The 19th Annual Entrepreneurial Woman's Conference, to be held at Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 13 and 14, will offer women business owners the opportunity to increase the profitability of their businesses by building relationships with corporate and government buyers as well as learning from business experts and other women business owners.
Presented by the Women's Business Development Center (WBDC), the Conference will again feature the Women's Business & Buyers Mart at which women entrepreneurs can present their credentials and forge business relationships. The Mart will feature more than 150 corporations and government exhibitors seeking to do business with women business owners.
"The Conference and Mart have continued year after year because they are so effective for everyone involved," says Hedy M. Ratner, Co-President with Carol Dougal of the WBDC. "Women business owners are able to network with those who are in a position to buy their products or services, thereby enabling them to make connections that can lead to increased sales."
The popular Women's Forum Luncheon, to be held on Tuesday, Sept. 13, promises to be a lively, candid discussion by nationally-recognized women entrepreneurs who will talk about the challenges faced and success they have achieved in their businesses. Moderated by financial columnist Terry Savage, the panelists this year will be Margaret D. Garner, president and CEO of Broadway Consolidated Companies, Inc.; Monica Ramirez, founder of Zalia Cosmetics; Sharon Hoffman Avent, president and CEO of Smead Manufacturing Company; and Melody Spann-Cooper, chairman of Midway Broadcasting Company and president, WVON Radio.
On Wednesday, Sept. 14, the Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon will be held. The WBDC presents awards that honor exemplary entrepreneurs, business advocates, and government and corporate supporters for women's economic development and supplier diversity programs. Keynote speaker at this event will be Tami Longaberger, board chair and CEO of The Longaberger Company and chair of the National Women's Business Council.
A series of panel discussions will bring together attendees with business experts on topics such as Principled Networking: The Program for People Who Hate To Network; Is This Dream for You? The Ins and Outs of Owning a Franchised Business; and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Real Life Stories of Business Ownership. Smaller sessions called Ask the Experts will feature roundtable discussions where successful women entrepreneurs discuss issues like taxes, branding your business, sales and marketing, business financing, and a host of other topics relevant to both fledgling and established businesses. The "Get Down to Business Networking Reception" will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 13, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Navy Pier's Lakeview Terrace.
Participants can register online at www.wbdc.org or by phone at (312) 853-3477, ext. 24. Tickets for Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) are $175 and for all others $200 by Aug. 31; after Aug. 31 the cost to attend becomes $225 for everyone in advance and at the door. This is an all-event fee and includes access to all Conference events. Individual tickets for the Women's Business & Buyers Mart, the Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon, and/or the Women's Forum Luncheon are $100 each. |
