the weekly Round-Up

Dear Round-Up Readers,

 

The situation escalating in the Middle East is very upsetting and sadly, my only conclusion is that there will be no "winners" in this war. Although I still wonder what the world would look like if more women were in charge, that doesn't help to change what is happening now. The conflict is so much more complex than this newsletter can cope with, so I will only continue to share stories relating to the impact of the Hamas-Israeli conflict on tourism and what we can do to decrease hate crimes around the world.
 

  • Israel-Hamas War Causing Ripple Effects for the Travel Industry read more in Travel Agent Central.
     

  • As Deadly fighting with Hamas Continues, Israel's Tourism Industry Prepares for the Worst Insider takes a look at the impact of the war.
     

  • The Israel-Hamas War Is Leading to an Uptick in Hate Crimes This is happening globally, please read more in Time. If you didn't click this last week, I urge you to read and speak to your colleagues about the Anti Defamation League (ADL) "Workplace Pledge."

     

Complete change of subject...my Mom returned to London with me after the hertelier New York event and we've been busy!

 

Mom and I recommend: the new Sondheim musical "Old Friends," which celebrates his life's work and stars Bernadette Peters and Lea Solonga; the Chanel exhibit at the V&A (the DIVA exhibit is also fab); Afternoon Tea at the W Leicester Square designed by artist Lois O'Hara and pastry chef Leyre Pedrazuela and another AMAZING Afternoon Tea at the Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square inspired by the Crown Jewels; the newly redone National Portrait Gallery; and Sunday lunch at Hawksmoor.

 

Let's get to the rest of the news...

Business, Women, and Random Trends:
 

  • Forget the "Midlife Crisis" the “Midlife Collision” is What Women Face "The midlife collision" or “role overload” are the technical terms for when professional women cope with a complex pile-up of care (children, siblings, partners, and parents), financial, work, and health issues (menopause or otherwise)—all of which have physical, mental, and emotional manifestations. Fast Company takes a look at these complicated situations and why midlife, when women should be moving into leadership, is when they are dropping out.
     

  • Only One-Third of Political Donors Are Women A consequence of the gender wealth gap is that women have less money to donate to political candidates. While women are registered to vote at higher rates than men, we remain disproportionately absent from the halls of political power because donations that are what offer entry. Note: female donors on both sides give more money to female candidates than to male candidates, read more in AXIOS.
     

  • Examining the Roles of Racism and Sexism in CEO Success Very interesting CEO study out of Bryant University, evaluating whether companies were over or undervalued. Turns out female CEOs of color––subject to both gender & racial discrimination––had the best performance, followed by white female CEOs, and male CEOs of color. White men performed the worst. "That order seems to tell us: The more discrimination and scrutiny you face, the more you are required to be more capable to reach that position."
     

  • The American Consumer Keeps Splurging If you needed more evidence of inequality in the world, retail spending rose in September. The WSJ notes, consumers "splurged at restaurants and bars, part of a broader shift toward spending on experiences after pandemic lockdowns kept them at home for months." This may change if the labor market weakens due to geopolitical instability.
     

  • Why Neurodiversity is a Competitive Advantage Hiring with neurodiversity in mind isn’t just inclusive—it can give businesses the edge. So how can you promote it in your organisation? EY and Wired sharing interesting stats and ideas.
     

  • How Dolly Parton Provides a Blueprint for Humble Leadership Want to be a leadership rock star? Take notes from Dolly Parton. Fun fact: Dolly has released 50 albums and written over 3,000 songs! Read more in Inc.
     

  • 17 Small Changes That Will Make Your Writing Irresistible, According to an NYU Writing Professor I found this article in Inc. a great reminder of all the things I *should* be doing...get right to the point, be specific, and make sure to have your own voice. Worth a read!
     

  • 4 Easy Steps to Making Friends as an Adult, According to a Friendship Coach Firstly, I had no idea "friendship coach" was a job... Secondly, relocating for work, which happens quite a lot for hoteliers, makes making friends as an adult relevant. Social networks shrink after age 25, and while we talk a lot about "networking," making friends is important, which is why I really loved the practical advice from Fortune.

Travel & Hospitality:

 

  • Choice Hostile Takeover of Wyndham? To be or not to be, that is the question. Rumours and negotiations, then talks breakdown. Choice makes a hostile offer at $90 a share in a mix of cash and stock. Wyndham rejects it. Hotel Investment Today wonders, "Will Choice Sweeten The Deal?" and Cameron Sperance from The Points Guy offers a good explainer on the history of the deal and what it could mean for travelers.
     

  • Where in the World Are Hotel Rates Climbing Fastest? Find Out in the Amex Hotel Monitor 2024! Click here to see if you guessed it. Hint: the city is in South America.
     

  • A Three Hour Commute Reveals Why Housing Has Become a Key Issue in the Hotel Workers Strike in LA Really interesting look by NPR at the issues Unite Here 11 (the local hotel union) is fighting for in LA. One proposal is adding a 7% fee on all hotel rooms to help employees with housing costs, which the article says could generate up to $150 million a year. Thoughts on this?
     

  • What the ADA 'Tester' Case Before the Supreme Court Could Mean for Hoteliers A lawsuit about who can sue hotels over accessibility violations, Hotel News Now unpacks the issues at stake with a specialist attorney in a podcast.
     

  • Delta's Changes that Disappointed Loyal Customers and How the Company Backpedaled Successfully Mistakes happen, especially in service businesses, but keeping customers is all about the recovery. Really insightful read about the Delta loyalty changes that flopped and how they recovered in Inc.
     

  • Latest Set-Jetting: Montana, thanks to "Yellowstone" on Paramount + The state has seen tourism rise thanks to the show, “Yellowstone” tourists spent $730 million in Montana in 2021, bringing in some 2 million visitors.
     

  • What People are Eating Now, According to Uber Eats 2023 Cravings Report Based on delivery data, Uber Eats shares what's hot (literally, hot sauce) and what's not (rosĂ©) and much more.

     

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. 

 

  • Red Roof® SHE Leads Forum Inspires Women in Hospitality to Fuel Personal and Professional Growth We've got a scoop! Red Roof kicked off a year of events and new programming to inspire women in hospitality with their SHE Leads Conference.
     

  • What the History of the Girl Scouts Taught Me About Networking In her 99th "Unpack It with Nancy" Column, Nancy Mendelson reflects on the influence of the Girl Scouts in shaping modern networking.

     

  • Adrienne Kautzman Andrews on Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Hospitality Finance When Adrienne leaned in to her affinity for risk, she discovered her ideal career. Now she is encouraging other women to follow her.

     

  • New Study Uncorks Sexism, Gender Bias, Harassment and Other Issues facing Women in Wine Industry New study of 726 women working in the UK wine industry finds challenges for women across the sector.

Podcasts to Download!

 

  • Purpose over Profit? The CEO of Thrive Cosmetics says you don't need to choose. I really enjoyed the Simon Sinek interview with CEO Karissa Bodnar about how she built Thrive and created a new category, "causemetics."

 

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

Do you follow us on social media?
Follow on Facebook
Follow on Instagram
Follow on LinkedIn
Follow on X (Twitter)
Click here to sign up for Round-Up