Emma Blake (UK): emma.blake@imexexhibitions.com   

Norman Birnbach (US): norman.birnbach@imexexhibitions.com     

Global Champion Awards announced by WTTC

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The countries and leaders who have made a difference to increase the competitiveness of the Travel & Tourism sector within their countries have been recognized at the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Champions Awards at the WTTC Global Summit in Seville this week.

The inaugural WTTC Global Champions Awards recognizes those countries from 185 around the world which have used policy initiatives to create the conditions to promote the long-term sustainable growth of our sector.

The categories of awards and the recipients are as follows:

Security & Seamless Travel Experience which recognizes leadership in transforming border security and the traveler experience through the use of technology and facial recognition systems – awarded to Kevin McAleenan, Commissioner, Customs and Border Protection, USA.

Resilience which recognizes leadership by a country which has demonstrated success in recovery from adverse events – H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Tourism, Arab Republic of Egypt.

Social Impact which recognizes leadership in enabling gender equality and diversity; engaging local communities and making the sector more attractive for future generations – awarded to Hon. Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism & Wildlife in the Government of Kenya.

Destination Stewardship which recognizes leadership for work undertaken to overcome seasonality as a way of improving the year-round tourism experience – H.E. Elena Kountoura, Minister of Tourism, Government of Greece.

Crisis Preparedness, Management & Recovery which recognizes leadership in disaster preparedness and having effective response systems at both national and local levels – H.E. Keiichi Ishii, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Government of Japan.

Innovation and Technology recognizes leadership in innovation and the implementation of technology that meets the needs of tomorrow’s travelers and fosters sustainable tourism growth – awarded to H.E. Maria Reyes Maroto Illera, Minister of Tourism, Government of Spain.

The awards ceremony took place at the Gala Dinner of the WTTC Global Summit which was held in Seville, Spain, and hosted by Ayuntamiento of Seville, Turismo Andaluz and Turespana.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, commented: “The WTTC Global Champions Awards are designed to recognize those countries and individuals whose policies or initiatives have made a significant contribution to the creation of jobs in our sector in a range of different ways.

“Promoting the long-term sustainable growth of our sector is critical and the winners will help those countries and individuals whose actions have had the greatest impact.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

WTTC Global Summit: President Obama was a disappointment for many

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U.S. President Barak Obama was the most expected speaker at the ongoing World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) summit in Seville today.

More than 1500 CEOs, association presidents, ministers of tourism, and heads of state were attending the summit, and hundreds of viewers from around the world were watching the live video stream of the summit, also announced by this publication. Many who saw the eTN announcement in Hawaii were up at 2:00 am in the morning to listen in.

A loyal group of fans of the former president was in for a big disappointment when without prior warning the video live stream was stopped during the president’s address.

The feedback eTN received from people in the audience listening to Obama’s conversation was not really great. The money spent by WTTC to get some advice from the most popular head of state was disappointing.

There was no substance in the presidents’ talk was some feedback. His talk about his love for hiking when he was young was not relevant to the needs top executives were hoping to hear.

The challenges, needs of the second largest industry was not mentioned. There was no word about equality and dangers LGBT tourists face in countries like Brunei.

Mr. Obama talked about the advice he gave to his daughters: “Be kind, be useful.”

After the microphones and cameras were turned on again moderator Nick Ross praised Obama as the most popular president in generations, saying “lack of power reveals.”

President Obama arrived in Seville at midnight before the event and spent the night at Hotel Alfonso XIII, drawing attention from local residents and the press. In 2016, a scheduled visit by Obama to the Andalusian capital was canceled due to a shooting in Dallas.

He visited Reales Alcázares, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the morning before returning to his hotel.

He left again at 2 pm for Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos, which is hosting the international event on April 3 and 4.

After meeting privately with around 50 summit attendees, Obama delivered his short address to WTTC delegates.

After his speech, Obama was scheduled to meet with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for around 20 minutes inside one of the center’s private rooms. It will be their second one-on-one after their meeting last year in Madrid.

Although this is Obama’s first trip to Seville, he has ties to the city because his daughter Malia lived there for a few months.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Welcome to Spain: WTTC Summit Opened in Seville

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This morning the World Travel and Tourism Council Summit 2019 opened in Seville, Spain.
A line up of top tourism leaders in the private industry together with political tourism leaders are meeting in the next two days at this event UNWTO Secretary-General today called the summit the most important days in the world of tourism.

The Travel & Tourism industry has been redefined by changemakers according to the theme of the event.

Speaking at the openings was:

Juan Manuel Moreno, President, The Regional Government of Andalusia
Hon Pedro Sánchez, President, Spain
Juan Espadas, Mayor, Seville
Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General, UNWTO Pololikashvili
Christopher J. Nassetta, Chairman, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) & CEO, Hilton.

Pololikashvili promised repeatedly the UNWTO will do many things together.


Gloria Guevara,  CEO of WTTC  pointed out the growth of the travel and tourism industry, 1.4 billion international arrivals, 4,4 billion people flying and 7 billion domestic trips are taken every year.
According to the WTTC CEO tourism growth numbers are the second highest in the world and contribute 8.8 trillion Dollars to economies.
Guevara pointed out that smartphones were only invented in 2007 and soon biometrics can be used to avoid lines at borders, check into hotels and replace identification documents altogether.
Gloria predicted driverless cars will bring travelers to hotels, and 5G technology will improve communication and emergency management.

Hon Pe dro Sánchez, President, Spain echoed a lot of these numbers and talked about big data, mentioned gender equalities. He said the leadership position of Spain in Travel and Tourism and he thanked delegates the support for tourism Spain received for 40 years. Investing in Security means investing in Tourism.

The president closed his speech in saying, we believe in equality. He pointed to delegates and said society needs you to build trust and not to build walls. Welcome to Spain!

Click for more news on WTTC

Travel News | eTurboNews

Death for gay guests at Beverly Hills Hotel or Hotel Bel‑Air? Dorchester Collection issues a statement

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The Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air are part of the Dorchester Collection group and upscale 5-star accommodation in Beverly Hills 2 miles from West Hollywood, known to be the Gayest City in America.

The Sultan controls the Dorchester Collection hotel group, owner of Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel‑Air among others. This is because the Sultan controls the Brunei Investment Agency (SWF). The Sultan hates gays to death.

The Sultan Hassanai Bolkiah is the head of State of Brunei and also one of the richest people on earth. He is powerful enough to put action behind his deadly wishes for the LGBT community. Stoning LGBT visitors to death in Brunei is the law as of tomorrow.

The Brunei Investment Agency (BIA) is a government-owned corporation that reports to the Ministry of Finance of the Government of Brunei. Established in 1983, its offices are located in Bandar Seri Begawan at the Ministry of Finance.

It ranks among the most secretive of sovereign wealth funds It was established in 1983, when the sultanate took over investment activities from its former colonial master, the United Kingdom. BIA invests the government General Reserve Fund, money transferred to it on the order of the sultan. Although the fund is a government entity, the line between its finances and those of the royal family remains indistinct, making its investments difficult to track.

George Timothy Clooney and Elton John and many other stars are no longer are staying in hotels operated by Dorchester Collection because there is a dangerous double standard developing right in the United States of America.

“Dorchester Collection’s Code emphasizes equality, respect, and integrity in all areas of our operation, and strongly values people and cultural diversity amongst our guests and employees.  Inclusion and diversity remain core beliefs as we do not tolerate any form of discrimination.”

This was a statement received today by Brittany Williams, the director of Communication for both hotels has a double standard here.

According to Ms. Williams, this code applies to the Dorchester Collection, and all employees wanting to work for the hotel group need to sign this code. Ms. Williams explained the Dorchester Collection is owned by the Dorchester Group.

However, according to an article in Travel Weekly from 2006, the name Dorchester Group was actually changed to Dorchester Collection. If this was the case Dorchester Collection and both Beverly Hill Hotels are directly owned by the Brunei Investment Agency.

Some major foreign assets of BIA include the Dorchester Collection, which is a portfolio of luxury hotels established in 1996; a 10% holding in the Paterson Securities of Australia, and Bahagia Investment Corporation (Malaysia), dealing with real estate.

BIA’s investment portfolio, apart from investments within Brunei, covers diverse investments in bonds, equity, currency, gold, and real estate. It has substantial investments in the United States.

Brunei investors bought The Dorchester on Park Lane in London in 1985 for US$50 million and in 1996 BIA formed the Dorchester Collection, a conglomerate of luxury hotels in UK, USA, France, and Italy which includes it. BIA owns The Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles which was bought for US$185 million in 1987 as well as the Grand Hyatt Singapore Hotel. BIA has a 10% holding in the Paterson Securities of Australia, and Bahagia Investment Corporation of Malaysia, dealing with real estate.

 

Travel News | eTurboNews

United: Top-ranked LGBTQ airline

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United Airlines today announced that for the eighth consecutive year, it has received a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a premier benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation.

“United is proud to receive this recognition as it speaks to our focus on building a more inclusive and caring workplace and customer experience,” said Human Resources and Labor Relations Executive Vice President Kate Gebo. “We believe that advocating for inclusion is at the heart of connecting people and uniting the world, and United is determined to continue working with organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign to help champion LGBTQ inclusion.”

“The top-scoring companies on this year’s CEI are not only establishing policies that affirm and include employees here in the United States, they are applying these policies to their global operations and impacting millions of people beyond our shores,” said HRC President Chad Griffin.

The 2019 CEI evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs and public engagement with the LGBTQ community. United’s efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria results in a 100 percent score and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.

United has worked with the Human Rights Campaign on its training initiatives including teaching employees about preferred pronouns and the persistence of gender norms and other steps to make United an inclusive space for both customers and employees. The airline’s latest efforts include developing comprehensive training modules and exercises to continue employee education on how to be a better ally in both the workplace and to customers. Over the past year, United has also opened more LGBTQ Business Resource Groups across the country, reaching more employees.

This recognition follows the airline’s recent announcement that United became the first U.S. airline to offer non-binary gender options throughout all booking channels in addition to providing the option to select the title “Mx.” during booking and in a MileagePlus customer profile. United customers and employees have the option to identify themselves as M(male), F(female), U(undisclosed) or X(unspecified), corresponding with what is indicated on their passports or identification.

Alongside partner organizations, customers and employees, United will continue working to build the world’s most inclusive airline. For more information on United’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, click here.

Every customer. Every flight. Every day.

In 2019, United is focusing more than ever on its commitment to its customers, looking at every aspect of its business to ensure that the carrier keeps customers’ best interests at the heart of its service. In addition to today’s announcement, United recently released a re-imagined version of the most downloaded app in the airline industry and made DIRECTV free for every passenger on 211 aircraft, offering more than 100 channels on seat back monitors on more than 30,000 seats. The multimillion-dollar investment in improving inflight entertainment options will benefit the more than 29 million people expected to fly United’s DIRECTV-enabled planes this year.

Travel News | eTurboNews

United Airlines: Non-binary gender booking options

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United Airlines today announced it has become the first U.S. airline to offer non-binary gender options throughout all booking channels in addition to providing the option to select the title “Mx.” during booking and in a MileagePlus customer profile. Customers now have the ability to identify themselves as M(male), F(female), U(undisclosed) or X(unspecified), corresponding with what is indicated on their passports or identification.

“United is determined to lead the industry in LGBT inclusivity, and we are so proud to be the first U.S. airline to offer these inclusive booking options for our customers,” said United’s Chief Customer Officer Toby Enqvist. “United is excited to share with our customers, whether they identify along the binary of male or female or not, that we are taking the steps to exhibit our care for them while also providing additional employee training to make us even more welcoming for all customers and employees.”

As part of implementing these new changes, United has worked with the Human Rights Campaign and The Trevor Project on employee training initiatives. These initiatives include teaching employees about preferred pronouns and the persistence of gender norms, LGBT competency in the workplace and other steps to make United an inclusive space for both customers and employees.

“At the Human Rights Campaign, we believe being acknowledged as the gender you identify with is part of treating everyone with dignity and respect,” said Beck Bailey, acting director of the Workplace Equality Program. “By providing non-binary gender selection for ticketing and the gender-inclusive honorific ‘Mx’ in user profiles, United Airlines is taking an important step forward for non-binary inclusion.”

“The Trevor Project is grateful for United Airlines’ support of our life-saving work on behalf of LGBTQ youth,” said Amit Paley, CEO & Executive Director of The Trevor Project. “We are thrilled to bring Trevor’s expertise on the mental health of LGBTQ people to United to ensure its employees maintain safe and inclusive spaces for LGBTQ employees and guests.”

Alongside partner organizations, customers, and employees, United will continue working to build the world’s most inclusive airline. The changes to the booking process are now currently available.

Travel News | eTurboNews