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Women-owned businesses and corporations that buy their products and services convened in Los Angeles, CA at the end of June. They enjoyed nearly a week of workshops, speeches, networking events and a major business fair. The occasion was the annual conference of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC, www.wbenc.org), the ten-year-old support and certifying organization for WBEs.
At the conference, Linda J. Denny was formally named new president of WBENC. She succeeds founder Susan Phillips Bari, who became president emeritus last November.
Denny has held senior management positions at several large corporations, has been affiliated with other women's business and advocacy organizations and serves on a number of corporate diversity advisory boards. She had been WBENC's VP since 2004, and became acting president when Bari stepped down.
Another significant announcement was the election of Cheryl Stevens, VP of workforce and supplier diversity for TXU (Dallas, TX), to a two-year term as chair of WBENC's board of directors. Stevens was formerly secretary of the board. She has been a board member for more than four years and has served on the executive committee since 2004.
The conference was a big success with attendees, Denny says. "I've had lots of positive feedback from corporate members and WBEs. People did business and made connections. It seems as though everyone got just what they came for."
Attendance was close to 2,500, Denny reports, with about 400 corporations and WBEs exhibiting at the business fair.
Study reveals sales impact
WBENC chose the conference venue to release a new study showing a positive impact on sales when corporations purchase from women suppliers. The study was performed in cooperation with SB Services Inc (www.sbservicesinc.com) and underwritten by Avis Budget Group. Sharon Castillo, founder and principal of SB Services, presented the results in a well-attended workshop.
The study was based on a survey of 1,227 women consumers between the ages of thirty-five and fifty-five conducted by Harris Interactive. Some 79 percent of these women said that knowing a company buys from WBEs would influence them to try the company's products or services, even if they were not current customers. And 81 percent said the WBE connection would "solidify their brand loyalty."
A WBENC press release points out that government contractors and an increasing number of large corporations already require the vendors they buy from to demonstrate a commitment to supplier diversity. The current study, however, is the first to link a company's consumer sales to its purchasing from WBEs.
Networking and more
Networking with corporate reps and other WBEs is a major attraction of the WBENC conference. This year's highlight was a Moroccan-themed reception at LA's Hotel Figueroa, complete with snake dancers, fire dancers, a Middle Eastern marketplace and lots of exotic goodies.
In a fun-filled "walk of fame" entry to the gala awards banquet that capped the conference, attending women were escorted by Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson look-alikes through a barrage of paparazzi with cameras flashing.
Awards and a major donation
At the banquet, WBENC Applause awards were presented to people whose leadership has provided opportunities for WBEs. Awards went to Rebecca Boenigk, CEO and chair of office furniture company Neutral Posture, Inc, an active and successful WBE; Joan Kerr, executive director of supplier diversity programs for AT&T and a past WBENC board chair; and Heather Herndon Wright, who manages the certification process for WBENC.
On the closing day of the conference, Tami Reller, a Microsoft corporate VP and head of the company's business solutions marketing group, announced a $150,000 donation of hardware and software to WBENC and its affiliates. The systems will give the WBENC family of organizations a big boost as they work to enhance their services for WBEs and corporate members, Denny says.
The global supply chain
An invitation-only session on the global supply chain took place the day after the conference. WBENC, Denny explains, has been working on the global issue for several years with a committee of corporate members. Five areas have been called out for special attention to certification and support efforts for WBEs.
The first is the United Kingdom, where WBENC has already developed ties with Prowess (www.prowess.org.uk), a woman's business advocacy organization. "By the end of this year we expect that a Women's Business Enterprise Council — UK will be in existence" and ready to certify WBEs in the UK, Denny reports. Then similar efforts will begin in China, India, Canada and the European Union.
Focus on U.S. WBEs
This international excitement won't diminish WBENC's traditional focus on U.S. WBEs, Denny reassures.
"We're thinking about ways to help our members market themselves to specific industry groups, perhaps do some group marketing at some of the big vendor events," she says. "We think that's an area where we can take a leadership role."
Next year's conference takes place in Atlanta, GA.
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