Dear Round-Up Readers,

ICYMI, this week was Transgender Awareness Week, created to "bring attention to the trans community by educating the public about who transgender people are, sharing stories and experiences, and advancing advocacy around issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that affect the transgender community," according to GLAAD. 

As a regular reader, you know hertelier supports all kinds of inclusivity, so I decided to re-share a terrific article we ran last year by Aby Hawker, founder of TransMissionPR, "How to Reframe Gendered Language in Hospitality" which included insights from trans woman, Thea Bardot, about how to address transgender guests. However, at the time of writing the article, Thea had not yet transitioned.

Not only did I neglect to update the article, but I referenced her former name in the LinkedIn post, and have since learned this very hurtful thing to do is called "deadnaming." I had no idea. I corrected everything and apologized to Thea, which she accepted, but I wanted to share what I feel is an important lesson on inclusivity so you don’t inadvertently make the same mistake I did.  You can read more about "deadnaming" here.

Speaking of being more inclusive, what is your hotel or company doing to amplify the voices of women in 2024? We have just finished our sponsorship deck for next year and have some exciting new options, which just might help you achieve your equality goals!! To learn more, simply reply to this email. 
 

Are you getting into the holiday mood? London is! Got to enjoy some holiday cheer and meet Santa at the Shangri-la at The Shard, thanks to ally of the month (from June), Kurt Macher!

🦃 Wishing our American readers a Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃

And while we are on the topic of cheer, Nancy and I were listed on the International Hospitality Institute's list of "100 Most Influential People in USA Hospitality & Travel." Grateful and humbled to be included alongside industry leaders we admire 🙏 

Now, on to the rest of the news....

Business, Women, and Random Trends:
 

• BREAKING NEWS: Mira Murati Named Interim CEO of OpenAI Sam Altman was ousted as CEO on Friday and the board has picked CTO Mira Murati to replace him. Interesting to see what will happen with this, but also exciting to see a woman at the helm of such an influential tech company. However, there is already talk that Altman will be brought back...watch this space. Read more about Mira here.
   

• Why Aren’t More People Marrying? Ask Women What Dating Is Like. A gender expert takes a dive into the realities of dating for the New York Times. What was once dismissed as the complaint of "picky women" is now supported by loads of data. "Male drift", the term for men turning away from college, dropping out of the work force or failing to look after their health, combined with more women are earning college degrees and single women becoming the fastest growing group of homeowners (in the U.S.), makes the idea of marriage a lot less exciting for heterosexual women.
   

• Forget ‘Man the Hunter’ – Physiological and Archaeological Evidence Rewrites Assumptions About Gendered Division of Labor in Prehistoric Times Apparently the Flintstones got it all wrong! There is a growing body of archaeological evidence to suggest that not only did women hunt in our evolutionary past, but we may well have been better suited for such an endurance-dependent activity. Read more in The Conversation.
   

•  Companies With Flexible Remote Work Policies Outperform On Revenue Growth Flexibility = profitability according to a new report. Study of 554 public companies finds those with a fully flexible remote work policy had a 3-year industry-adjusted revenue growth rate of 21%. Companies requiring in-office work had only 5% growth. Read more in Forbes.
   

• 3 Ways to Build an Organizational Culture That Supports Mental Health Timely read from Harvard Business Review. Some tips: encourage acts of kindness, promote physical exercise and make work meaningful.
   

•  No, You Can’t Just Ask Your Wife to Make a List! CNN offers tips on how to become equal household partners. Good one to share with the partners and allies in our lives!

Travel & Hospitality:

• New Report: 10 Independent Hotel Trends Globetrender takes a deep dive in to the independents and reveals the following trends in a new report

  • Co-working Communities

  • Cultural Encounters

  • Joyful Design

  • Wellness Boosting

  • Locavore Sourcing

  • Personalised Curation

  • Low-Impact Operations

  • Experiential Retail

  • Micro Chains

  • Big Brand Takeovers
     

• More Trend Predictions: Globetrender also Forecasts What is Next for Luxury Travel in Conjunction with High-end Tour Operator, Elegant Resorts. Download it free here to learn about predictions including: longevity escapes, cruise framing, zinfluencers, and more.
   

• 5 Key Takeaways from Phocuswright Conference Will AI change travel booking forever? What’s the most important thing to consider when starting a company? How should travel companies market to Gen Z on social media? These are just some of the topics highlighted in Phocuswire. We will be sharing insights on what women got up to at Phocuswright on Monday! Watch this space...
   

•  Spotlight on NYC Hotel Market: The stars are aligning in New York City to once again make the US metropolis a magnet for hotel development, with THP reporting over US$4.2 billion already in the upper segment pipeline.

On hertelier this week:

Big Welcome to Our New Subscribers! The story in Forbes, How Women Are Changing The Hotel Industry, keeps bringing new readers! Super excited to have you here. 

• How to Get Jobs Created for You: Brittney Jones, VP of Strategic Partnerships at Rainese Ever wish you could create the perfect job for yourself? Brittney Jones has done it! She shares her secrets for climbing the ladder.

   

• 5 Questions with Stacia Harvey-Randall + Johnetta Johnson About Starting Black Women of Hospitality We get the scoop on the new non-profit org for Black Women in Hospitality from founders Stacia Harvey and Johnetta Johnson.
   

• New Study: 87% of Female Travelers Would Choose a Hotel Labeled Women-Led and Half Would Pay More Metasearch engine WayAway adds a "female approved traveler points of interest" category based on new survey finding that women want it!
   

• Social Media Stars and Hospitality: Swipe-Left on the Tinder of Influencer Marketing Don't be seduced with quick wins when working with social media influencers. InfluencerNexus founder Sarah Saffari shares expert advice.
   

• How to Reframe Gendered Language in Hospitality Gendered language is all around us…and nowhere more so than in the hospitality industry, where it has become synonymous with etiquette.

Hey, don't forget: if you love reading the Round-Up, please forward this email to a friend or colleague! They can see past issues and sign up by clicking here.

Thank you for reading! Have a great week!

Em