Law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) will be in attendance at The International Society of Hospitality Consultants' (ISHC) 35th Anniversary Conference in Washington, DC, this week.

Some 200 of the hospitality industry's most respected professionals from across the six continents will come together for the conference titled 'Charting the Future of Hospitality'.

ISHC is the world's greatest source for hospitality expertise and counsel, and the event will see WBD Partner and head of the firm's Retail and Hospitality sector, Claire Wilkinson, take part in a panel discussion focusing on themes including artificial intelligence and ESG in the hospitality sector.

Claire's appearance at the event comes after WBD worked with the Energy and Environment Alliance (EEA) – a not-for-profit coalition of hospitality sector leaders – to produce a report titled: 'The "S" in ESG for Hospitality' which was launched at the International Hospitality Investment Forum in Berlin earlier this year.

The report was written to help businesses navigate the challenges and opportunities the ESG agenda presents and outlines how hospitality sector businesses have an opportunity to lead the environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda and deliver prominently on social values, enabling positive change for their people, customers, and the wider community.

Womble Bond Dickinson has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to ESG – the firm was named ESG Firm of the Year at The Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Awards and was included in the Legal 500 Green guide which highlights the top UK law firms leading the way on climate change, governance, and sustainability.

The firm's full-service transatlantic hospitality sector comprises over 150 lawyers and represents many of the world’s best-known brands, developers, investors and funders including Bourne Leisure, Frogmore, C1 Capital, Whitbread, Harbour Hotels and Nikki Beach. If you'd like to know more about how our lawyers can help your hospitality business thrive, please contact Claire Wilkinson (UK) or Joseph Foltz (US).

The “S” in ESG for hospitality report, can be downloaded here.