Keynotes Announced for National Conference for Women in Tourism and Hospitality Set for Fall 2022

Visit California CEO Caroline Beteta, California State Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath, and Hyatt Corporation Vice President Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Tyronne Stoudemire

San Diego, CA— June 2022 — The second annual national conference for Women in Tourism and Hospitality (WITH) will convene at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina on Sept. 8-9, 2022. The overarching mission is to inspire, educate and empower women to grow, prosper and advance their careers. The conference will highlight cutting-edge strategies through presentations, panel discussions and exhibitions. The 6th Annual Awards Luncheon Honoree panel highlights the achievements of leaders in the industry where they will share their stories as well as the obstacles and opportunities they encountered along their journey.

Attendees will have the opportunity of meeting, networking and learning about proven strategies and tactics available to support their goals. Key issues addressed will include professional growth, varied hospitality career paths, the value of mentorship, building resilience, understanding and initiating a competitive advantage, creating generational wealth through hotel ownership and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. Early registration is available now through July 29, and group rates are available for 10 or more.

Building on the success of the 2021 event, this year’s conference will attract 300 attendees, including partner corporations, C-suite executives, industry insiders, WITH supporters, entrepreneurs, young professionals and students. Featured activities include a welcome networking reception, the signature awards luncheon and an interactive exhibit marketplace.

The annual conference is the second produced by the Multi-Cultural Convention Services Network (MCCSN), Inc., a woman-owned business that provides hotel sourcing and meeting management services to associations, corporations and leisure travel clients. Clara Carter, founder and president of MCCSN, is a seasoned professional with over 20 years’ experience whose work has garnered awards and recognitions and generated millions of tourism dollars in the City of San Diego.

“With the support of our generous sponsors and industry colleagues, our 2021 conference was a great success, with over 200 attendees during the pandemic, and we were the first live tourism conference in San Diego since 2019,” Carter said. “We are on a path to expand on that success in 2022 and are so excited to announce our iconic keynote speakers and our distinguished speaker line up for our attendees this year.”

Keynotes include:

  • Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California, a nonprofit organization created to market California as a premier travel destination. Beteta also serves as a strategic advisor for the Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz) and lead spokesperson for California’s travel industry.

  • Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath, who represents the 76th District and is the newly appointed chair for the Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, & Internet Media.

  • Tyrone Stoudemire, vice president of Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at Hyatt Corporation, and a nationally recognized executive experienced in advancing diversity and

    inclusion, turning around poor or underperforming organizations and business units in the

    space of DEI.

Carter said this year’s conference will build on the foundation of last year’s event and will provide attendees fresh insights.

“With our sponsoring partners, we’re excited to once again bring together our industry professionals for a full day of networking, sharing and learning as we chart our future while leading with resilience.”

Conference registration fees start at $199 - $379 during the early bird registration period. Sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities are still available. For additional information, contact Clara Carter at (619) 265-2561, clara@mccsn.com or visit our website www.sdwithit.com

###

Jaqailah Bell