If you’re not familiar with the Women in Travel Summit (WITS), it’s the premier event for women travel influencers and creators, and the brands that want to work with them. It’s put on by Wanderful. I’m an Ambassador for Wanderful’s Dallas Chapter and that’s how I found out about WITS.
So, what is this summit thing and why should you go?
1. New Friends That Are as “Crazy” as You Are
Are you the official vacation planner among friends and family? Are people regularly asking you for travel advice, asking where your next trip is, or wondering how in the world you travel so much on a budget and with so few vacation days?
Girl, WITS is for YOU! You will be surrounded by people in the same boat and I guarantee you will have no problem making friends. I have never walked into an environment that I immediately felt so comfortable and welcomed – which brings me to my next point.
2. A Super Support System
Ever thought about starting your own business? Thinking about taking a mini-retirement, or quitting your job to travel? Need a side hustle to fund your travel obsession? Are you already an influencer looking to connect with brands?
At WITS, you’re going to be surrounded by hundreds of women who have taken a ton of different paths and navigated their way through challenges, failures, successes, and everything in between. You’re also going to find some organizations that really want to support you as an influencer.
3. Inspiration, Inspiration, Inspiration
Maybe WITS should also be listed as a self-help conference. You want to watch a room full of women tear up because they’ve just been inspired to get out there and go for it? Need to get the brain juices flowing, or wondering how you can connect what you’re doing to a bigger mission? Put WITS on your calendar.
Shout out to a few other people who really inspired me (there are way too many to mention!)
- Deesha Dyer who had the entire ballroom in tears talking about beGirl.World and her experiences as White House Social Secretary during the Obama Administration
- Brittany from Wellness Meets Wanderlust, who also happened to be my roommate!
- Deidre Mathis, who founded Wanderstay Houston and has plans for more locations
4. Get Your Learn On
I had an incredibly hard time trying to figure out what sessions to go to at WITS. I wanted to learn ALL the things. Here’s what I eventually narrowed it down to:
- The Traveler’s Guide to Money, Budgeting, and Business with Phylecia Jones
- Real Talk about Monetization with Jenny Guy and Jamie Lieberman
- Travel Vlogging – From Planning to Production to Pitching with Monica Ortega
- Being Your Own Publicist; The Power of PR For Your Blog & Brand with Mickela Mallozzi
- Build Your Brand and Generate Passive Income with a Self-Published Book on Amazon with Jen Ruiz
I’d love to tell you one was my favorite, but I can’t. I loved them all!
5. To Explore and Experience New Things (duh)
Finally, one really unique thing about WITS is the free tours! When you buy a ticket to WITS, you have the opportunity to sign up for tons of tours that the WITS team has already coordinated. All you do is register and show up. There’s something for foodies, history lovers, those that want to stay active while traveling – whatever it is, there’s a tour for you. Guaranteed.
Tip: They’re popular, so you definitely have to grab the tours you want once they open up registration for them.
And there you have it – five reasons WITS should be on your list. You can catch the first WITS Europe event in Riga in November, or register for the next WITS North America held in Kansas City in May 2020.
