MCLEAN, Va. – She Has a Deal, an education and investment platform for aspiring women hotel investors and developers, announced today its first annual hotel pitch competition taking place on October 24 at the Hilton McLean in Virginia. During the competition, the five finalist teams consisting of 12 women will pitch their strategic hotel projects to industry experts and investors as they vie for $50,000 in deal equity.
In a male-dominated industry, She Has a Deal was founded to create hotel ownership pathways for women through education, networking, and mentorship. In its first year, the much-anticipated competition will be produced as a hybrid experience amid the coronavirus pandemic. The competition will reach an international audience as five teams pitch unique hotel projects representing five major US cities – Scottsdale, AZ, San Jose, CA, Detroit, MI, Nashville, TN and New Orleans, LA.
“Due to the global pandemic, our inaugural competition is not how we intended to launch it, but challenging times call for innovative measures,” says Tracy Prigmore, founder of She Has a Deal. “We are excited to host a hybrid event and share this experience with audiences around the world. We are also blessed to partner with Hilton Worldwide, Marriott International and other generous sponsors to launch this platform, which should have a transformative impact on the hotel industry.
“The advancement of female hotel owners has been and continues to be an important focus for Hilton, and that is why we are proud to support the She Has a Deal movement,” says Bill Fortier, Senior Vice President, Development – Americas at Hilton. “We are excited to hear from each of the finalists and to support their continued growth. And we look forward to the day when we hopefully welcome all of them as owners of one or more of our brands.”
Eric Jacobs, Marriott International’s Chief Development Officer, North America says, “We are proud to be a part of She Has a Deal to improve gender parity in the hotel industry. We understand the challenges many women face when seeking capital and gaining access to information. We are committed to helping close the gender wealth gap in hotel ownership.”
Viewers can watch the pitch competition live by registering at shehasadeal.com and can participate during the competition by voting for their favorite team. To learn more about the pitch competition, visit www.shehasadeal.com.
