The Cape Breton University Shannon School of Business Small Business Development Centre, the Cape Breton Partnership and Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation will present the 3rd annual Women In Business Conference and Awards Dinner Gala, April 22 and 23 at the Inverary Inn in Baddeck. The Gala Awards Dinner on Thursday evening will be hosted by MC Bette MacDonald and will feature entertainment by Dawn and Margie Beaton, winners of the 2010 ECMA Award for Roots/Traditional Group Recording of the Year. Over 25 women are nominated for awards in nine categories including Aboriginal, Arts and Culture, Impact, Community Capacity Building, Innovation, Marketing, Start Up, Lifetime Achievement, and Business Woman of the Year.
Friday’s speaker series program will consist of presentations by:
- Holly MacInnis, owner, Tim Hortons, Baddeck
- Mary Jane Morrison, Director, Small Business Development Centre, CBU
- Valarie Sampson, owner, ReMax Realty, Park Place
- Natalie Maglario, owner of Emerald Isle Gifts
- Danielle MacLeod and Julia Smith, owners of Helen’s Bakery
- Colleen Roberts, Manager of Personal Lending, East Coast Credit Union
- Eileen Lannon Oldford, CEO CBCEDA
- Bernadette MacNeil, Manager Cruise Marketing, Port of Sydney
- Mary Tulle, CEO Destination Cape Breton
- Sylvie Gerbasi, CGA Grant Thornton Accountants
Friday’s featured luncheon presentation is entitled Smart Finances = Good Business and will be given by Alison Griffiths, writer, columnist, and host of W Network’s financial show Maxed Out. Griffiths is an award winning journalist, bestselling author and experienced broadcaster who possesses an array of skills including investigative research, financial expertise and accomplished writing. The Portfolio Doctor column she co-writes in the Toronto Star with her husband, David Cruise, has become one of the most popular in the newspaper as it dispenses financial advice and information with insight and humour. Thousands of readers have turned out over the last three years to attend their House Calls seminar series on investing and money management.
Griffiths has hosted numerous television programs including The Score, a CBC sports magazine show, Midday (CBC TV), The Canadian Investor (CTV), The Inside Track (CBC Radio) and Morningside (CBC Radio).
Mary Jane Morrison, Director of CBU’s Small Business Center says the event offers many benefits to attendees but describes three areas of focus for the organizers. “The awards gala enables us to celebrate and recognize the high level of achievement of Cape Breton’s female business owners while the speaker series brings new ideas to local entrepreneurs and promotes a sharing of knowledge amongst participants.” Last but not least, says Morrison, “bringing business owners, would be entrepreneurs, and service providers together for two days creates fantastic networking opportunities.”
To register for any of the conference activities or accommodation, please contact 902-562-0068 or visit capebretonpartnership.com
