SITE Texas Vision

Inspire. Engage. Ignite.

Dear SITE Texas Chapter Members —

As far back as I can remember, I have been part of the hospitality industry.  My hospitality career began as a housekeeper for the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa, Canada at 15 years old. While it was the hardest job I’ve ever had, I was instantly addicted.  Since then, I’ve run the gamut through banquets, front office, convention services, hotel sales, CVB sales, registration services, meeting planner, and for the last 10 years Global Sales for Marriott International.  It has been a journey, to say the least, but it wasn’t until I was introduced to the incentive travel industry that my passion for collecting experiences found a real home.

For those of us that have the pleasure of working with travel incentives, last year was a gut-wrenching trial as we watched our colleagues, customers, suppliers, the entire industry, and the global community take one painful punch after the next.  Any words I could use to describe the devastation would be sorely inadequate.

As we look forward, I ask myself what our pathway back may look like?  What are those steps back, not only to recovery but to something even stronger, more powerful?  What unites us?

As our industry burned, the SITE Texas Board of Directors dedicated itself to pulling our community together – individually, virtually, via hybrid, and in-person.  We hosted ground-breaking events that showed the entire hospitality industry that we are still here…we are still connected, with a sense of purpose that binds us, with hope and adaptation, we are changed but unbroken.

Now with hope for recovery on the horizon, we are getting back to the basics of our mission as an association.  We are focused on our members’ needs and what we have in common.  Together, we’re expanding our reach and community.

Our rallying cry for 2021 is INSPIRE, ENGAGE, IGNITE.  This passionate theme was born from our December 2020 retreat when our Board of Directors and key Committee Chairs spent almost 3 days together in beautiful Fredericksburg, Texas breaking down our organization, evaluating our strengths and opportunities, and putting it all back together into a thoughtful, yet ambitiously designed plan for action.

We have a lot in store for you in 2021.  Plans include embracing our gloried past by creating a Past Presidents Council that will honor and leverage the incredible experience we are privileged to have with our Past Presidents within our membership.  We will also be focusing on our future, with a robust campaign for Young Leaders as the future of our organization.  Then launching the next step of pulling both sides together with a Mentor program to create new connections and invaluable professional relationships

As a SITE Texas member, you already know that Education and Networking are cornerstones of our organization, but this year’s programming promises to take both to the next level.  We’ve re-evaluated our sponsorship opportunities.  We’ve created unique and creative options for brand collaboration with concrete return on investment for sponsors and flexible options for those that need to engage with the SITE Texas marketplace on a budget.

Our future is bright, and I know I speak on behalf of our entire Board of Directors when I say it is a privilege and an honor to serve the SITE Texas community.  Join us!  Share your ideas, your talents, and your passion for our industry, as we continue to raise the bar.  Together we can unite to INSPIRE, ENGAGE, and IGNITE each other, the incentive travel industry, and our global community in 2021!

Lorraine Mahoney
SITE Texas President – 2021