After much deliberation and in a nod toward returning to business normalcy
following the terrorist hijackings, the Women in Cable & Telecommunications
Foundation has elected to go ahead and host its 17th Annual Benefit
Gala Nov. 8 at the Washington Hilton & Towers in Washington, D.C.
But WICT has decided to cancel its accompanying Women's Leadership
Summit meeting Nov. 7 through 9.
Central to WICT's decision to host the gala -- which will honor Lifetime
Entertainment Services president and CEO Carole Black -- was the backing it
received from a number of senior industry officials, who see the event as an
opportunity for the industry to get back together in the face of terrorism.
In a letter that will be sent to industry leaders, WICT president Benita
Fitzgerald Mosley, WICT chair Sharon O'Malley Monahan and WICT Foundation chair
Kathleen Dore expressed the organization's interest to stage the event.
'During his speech to Congress and the American public on Sept. 20, 2001,
President Bush encouraged us not to let terrorism win by restricting the way we
live,' they wrote in the missive. 'He instructed us to raise our flags to full
staff and move forward. Therefore, after much consideration, we have decided to
host the 2001 WICT Foundation Benefit Gala as planned on Nov. 8, 2001.'
WICT leadership said that in order to focus all of the group's energy on the
gala, it will cancel the Women's Leadership Summit. The group said the move
should free up meeting and sleeping rooms for companies that are shifting
previously scheduled meetings to coincide with the gala.
WICT added that it is committed to hosting the Women's Leadership Summit in
2002.
