Blog
From My Seat at the Table
Four Insights from the SITE Women in Leadership Event
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After three inspiring days at the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) Women in Leadership Event in Phoenix, I was ready to put what I learned into practice—the impact was real.
The retreat brought an inspiring group of industry leaders and women at every stage of their careers together to connect, share and plan for our future. It was a space for brainstorming, support, intention, and of course, meaningful takeaways.
One message SITE reinforced for me: as leaders, we have a responsibility to use our seats at the table to create opportunities for other women to have seats too. I want to be part of changing what leadership in our industry looks like for the women coming behind us, sharing what I’ve learned and helping shape the future of our industry. These are my top takeaways from the SITE event:
Leadership Isn’t About Your Title.
It’s about your influence and how you make people feel. I loved Dianne Devitt’s keynote on creative leadership and her focus on people, purpose and participation. Let the people around you know they matter. Create an environment where people feel comfortable bringing forward an idea, challenging the way we’ve always done something and seeing possibilities instead of limitations.
One phrase that has really stuck with me is "Give people permission to win." That is what leadership should be about: not being the person with all the answers but helping other people discover what they are capable of.
The more I grow as a leader, the more I realize leadership is more than reaching a certain level—it’s about continuing to learn, staying curious and being willing to be vulnerable, and showing the next generation of women what is possible.
Believe Your Voice Matters
Don’t wait for the title to start leading. Use your voice. Believe in your ideas. Ask questions. Find mentors and, just as importantly, find people who will challenge you. Raise your hand for opportunities that make you a little uncomfortable because those are often the experiences where the most growth happens.
If we want to develop the next generation of leaders, we have to intentionally create spaces where they feel comfortable using their voices. We need to listen, invite participation and give emerging leaders opportunities before they necessarily feel 100% ready for them. We have to ensure they know their voice matters.
This is where SITE is incredibly powerful. It’s a community that helps people build confidence, find mentors and see possibilities for themselves they may not have seen before.
Brainstorm Before the Brainstorm
This concept sounds simple, but it made me realize how often we unintentionally create environments where the loudest voices in the room are the ones that shape the conversation. Remember, not everyone thinks or contributes in the same way.
Be more intentional about giving people the time and space to think, encouraging ideas that might be different and making room for the voices that may not naturally jump in first.
Personally, and professionally, I will continue asking myself: Am I creating an environment where people feel they have permission to contribute, to think differently and to use their voice?
Pay it Forward
SITE has given me something incredibly valuable throughout my career: access to people and perspectives outside of my everyday world. I’m grateful for SITE and the opportunity to attend this event.
Being in a room with women at so many different stages of their careers was especially impactful. There were emerging leaders finding their voices alongside women who have been influencing our industry for decades, proving there is so much we can learn from each other.
The incentive travel and events industry is built on relationships, and organizations like SITE create opportunities for those relationships to become something much bigger than networking. They give people access to mentors, different perspectives and leaders they might not otherwise have an opportunity to learn from.
Be proud to have a seat at the table—you’ve earned it. But don’t forget to look around and ask who else should be there.
Those of us who have had opportunities to lead have a responsibility to create more opportunities for the women coming behind us. Real change happens when we stop thinking only about our own success and start thinking about how we can make the path wider for others.
