The Women’s Congress, Miami Beach, FL
January 24 - 25, 2008
Conference Program
(Program subject to change without notice)
(Click here for Thursday's Schedule)
Friday, January 25, 2008
Morning Sessions (Paid Conference)
- Social Media for Corporate Executives (Corporate Leadership Track) Room 234
- Managing Diversity in Your Workforce and Marketplace (Corporate Leadership Track) Room 235
- Debt Financing (Entrepreneurial Strategies & Business Growth Track) Room 236
- Taking Your Business to the Next Level: Successful Entrepreneurs' Growth Strategies (Entrepreneurial Strategies & Business Growth Track) Room237
- Investment Decisions Affecting Your Life and Your Business (Presented by Mass Mutual) Room 238
- The Future is Now: Succession Management (Hot Topics Track) Room 239
- Web 2.0 Crash Course (Hot Topics Track) Room 240
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
The Outlook for Women in Corporate America, Keynote Panel Presentation & Continental Breakfast (open to all attendees) America
Keynote Presentation & Continental Breakfast (open to all attendees)
Jeri Dunn, Chief Information Officer, Bacardi Limited
Juanita T. James, Chief Communications Officer, Pitney Bowes Inc.
JoAnn Lilek, Chief Financial Officer, DSC Logistics
Moderator: Lisa Gibbs, Executive Business Editor, The Miami Herald
C-level executives from a diverse range of top companies will share their insights on the state of business today, corporate culture, future trends, change management, ethics, and other key topics that keep them up at night. You won’t want to miss this high impact panel.
10:30am – 1:00pm.
B2B Sourcing Expo Exhibits
10:30am-11:15am
Vendor Sessions Exhibition Floor
10:45am – 12:00noon
Conference Morning Sessions (paid program)
Social Media for Corporate Executives (Corporate Leadership Track) Room 234
Cory Edwards, Public Relations Manager/Corporate Communications, Symantec Corporation
Nina Kaufman, Esq., Paltrowitz & Kaufman LLP
Lena West, CEO & Founder, xynoMedia Technology
Did you know that e-mails and blogs are a form of publishing and have the same legal issues in terms of copyright, privacy, confidentiality, etc.. Companies must be prepared to monitor e-mail usage, site surfings, uploading confidential information to blogs, etc. Training programs must be established and policies must be in place prior to an occurrence.
Don’t let the world move on without you! This panel will talk turkey about how larger companies can get social media integrated into their existing corporate marketing mix. Learn how to use blogging and podcasting to maximize effectiveness and increase productivity in your organization. Strategic, technological and legal perspectives will be considered and we’ll examine a company currently using social media to build a stronger business.
Managing Diversity in Your Workforce and Marketplace (Corporate Leadership Track) Room 235
Carolynn Brooks, VP Diversity & Inclusion, OfficeMax
Anne Marie Estevez, Partner, Morgan Lewis & Bockius
Moderator: Joy Baldridge, President, Baldridge Seminars International
Diversity is fundamental to a corporation’s success. Establish the plan to recruit, manage and retain a diverse workforce and supply chain to make your company more competitive in the marketplace. This panel will explore how companies that fail to invest in their employees via leadership development, job design, and knowledge sharing jeopardize their own success.
Debt Financing (Entrepreneurial Strategies & Business Growth Track) Room 236
Scott Bradley, Superior Financial Group
Dan Herz, DFH Business Consultants
Victor Leibofsky, UPS Capital
Barbara Mravic, Bank of Florida
Mike Ruch, Liquid Capital
Moderator: Marjorie Weber
This panel will delve more deeply into securing loans for businesses and options to improve your cash flow. Hear from financial institution experts as well as from women who have secured debt funding for their business, and learn where they are today. Topics include SBA sources, investment banking loans, asset based lending, traditional and non-traditional sources, factoring, and how to match funding needs with the right debt product. Q & A session to follow.
Taking Your Business to the Next Level: Successful Entrepreneurs' Growth Strategies
(Entrepreneurial Strategies & Business Growth Track) Room 237
Dr. Gayle Carson, President, Carson Research Center
January Dennison, Chief Executive Officer and President, Technology Research Consultants, Inc.
Stephanie Finnegan, CEO, Goodwin Biotechnology, Inc.
Dana Spain-Smith, Chief Operating Officer, DLG Media
Moderator: Laurel Herman, President, Worth International Media Group
Four successful and dynamic entrepreneurs will discuss growth strategies, including:
- Managing growth to ensure long term sustainability
- Diversifying your business
- Giving up control for fast growth
- Risk taking
- Priorities for achieving top line growth
- Adapting your business to a dynamic environment
Investment Decisions Affecting Your Life and Your Business (Presented by Mass Mutual) Room 238
Jan Knight, Financial Planner, DBS Financial Group
This seminar explores not only facts and figures, but also the emotions behind real-life situations and financial decision making that women of all ages, ethnicities, and income levels face. This innovative and educational video-based financial seminar centers on the stories of women at varying professional and life stages. The session will present financial topics of interest to the audience and provide a forum where attendees can share their personal financial concerns and goals in a supportive, engaging and relationship-driven environment. Participants will receive a PEARLS OF WISDOM.SM participants kit, and a Woman’s Guide to Investing book.
The Future is Now: Succession Management (Hot Topics Track) Room 239
Sabrina Parsons, CEO, Palo Alto Software
Tim Berry, President, Palo Alto Software
Mazy Gillis, Consultant, RHR International
Moderator; Mira Halpert, Director/President, 3D Learner, Inc.
As a business leader, everyone needs a long term plan for succession. For small businesses, how do you plan for a new leader? For corporate executives, how do you plan for your own succession? This session explores objective and systematic methods, and evaluating and tracking the talent necessary for future leadership positions so your business continues to grow. Three to five year planning should be done to ensure that key positions have the back up needed so that organizations remain strong in years to come.
Web 2.0 Crash Course (Hot Topics Track) Room 240
Anne Murray, Senior Director of Interactive Marketing, Southwest Airlines
Virginia Simmons, Online Communications Manager, The ONE Campaign
Rebecca Weeks, Director of Business Development, Real Girls Media Network, Inc.
Moderator: Toby Bloomberg, Founder, Diva Marketing
No one can ignore the power of Web 2.0, but few truly understand how to leverage it for business success. It’s time you had the cutting-edge information you need to make smart decisions for your company’s future.
This session will explore:
- How to tap Internet fundamentals such as interactivity, search engine marketing and search engine optimization, blogging, podcasting, etc.
- What risks and tactics to avoid
- How to build communities and foster viral marketing
- Case studies that demonstrate new techniques in online marketing
11:15am – 12:30pm
Venture Fair Workshop Exhibition Floor Presentation Room
11:15am – 12:30pm
Recruiting & Procurement Business Matchmaking Exhibition Floor (designated booths)
