Red Roof Forum on Leadership for Women Entrepreneurs aims to encourage female hotel owners

Red Roof will empower female hotel entrepreneurs, helping them leverage their experience for career growth and ownership roles at the Red Roof Forum on Leadership for Women Entrepreneurs in New Orleans, LA. Red Roof will host members from its franchise family, corporate staff and a number of female members of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) as well as female influencers in the hospitality industry at Le Pavillon in the French Quarter.

While 80% of all travel decisions are made by women and women control $15 trillion in spending power, the travel industry still suffers from a lack of high-level management positions filled by females.[1] In addition, as women and minorities increasingly travel for business, diverse ownership is good business. The Red Roof Forum is addressing these issues head-on with focus sessions, guest speakers and discussion groups on revenue management, marketing, loyalty programs and direct sales as well as a special panel of intergenerational women entrepreneurs who will share their experiences. The Forum is intended to give women the tools they need to manage their hotel businesses more effectively and efficiently, to help them rise in the ranks within a hotel company, grow their businesses with acquisitions and/or investments as well as tips on future planning and steps to success.

Creator of the Women’s Forum and Red Roof’s Chief Marketing Officer, Marina MacDonald, says the time is just right for this type of event, “Women have always been involved in a major way with the Red Roof business. At Red Roof, we believe women owners and general managers are vital to our brand’s success and to the overall health of the hospitality industry. We value our relationship with our franchisees and their ideas. Many personally asked me to develop a conference just for women. This Forum is intended to help women leaders and entrepreneurs build stronger businesses through empowerment and sharing of best practices.”

The Red Roof Forum on Leadership for Women Entrepreneurs has been developed to teach attendees how to successfully meet marketplace challenges of increased competition, the growth of third party booking channels and ever increasing expectations of guests.

“This Forum is a real milestone for Red Roof,” says Andrew Alexander, President, Red Roof. “Marina MacDonald’s vision has resulted in this incredible opportunity for women hotel entrepreneurs within the Red Roof family and with the Asian American Hotel Owners Association. They are a very select group of women who are already successful but are poised to achieve even more.”

“This Forum is a testament to how closely we listen not only to our guests but also to our business partners, the franchisees,” says Phil Hugh, Chief Development Officer, Red Roof. “Our female franchisees are deeply involved in the success of this business and they also wanted to explore ways in which they could get to the next level. This forum – with its range of focus sessions, guest speakers and discussion groups – is a multiplatform event that will transform attendees, igniting and exciting them about their next and future steps.”

The Forum moderator is Dr. Lalia Rach, Founder and Partner of Rach Enterprises. Dr. Rach is a successful entrepreneur, educator and leader. Guest speakers include Dina Patel, AAHOA Female Director at Large, Western Division and Donna Quadri-Felitti, Director of the School of Hospitality Management at Pennsylvania State University. Rosanna Maietta, SVP Marketing & Communications with the American Hotel & Lodging Association is also attending the event  for additional learnings on advancing women leaders.

The Forum will also feature Red Roof speakers: Dorraine Lallani, member, Red Roof Board of Directors; Marina MacDonald, Chief Marketing Officer; Andrew Alexander, President and Phil Hugh, Chief Development Officer. To learn more and register for The Red Roof Forum on Leadership for Women Entrepreneurs, attendees and industry guests can visit here.