BLLA's 3rd Annual Travel Leaders Conference — Photo by BLLA
Women Leaders in Travel & Hospitality — Photo by BLLA
BLLA Conference - Interview with Edie Rodriguez, CEO, Crystal Cruises — Photo by BLLA
BLLA Celebrates Top Female Hospitality & Travel Dignitaries — Photo by BLLA
Executive Women in Travel & Hospitality Conference — Photo by BLLA
Tech Panel - Executive Women's conference — Photo by BLLA
Executive Women’s Conference attendees — Photo by BLLA

Los Angeles (February 2, 2016) – BLLA, in partnership with the Travel Industry Executive Women's Network (TIEWN), wrapped its third annual Executive Women's Conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday, January 27. Over 25 guest speakers and more than 100 hospitality professionals, discerning travelers and elite media attended the symposium to enhance the knowledge, ambition and education opportunities for female hospitality successors.

"It's rewarding to see how the women of today continue to empower and thrive in the travel and tourism industries", said BLLA and TIEWN Founder and CEO, Frances Kiradjian. "They are recognized as the leading influencers in the world of social media, and are consciously creating programs to enrich and augment the hospitality and tourism industries today".

Over the course of the day, guest speakers including Crystal Cruises CEO and President Edie Rodriguez, White Lodging's Carolyn Hosna, Luxury Travel Writer Karen Loftus and GOOGLE Travel Senior Account Executive Ashley Mohan, lead seven though-provoking panel discussions to share expertise and experience towards female industry professionals. Guests also had a chance to participate in the discussions of the latest travel, tourism and hospitality trends.

Technology will continue to disrupt the travel industry in 2016. BCD Travel Director of Emerging Technologies, Miriam Moscovici, examined how new-aged technology, such as virtual reality, is vastly making its way into the travel industry. Virtual reality technologies are enabling travel companies to bring their brands closer to consumers through immersive experiences. The Google Cardboard, for example, is seeing its way through hotels such as Marriott or destinations like Jerusalem, who are now using the product to show guests travel destinations. Other notable trend discussions, in the panel moderated by Condé Nast Traveler Contributing Editor, Juliana Shallcross, included the rise of solopreneurs and what hotels are doing to cater to the most ideal female traveler.

During the symposium, BLLA hosted a luncheon, networking opportunities and a closing cocktail reception.

For more information regarding the conference, including a full agenda, guest speakers and event sponsors, visit here. To learn more about BLLA, please visit BLLA.org.

About the Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA)

The Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA) is the first and only alliance association dedicated to uniting the world's independent boutique and lifestyle hotels and small brands. BLLA was created to be the unifying voice of this distinctive subset within the hospitality industry. With now over 750 members, BLLA's goal is to unite the world's collection of boutique & lifestyle properties and the suppliers that sustain them. BLLA offers their members the opportunity to successfully compete on a level playing field with major hotel companies. The association educates members in order to market themselves to meet the ever-increasing demand from discerning boutique-seeking clients. For more information or to become a member visit www.blla.org.

About the Travel Industry Executive Women's Network (TIEWN)

Founded in 2008 by Frances Kiradjian, Founder & Chair of the Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA), this network is about forming connections globally both online at LinkedIn and offline through conferences and events. The more than 9,200 global members are executive women who make significant contributions to all the categories within the travel industry including hotel & lodging, airlines, cruise lines, car rental, tourism, travel agency, corporate travel manager, tour operator, rail, travel technology. They are professional women who have chosen the travel, tourism or hospitality sector and who make it their life's work and passion. This group supports all organizations in this industry who work at organizing professional women.

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Frances Kiradjian
Founder & CEO
+1 818 264 4810
BLLA

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