inSITEs from SITE’s Women in Leadership Community
Reflecting on the power and potential of female leadership
SITE’s Women in Leadership Community gathered at Global Conference during a packed session in the community room — and is a natural community for us to highlight, too, in celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8. SITE Foundation President-Elect Rhonda Brewer, who is also a founding member of this community, shares her inSITEs on where women are making strides as incentive travel professionals, and where there is still work to be done.
Q: Explain the Women in Leadership community “in a nutshell” — who helped form this initiative?
A: Our community was developed in 2018 as an initiative during AnnaMaria Ruffini’s Presidency. She asked me (Rhonda) to start it and chair it. I brought together an amazing group of ladies in various disciplines in our industry along and across the globe, and most of the core group is still together.
Q: What will the Women in Leadership Community primarily be focusing on in 2024?
A: This year, our focus is on growing our community through quarterly virtual meet-ups for members to discuss how they can connect more within their region. We will continue our monthly sessions as well to engage with SITE Young Leaders through the relaunch of our mentoring program, now called Mentoring Mentors.
Q: Are there any major changes you’ve seen or experienced as women in incentive travel industry since you all began your careers?
A: I think the biggest change I have seen is more women at the decision making table.
Q: Is there anything you’re surprised or disappointed hasn’t changed, that you think women in this industry still struggle with?
A: Pay equality — and we still need more women at the top of organizations.
Q: How specifically can SITE members get involved with Women in Leadership this year, if they’d like to be part of this Community
A: Participate in our quarterly virtual meetups and be a mentor or mentee in our Mentoring Mentors program.
An incredible time in Istanbul
Thanks to everyone who joined us at SITE Global Conference 2024! This year’s event brought nearly 500 incentive travel professionals to Istanbul to connect, learn, discover and share new trends and timely topics related to incentive travel. It also featured several new session formats, including a destination pitch competition, a destination video showdown, and a crowd-sourced breakout session on the last day of the conference.
Looking back: SITE’s 2023 in review
Always a favorite moment at Global Conference, we debuted our Year in Review video to remember the incredible celebrations from the last 12 months!
Congratulating Chapter and individual member award honorees
Proving yet again to be a celebratory start to Global Conference, this year’s Chapter and Individual Award recipients were lauded for their shared dedication to building and bridging cultures. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners, and thank you for all you do for SITE!
Meet all of this year’s winners
Open 2025 and 2026 SITE event RFPs
SITE is seeking destinations interested in partnering to host a slate of 2025 and 2026 events. RFPs are currently open for:
2025 Events
- SITE International Board of Directors Meeting: open to any global destination
- Incentive Summit Europe (ISE): open to any European destinations
- SITE Executive Summit: open to any global destination
2026 Events
- SITE Global Conference: open to any destinations outside of North America
- Incentive Summit Americas (ISA): open to any North American destinations
- SITE Classic: open to any North American destinations
Please email SITE Sourcing Manager Dianne Heffernan for more details.
Upcoming CIS opportunities
Earn your CIS credential — and stand out as a certified incentive travel specialist — by joining our upcoming hybrid or in-person CIS courses.
Our next hybrid cohort kicks off in April (with discussion groups held at times that are especially friendly for APAC members). We’ll also be running an in-person CIS workshop immediately prior to IMEX Frankfurt in May.
Next webinar is March 15
Join us next Friday, March 15, for a webinar supported by our friends at Meet Hawaiʻi. Their team will be sharing specific examples of best CSR practices rooted in their destination, with takeaways that are applicable to the entire incentive travel community.
Save the date: it’s a double-header webinar month!
We’ll be hosting a second webinar this month on March 29 that will look at shifting demographics in the workplace and their unique impact on incentive travel. Thanks to Visit Scottsdale for sponsoring this second March session!
Registration opening soon
Cvent
Buckle up — the events industry moves faster than ever in 2024 with new trends and continued obstacles to overcome, like rising costs and the need for event organizers to do more with less.
We continue to see the rise of AI experimentation, a greater demand for experiential events that are reimagined, and a renewed focus on inclusivity and sustainability.
The events landscape keeps evolving in 2024 but our industry insights and top tips on these emerging trends will help you take it all in stride, refine your strategies, and deliver another standout event season.
Check out Cvent’s blog post so you can stay ahead of the future of meetings and events in 2024 and beyond.
Meetings Show Asia Pacific
The Meetings Show Asia Pacific, organized by Northstar Travel Group, brings together event organizers and suppliers to connect, contract and forge new partnerships. This inaugural event welcomes all MICE planners with inbound and/or outbound business to register now to become a hosted buyer and discover leading destinations, venues, hotels and other key suppliers in the region. Hosted buyers can utilize Northstar’s dedicated prescheduled meetings platform for targeted one-to-one appointments, engage in exclusive networking activities and participate in education programme provided by leading influencers in the global MICE industry.
