[ WBENC NEWS ]
| WOMEN'S BUSINESS ENTERPRISE NATIONAL COUNCIL PRESENTS 2013 NATIONAL CONFERENCE & BUSINESS FAIR IN MINNEAPOLIS JUNE 25-27 3,500 will gather to generate business that creates jobs 3/26/2013 Washington, DC, March 26 – The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) will convene 3,500 decision makers from the nation’s leading corporations, government entities and women’s business enterprises (WBEs) to generate business together and stimulate economic growth at the 2013 WBENC National Conference & Business Fair in Minneapolis, MN, June 25-27, 2013. Under the banner of “Join Forces. Succeed Together.” the event is the largest and most prestigious gathering of corporate and government buyers and women’s business suppliers where these stakeholders will forge connections leading to new streams of revenue, innovative products and services, and employment. “Our vision is to fuel economic growth, job creation and sustainability. To achieve that, our National Conference and Business Fair offers access to world-class intelligence, business-building skills and vital networking contacts,” said WBENC President and CEO Pamela Prince-Eason. WBENC is a leader in women’s business development and the nation’s premier third-party certifier of WBEs as suppliers to corporations and government entities. Set in vibrant downtown Minneapolis, home to an impressive concentration of Fortune 500 companies, the event offers three days of nationally-acclaimed speakers, interactive workshops and business-building opportunities including the Business Fair, the largest of its kind with over 350 exhibitors. WBENC’s robust workshops focus on what WBEs need to know to enhance their positions as suppliers: how to hone skills that are sought-after by their clients, leverage existing expertise for greater growth, and build their capacity to meet the increasingly sophisticated needs of major corporations and government entities. Attendees will also hear from C-Suite decision makers who have driven measurable results in corporate-WBE partnerships, and represent the 2013 Conference Co-Chairs:
The Women’s Business Development Center of Chicago (WBDC-Chicago), including its local Minnesota office (WBDC-MN), led by Co-Founders and Co-Presidents Carol Dougal and Hedy Ratner, is hosting the event. The National Conference Host Committee, is chaired by Sharon Avent, President and CEO of SMEAD Manufacturing Company, and includes 11 other exemplary women’s business leaders from the region: ARCTURIS; Creative Resources; Enterforce, Inc.; Global Capital, Ltd.; Innovative Office Solutions; INTREN; KNOCK, inc.; National Van Lines; Rose International, Inc.; Tembua: The Precise Language Solution, and The Bureau. In addition, it includes WBDC-MN Founding Partners Beth Kieffer Leonard, CPA, Managing Partner, Lurie Besikof Lapidus & Company, LLP; Lisa Holter, Shareholder & Co-Chair, Private Equity and Counsel for Women, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A., and Lindsay J. Sokolowski, Attorney and Shareholder, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. The WBDC-Chicago is one of WBENC’s 14 Regional Partner Organizations (RPO) providing WBENC certification and a rich calendar of business-building events for WBENC-certified WBEs. Early Bird discount is available through April 12, 2013. The conference is open to everyone. To register or gather more information, go to http://www.wbenc.org/wbencconf/. 2013 sponsors include Dell Inc.; UPS; PepsiCo, Inc.; Shell; Avis Budget Group, Inc.; Chevron; Pitney Bowes Inc.; General Mills; Raytheon Company; Exxon Mobil Corporation; Pfizer Inc; Wells Fargo; DTE Energy; Energy Future Holdings; Walmart/Sam's Club; Altria Group, Inc.; BP America Inc.; Accenture; Bank of America; IBM Corporation; ManpowerGroup; Microsoft Corporation; ALOM; ASAP Solutions Group, LLC, and Superior Workforce Solutions, Inc. A full list is available at www.wbenc.org/wbencconf. About WBENC: The Women's Business Enterprise National Council’s mission is to fuel economic growth through access to opportunities, by identifying, certifying and facilitating development of women-owned businesses. Founded in 1997, WBENC is the nation’s leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women, with nearly 11,000 WBENC-Certified Women’s Business Enterprises (WBEs). WBENC certification is accepted by more than 1,000 corporations representing America’s most prestigious brands, in addition to many states, cities and other entities. Throughout the year, WBENC and its 14 Regional Partner Organizations provide opportunities for interactions between more than 550 member corporations, government agencies and thousands of certified WBEs at business building events and other forums. WBENC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that seeks and accepts donations from corporations, foundations and individuals that support its mission and programs. For more information, please go to www.wbenc.org. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact: Lynthia Romney (914) 238-2145, (914) 589-2140 romneycom@gmail.com |
