PBWC CONFERENCE RETURNS
TO SAN FRANCISCO IN 1998!Over 6,000 women attended the ninth annual Professional and Businesswomen of California's Conference on May 27, 1998. Attendance figures have grown steadily and impressively since the first PBWC conference was held in 1989 at Brooks Hall in the San Francisco Civic Center, which hosted 1,500. If PBWC were a publicly held corporation, a continuous growth of 30% annually would certainly impress Wall Street! This year's attendance included 1,100 high school students who took advantage of PBWC's mentorship program. These students had the opportunity to listen to outstanding keynote speakers and visit workshops designed especially for them.
The theme "Celebrating Women's Leadership-Breaking New Ground" resonated with everyone who attended and was inspired by the speeches and workshops. The conference got off to a successful start with opening remarks from PBWC Founding Sponsor Jackie Speier and PBWC President Eunice Azzani, who also received the 1998 PBWC Breakthrough Award for outstanding achievement. Opening session keynote speaker Jackie Joyner-Kersee electrified the audience with her accomplishments and motivational ideas. Her personal story recounted how she broke new ground with every athletic success she enjoyed, while also learning to be a leader. Her words were particularly inspiring to the young attendees.
For those in the mentorship program it was on to the seminar of your choice, and what a choice! The tracks were categorized into the following themes: Economic Empowerment, Numbers Count!, Leadership Skills, High Technology, Marketing Yourself, Internet, and Getting into College. Morning workshops included:
Make Money, Do Good, Have Fun
Finance and Your Future What Does It Take to Be President of a Company...
The Business Impact Made by Women in Science & Technology
Stepping Out and Speaking Up: How to Present Yourself with More Power, Passion and Pizzazz
Looking Good on the Web
The College Game Meanwhile, adult attendees were enjoying such seminars as:
Finding Your Way Along the Information Superhighway ä Applying Emotional Intelligence in Leadership and Business
New Careers at Mid-Life-How to Rediscover Work You Love
Wildly Successful Women Identify What Took Them to the Top
Engaging Women in Acquiring Political Power
How to Finance a Business
Speaking Up on Your Way to the Top
Funding Your Future: Take Control of Your Financial Life, and
What You Should Do if You Forgot to get Married
Unfortunately, space does not permit listing all the seminars. By all reports, each seminar was very well received. In keeping with PBWC standards, seminar presenters were skilled, qualified, and proficient.
The main keynote speaker was a well-known Bay Area favorite, Dr. Nancy Snyderman. Dr. Snyderman enjoys national acclaim for her expert knowledge and is a much sought-after medical correspondent on several television news programs. She graciously agreed to step in at the last moment and delivered a powerful and poignant address about breaking new ground in the field of medical research for women, the importance of women understanding their own physical and emotional life changes and celebrating women's leadership. Dr. Snyderman is an extremely impressive speaker and PBWC was very fortunate to secure her services. Luncheon attendees gave Dr. Snyderman a standing ovation and left the meeting feeling motivated and energized.
Afternoon workshops and seminars were equally inspiring and educational. Of special note is the Resource Center, which was located in the exhibit area. This perennial favorite of the conference was larger than ever this year and included 160 vendors and sponsors. Many favorable comments were heard from attendees regarding the services and information available at the Resource Center and it is rumored that a number of attendees were seen to be job networking! The high school attendees taking part in the mentorship program were especially impressed with the Resource Center.
Putting the final touch on a very eventful and educational day were the remarks of closing keynote speaker, Anita Roddick. Known for her environmental awareness, Ms. Roddick inspired the audience with her journey to transform the face of the cosmetics industry.
An on-site survey by Point-of-View Systems, Inc. provided some interesting insights about the people who attended the conference. For example, the top motivation for attending the conference was information gathering, and the top two issues were achieving job advancement and life balance. About half of the attendees came from large companies, and nearly half listed their job title as manager or above. Most attendees were in the 36-45 year age range, with incomes over $50,000. Nearly one third of those answering the survey were from high-tech industries, followed by education and finance. Finally, most participants are somewhat technically literate, as 50% make daily use of the World Wide Web and 90% use email daily.
Thanks again to major sponsors, including co-chairs, strategic sponsors, patrons, donors and contributors. PBWC recognizes the importance of participating sponsorship. The support of these companies and organizations has led directly to the growth and success of the conference.
Join PBWC on June 2, 1999 at Moscone Center, as we experience the final conference of the 20th century. We will welcome the new millennium together. Enter to win!! Early bird conference registration
