WITS COVID-19 Update
UPDATE: Tuesday, 13 July 2021
WITS KC has been moved to 13-15 May 2022. More details here.
UPDATE: Tuesday, 25 May 2021
WITS Gdansk has been postponed to 7-9 October 2022. More details here.
UPDATE: Tuesday, 8 December 2020
WITS KC has been postponed to 20-22 May 2022. More details here.
UPDATE: Tuesday, June 23 2020
By now it's not news to anyone that the pandemic has hit the travel industry harder than we imagined. Though numbers are progressing well in many — but certainly not all — parts of the country and world, they are not guaranteed everywhere or even anywhere. The thought of us being able to safely gather in Kansas City for WITS North America this November feels too risky.
At WITS, we want to put our community's safety first, which is why our team has decided to reschedule WITS Kansas City to April 23-25, 2021.
All purchased tickets to date will still be valid, but we also know that these new dates may not work for everyone who has already registered. That’s why we’re reopening ticket transfers through February 9th, 2021. This means that registrants can transfer WITS KC ticket to someone else anytime within the next seven months.
Please note that this does not affect our dates for WITS Europe. WITS Europe will continue to take place in Gdansk, Poland next year on September 24-26, 2021.
We recognize how frustrating and inconvenient these changes may be. We thank you so much for your understanding and patience.
UPDATE: Tuesday, March 31 2020
After much planning with our host destination and partner hotel, we can finally announce that WITS Kansas City is rescheduled for November 13 - 15, 2020. All purchased tickets to date will be valid at WITS KC in November.
Like other small businesses, we are feeling the financial impact of this global crisis, and we know how deeply this is impacting our community. We also know that these new dates may not work for everyone who has already registered. That’s why we’re reopening ticket transfers for WITS KC through September 1st of this year. This means that current ticket holders can transfer their WITS KC ticket to someone else anytime within the next five months. Click here to transfer your ticket to WITS KC.
Because of this change in dates, we are also forced to cancel all tours and FAM trips. We’ll reopen registration for new offerings at a later date and provide more information as the summit approaches. Additionally, those who have booked mentor meetings will be contacted individually to connect with their mentors.
Also due to the WITS KC date change, we'll be rescheduling our second annual WITS Europe in Gdansk, Poland for September 24 - 26, 2021. WITS Gdansk tickets are available for transfer through July 1, 2021. Click here to transfer your ticket to WITS Gdansk.
Current ticket holders seeking others to transfer their tickets to may post in the Women in Travel Summit Facebook group.
In the meantime, all existing ticket holders to both WITS KC and WITS Gdansk will receive one free year of membership to the Wanderful Creator Collective as well as an exclusive invitation to WITS Online — an additional full day of virtual programming on May 1st. We'll dig into the current state of the travel industry and examine how best to move forward in our altered world. More information about this event is forthcoming.
Current ticket holders will be sent further updates via email.
We’re so grateful for this community during these unprecedented and uncertain times.
UPDATE: Monday, March 16 2020
WITS Kansas City will now be postponed and rescheduled to a later date to be determined. KC’s Mayor Quinton Lucas has declared that all events and gatherings with 50 or more people are no longer allowed given the new guidance released by the CDC on Sunday, March 15.
We will be keeping you updated on our rescheduled dates as soon as possible. Once again, our WITS team is working to develop a plan as quickly as possible. We thank you greatly for your patience during this time.
As many of you who have attended WITS in the past or who are a part of our broader Wanderful network know, we are all about community.
The heart of Wanderful is in our mission to connect women travelers around the world to our greatest asset: each other. And the heart of WITS is in our mission to help women creators and entrepreneurs develop meaningful partnerships. WITS thrives in guiding small women-owned businesses – often solopreneurs or small teams – to find their own hustle. Companies hire us to research and connect them with talent, which allows us to act as a gateway for new opportunities.
In short, we are built on connection.
The recent news unfolding around the COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to think seriously about how we can continue to build that connection at our upcoming WITS North America in Kansas City.
All of us on the WITS planning team have been monitoring the news on a daily – if not hourly – basis. We continue to stay in regular contact with our partners at Visit KC as well as representatives from our host hotel at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown to assess developments around the country and on the ground.
We are in the midst of determining what this situation means for the future of this year’s event, and our team is working to develop a plan as quickly as possible. We know how difficult it is for everyone to have events canceled at the last minute, which is why we will have a concrete update for you about how we plan to move forward with WITS Kansas City no later than March 31st. This update will include information about what any change may mean for those who already have tickets to the event.
We know how much this news has negatively impacted and will continue to impact travel businesses, entrepreneurs, and creators, and we are developing new opportunities to build and maintain these connections in a virtual capacity, outside of WITS.
We thank you for your patience during this time of uncertainty. As the community that makes up the heart of WITS, please know that we are committed to your health and safety and that is our utmost priority. While the news changes quickly, our values don’t.
We will be measuring our decision to proceed against how well we’re honoring those values and what is best for our community, while continuing to build opportunities for connection between women in the travel industry and beyond.
In the meantime, we’ve included a list of resources below, many from our very own community, to help keep you informed.
As always, thank you for being part of Wanderful.
With gratitude,
Beth Santos
CEO and Founder of Wanderful
RESOURCES
Find everything you need to know about COVID-19 and the latest updates from the World Health Organization.
Read Wanderful community member and physician Dr. Nadeen White-Underwood’s blog on The Truth About Coronavirus Infection: What Everyone Needs to Know.
Learn about preventative measures from the WHO to keep yourself healthy.
Stay up to date with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Get the latest updates on the ground in Kansas City from our host destination at Visit KC.
Check the website for your local city or state public health office for news in your home.