Women of all ethnicities, professions and social backgrounds were invited to participate.
Attendees included:
• Corporate executives
• Community Leaders
• Professionals
Benefits for attending the event:
Keynote speakers shared their knowledge and experiences, providing opportunities for deep personal growth and development. Each presenter was a catalyst for change, and were committed to advancing and empowering women leaders.
About the conference:
In 2007, Las Vegas was the site of the first-ever Women of Color Conference hosted by the four local ethnic chambers of commerce – American Indian, Asian, Latin and Urban. This historic event attracted more than 500 minority women and men who gathered to participate in workshops ranging from health and wellness to personal finance, beauty and self-esteem, career development and leadership skills.
Debra Nelson, MGM MIRAGE Vice President for Corporate Diversity, Communications and Community Affairs, saw a need for dialogue among minority women in the Las Vegas community. She approached the chambers of commerce with the idea, and they overwhelmingly agreed. From there, a day-long event was created to bring women together from across Southern Nevada and beyond. The goal of the event was to provide leadership, networking and learning opportunities through a variety of workshops. Additionally, event organizers hoped that the success of the event would lead to it becoming an annual event.
A planning committee, made up of representatives of the chambers and presenting sponsors, was formed to oversee the development and execution of the event. The committee included several sub-committees to focus on areas such as finances, logistics, media relations, sponsor relations, and speaker relations. Also, a website was created so participants could review conference information and register online.
The day-long program was developed and included a networking breakfast, morning and afternoon workshops, luncheon, roundtable discussion and a mixer. Panelists that participated in the conference included authors, executives, motivational speakers, community leaders and other various field experts.
The Women of Color Conference received a tremendous amount of positive response.
Surveys were filled out by conference attendees, rating the conference on quality of speakers, timing of events, relevance of discussion topics, etc. Overall, attendees felt informed, inspired and looked forward to future events. The conference attracted participants from around the country, and several attendees have expressed interest in hosting similar events in their local communities.
Women of all ethnicities, professions and social backgrounds from throughout Nevada and across the country participated in the Women of Color Conference. Conference attendees included students, young professionals, seasoned executives and business owners in numerous fields and industries. Perhaps the biggest beneficiary, however, was the Las Vegas community as the conference was a demonstration of the collective power of the local minority chambers of commerce to enact a program that benefited women across the city.
Quotes from participants:
“Thank you for a magical experience. You were so organized and everyone was united- it was a pleasure.”
-- Nely Galan, Women of Color Conference Keynote Speaker
“Your breakfast speaker, Consuelo, was truly dynamic! She gave me chills as I watched tears stream from her eyes and made my heart full with her words. Thank you for having her.”
-- Wendy Welch, Conference Attendee
“Superb! Fabulous! Insightful, informative and inspirational.”
-- Conference Attendee
“I am wonderfully surprised how this conference has made an extreme impact on my life. This is a life changing experience.”
-- Conference Attendee
“What an awesome experience! I had a chance to meet so many successful women that I didn't even know existed. Thank you for the wonderful opportunity.”
-- Conference Attendee
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