Fort Worth Hosts Global WINiT Business Travel Summit
Business travel professionals gathered in Fort Worth to focus on women's leadership and equity.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Business Travel
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The GBTA Foundation hosted the 2026 WINiT Summit at the American Airlines Robert L. Crandall Campus in Fort Worth, Texas. The event convened over 200 industry professionals to advance gender equity and professional development in the business travel sector.
Why it matters
The summit provides critical networking, mentorship, and advocacy tools to help bridge the leadership gap for women within the corporate travel industry. These efforts aim to foster a more inclusive environment across the global travel landscape.
The summit hosted more than 200 business travel professionals who engaged in discussions on leadership and equity. The event also highlighted WINiT’s reach, which currently spans 1,300 members across five regional chapters and 200 active mentor pairs.
The players
GBTA Foundation
This organization supports the global business travel industry through research, education, and professional development programs.
WINiT
This network is a dedicated community of business travel professionals working to drive positive change for women in the industry.
CTM
This is a global travel management company that has entered into a research partnership with the GBTA Foundation.
Genesis Women's Shelter & Support
This local facility provides safety and assistance to women and children experiencing domestic violence.
The details
The summit agenda featured keynotes, interactive discussions, and professional development sessions. Attendees also participated in a community service initiative by donating professional attire to the Genesis Women's Shelter & Support.
Timeline
The 2026 WINiT Summit occurred October 26-27, 2026.
The safety research study is expected to be released by March 8, 2027.
Travel Outlook
The event reflects a shift toward data-driven advocacy, as seen in the partnership with the GBTA Foundation and CTM female traveler safety study. This approach integrates industry-wide networking with targeted research to address systemic gaps in travel safety and leadership.
Professionals in the travel sector can utilize the organization’s mentorship and networking resources to advance their own career trajectories. Attendees of future summits should prepare for professional development networking opportunities that may require pre-event registration.
The takeaway
The summit highlights the industry-wide effort to elevate women into leadership roles through formal mentorship and structured networking. These programs demonstrate that professional growth in business travel is increasingly driven by community-based support systems.
What happens next
The GBTA Foundation and CTM are scheduled to release their collaborative research study on female traveler safety on March 8, 2027.
Further reading
Learn more about the Business Travel landscape by visiting our dedicated section.
More information
For more on the organization's initiatives, visit the GBTA WINiT program information.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Hotel Online.
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