BALTIMORE — A big part of Maryland’s tourism success is the hospitality industry and the people behind it.
Women working in hospitality came together at the American Visionary Art Museum on Tuesday to share what drives them.
The first Women of Hospitality Conference was held during Maryland Travel and Tourism Week for discussion, growth, and empowerment.
“It’s empowering to be here ready to talk, engage, connect, and build a community for us to grow,” said Cori Grefer, event manager for the Maryland Restaurant Association. I will give it to you,” he said.
Hospitality is a male-dominated industry, but these women are working to change that.
The conference highlighted the importance of femininity in the workplace, how to be your own boss, the flip side of social media, and the importance of diversity.
“When I started in this industry, I was pretty much alone,” said Amanda Mack, CEO of Crust by Mack. There were very few women like her.” She said: “I had to learn through the system and now I can reach out and support them.”
Mack is celebrating 10 years in the industry and recently opened Crust by Mack, Downtown Baltimore’s first Black woman-owned bakery.
“It may sound cliché, but if you can dream it, you can do it, and that’s true,” Mack said. “Don’t do that, I wasn’t taught to cook, my grandma taught me.”
Mack now uses his experience to encourage others.
“Hire a mentor, start practicing, work on recipes, think about what you want to do as a business, and start a vision board,” Mack said.
According to Tourism Economics, Maryland will attract 43.5 million tourists in 2022, pumping $19.4 billion into the local economy.
Participants say events like this ignite possibilities and make dreams come true.
“Besides being behind the scenes, I was able to sit and absorb a lot of information and network with a lot of women,” said participant Ruby Toussaint. “It was very beneficial to me.”
“We’re women in the restaurant industry, and I’m here not only to learn and listen, but to make connections,” said attendee Nancy Poznak.
The women’s hope is to strengthen existing businesses and stimulate new ones.
“The need for new restaurants in Baltimore is huge,” Graifer said. “There’s a ton of opportunity. It’s a really great place to grow. There’s a lot of great things coming to Baltimore right now.”
