On 20 July 2020, I held the first ever ‘Inspire Roundtable’ hosted at the Pan Pacific London by
the fabulous Anne Golden and Claire Gilbertson.
It was a group of 12 inspiring women sharing our experiences from the hospitality industry for an
hour an half.
It took us 45 minsto get through the introductions! We all had a lot of experiences to share.
Much was discussed from wanting to see more women on panels, does our gender still need to be
called out, having to fight for our positions, having to prove ourselves, how to bring more women into leadership positions, etc
What I took away most of the roundtable was the energy we had together in the room sharing our
stories with one another, knowing that we have the same struggles and celebrating the successes! We had at least three spontaneous applauses to recognise the achievements of some of these women.
Together we are stronger, together we are powerful and together we can bring the changes we
desire. Change the way people think, educate and ensure the future is brighter for the women who will come after us.
This round table wasjust one more step towards building this community of inspiring women in the
hospitality industry to support one another in our careers and live the life we love.
Testimonials
"Thank you fora very motivating and insightful morning. I came away with a renewed purpose to
ensure that we bring more men as allies into the picture, that would be a very big win for all of us." - Anne Golden
"Unity is not easily found, and Naureen has managed to create a great format to do this, bringing together women from different walks of life to allow us to learn, observe and support." - Jinal Patel
"Fun, relatable, collaborative and of inspiring!" - Andrea Shaw
"I found thisto be very effective as a close group. I have attended sessions before where there were too many attendants so it ended up being a networking session rather than a sharing session. I suggest to have different form of sessions. i.e. 1) A small group like that one we had. 2) A larger group which provides lunch and a workshop, so it can be networking and learning." - Eva Chan
"Naureen puttogether an intimate roundtable with unique women in hospitality. It was a great setting and a very insightful event where we could share our experiences & stories about equality & diversity in the hospitality industry. I had the chance to meet fascinating & successful women and learned that we all can contribute to diversity, equality & inclusion in our beloved industry. There is still a lot of work to be done. Thank you, Naureen, for organizing such a fantastic event! It is only a starting point for all of us. That was the main takeaway from your event." - Monika Mulder
"Inspiring to be around smart, strong, intelligent and successful women. Everyone has there
story and challenges and also are keen to support other women to succeed." - Jan Hazelton
"Very inspiring roundtable with fantastic women, each of them having is a role model for the
new generation" - Davina
"A fabulously exciting event that filled me with hope and pride. We are such a wonderful community and this is the perfect opportunity to highlight all our achievements and to display all that we can offer to make it a thriving industry for all." - Laura Jones
