There are two reasons why someone may want to go to Chicago in March: Either they have a penchant for long and miserable winters, or they’re up for celebrating one of the biggest city-wide St. Patrick’s Day festivities held in the USA (did you know they even dye their entire river green?).

But let me introduce you to a third reason: the Women in Travel Summit.

Held over St. Patty’s weekend, March 14-16, the Women in Travel Summit (WITS) brings together female travelers, travel bloggers and brands to connect with one another, build their knowledge and expertise, and grow a powerful network of culturally aware, globally minded women — all in one weekend.

This year marks the first WITS and for such a young summit, their offerings this year are impressive. Join keynote speakers Evelyn Hannon of Journeywoman and Jeannie Mark of Nomadic Chick, plus over 20 other highly successful traveling women, as they tell their stories over two days’ worth of workshops and activities. 

Get an early start with morning yoga classes, and stay up until Chicago’s early hours at some of their event parties (and make sure you use one of their taxi rental partners to get a safe ride home). Don’t forget one of the four amazing Chicago tours being offered by WITS’ fabulous tour partners. Did someone say chocolate tasting?

On Saturday, stroll over with some of the other women to the St. Patrick’s Day parade, which is taking place right near the summit’s main activities at the Palmer House Hilton. And don’t forget the #girlstravel tweet-up, where we’ll be tweeting live with the #girlstravel team while sipping on coffee and connecting with some of the industry’s best.

With just three weeks until show time, the buzz is building. Join up this year by registering at http://witsummit.com for a full weekend ($149) or one-day ($99) pass, or check out this video to see a quick 3-minute summary of what you can expect at the first WITS. And if you can’t make it this year, you’ll be pleased to know that planning for WITS ‘15 already underway. The location is being held top-secret for now, and we can’t wait to find out where these global women are traveling to next.

Travel Go Girl