Learn, network, and be inspired by hundreds of ambitious women in business! The 5th annual WomenIFuture Conference is for professionals around the world looking to connect and share insights into changes that impact their industries, their careers, and their lives. Attendees gain practical, actionable takeaways through a variety of session topics such as entrepreneurship, marketing, personal development, the future of work, technology, workplace diversity, and more.
As the key marketer for the 5th annual WomenIFuture Conference, Nina Moore is definitely in the ‘hot seat’ – especially because right now is the key period for attracting participants to sign up for this year’s event which will be taking place in early November.
Nina joined the Stevie® Awards, the organisation behind the conference, in early 2020 – just as the global pandemic hit. She feels that this gave her a vast amount of experience for her position. Having had a firm grounding in marketing and events, she found that all that she knew was being turned ‘on its head’ by the pandemic. Companies had to quickly deal with the ‘new normal’ and this meant that all face-to-face events had to pivot to virtual formats. Nina found herself quickly learning a variety of new programs and processes as the Stevie Awards purchased a virtual event platform for its awards shows and the Women|Future Conference. The Stevie Awards staff learned how to produce and market virtual awards ceremonies in place of in-person, red carpet awards banquets that honour and recognize business professionals and organizations around the world.
Prior to joining the Stevie Awards, Nina had spent eight years in marketing positions in social media and event-related roles in different industries, including being the marketing strategist and events coordinator for a global technology partner – ‘where I worked at some of the world’s largest tech trade shows and conferences’
The WomenIFuture Conference was founded in 2018 to support and develop The Stevie® Awards for Women in Business, one of the eight international Stevie Awards programs – the world’s premier business awards. The Stevie Awards for Women in Business is now in its 19th year. In 2018, its founder Michael Gallagher felt that the creation of the annual WomenIFuture Conference would further recognise the high-achieving female entrepreneurs and executives who have won Stevie Awards and give them the opportunity to come together to share ideas and network.
From ‘in person’ to virtual overnight
In 2020, as Nina joined the Stevie Awards, the challenge was to successfully transform all events, including the Women|Future Conference, which was still in its infancy- from ‘in person’ to virtual. Nina noted that following the third annual – and first virtual- conference (which had attracted over 300 attendees) that many women kept in contact with each other well after the conference ended – proving its great success. Attendee feedback was that virtual sessions were more accessible, yet still delivered as many learning and networking opportunities as in-person sessions. The cost of the conference was more affordable too, as air flights and hotels were no longer needed- ‘We definitely deliver value for their money.’
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The mission of the conference is important
The mission of the conference is to ‘support women in business by encouraging connections and professional and personal development’ and Nina feels that this is certainly happening. The profile of attendees is evolving and is no longer just CEOs, senior management and entrepreneurs. She explains with pride –
‘Since the conference went virtual, we no longer have speakers just from the United States and Canada. Now we have many international speakers from parts of Europe, Asia and beyond, which also means that we are attracting attendees from all over the world. This year, we even have Nigerian participants for the first time.’
At this year’s conference, approximately 70% of the attendees will be Founders, CEOs and senior management at the director level, but the other 30% is made up of managers, employees and even some students-
‘In the last two years, we have been offering student rates for the conference,’ said Nina. ‘We also attract women who are between jobs or starting a career transition later in life, while others are just entering the workforce and seeking mentorship.’
2022 – the 3rd virtual WomenIFuture Conference
Now in its third year as a virtual conference, Nina has found that marketing has become increasingly challenging because of the ‘saturation of virtual events.’ She explains that it is essential to –
‘provide unique content to attendees as you have to differentiate yourself from all of the competition and really know your audience and its needs’.
The audience for the first Women|Future Conference was mainly comprised of female executives, but has now expanded to ‘serve women on a much larger scale.’
The attendance for the 2022 Women|Future Conference is expected to be 550+ with 75 speakers participating from global companies such as Microsoft, IBM, LinkedIn, Goldman Sachs and Nestlé. The content of this year’s conference has been streamlined and covers seven tracks-
- Leadership
- Entrepreneurship- including funding for business and legal tips
- Marketing – including the latest trends in social media
- Technology – where is the next generation of technology heading?
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- Future of Work
- Personal Development
Below is a partial list of the 2022 Women|Future Conference panels, sessions, and workshops.
- Building Your Community of Mentors
- Cultivating an Inclusive Workplace: How Diversity Creates Opportunity
- FearLESS: Facing Adversity
- Generational Work Styles: Understanding the Old and the New
- ‘Shark Tank’ style pitch competition for newly founded woman-owned businesses
- Silencing Self Doubt: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
- Strategic Storytelling: Advertising and PR Tactics for Your Business
- The Balancing Act: Self-Care and a Sustainable Work Life
- The Next Generation of Tech
- The Ever-changing World of Social Media
- The Evolution of Connection: In-person vs Virtual Networking
- The Snowball Effect: How Women-Led Businesses Create an Impact
- Think Like an Investor: How to Get the Funding You Deserve
- Turning Passion into Profit
- …and many more
A valuable virtual meeting place
Nina explains how the platform for the conference provides an extremely valuable meeting place for like-minded people and has been delighted that a number of friendships and business partnerships have started at the conference. Participants find it an excellent forum for networking.
A huge advantage of the conference being a virtual event is that there is no restriction on the number of attendees. This year, the number is expected to be close to 500, but Nina’s greatest wish is that as the conference moves out of its current ‘growth stage’ that the numbers increase to 1,000 or more.
Now is the time to sign up for the 2022 event
The three-day 2022 WomenIFuture Conference will be taking place Tuesday 8 – Thursday 10 November, including pre-conference sessions on 7 November.
With just a few weeks to go before the start of the 2022 event –
‘We are currently making our ‘prime push’ for registration. The beauty of our conference is that participants can watch three days of live talks and presentations, but also have the opportunity to watch them ‘on demand’ for up to one year afterwards.’
You will see the WomenIFuture Conference widely promoted on social media and in digital and magazine advertisements. The conference also has a number of important media sponsors such as Freelancer Magazine. By visiting the website – https://womenfutureconference.com/
Attendees can register for the 2022 conference, view the agenda, meet the speakers, and also sign up for an email newsletter that delivers recent event updates. On social media (@womenfutureconference on all platforms), there are regular posts and videos featuring the speakers and sessions.
Great feedback counts!
For Nina, the feedback from attendees is very important and she is delighted when she reads how valuable they find the conference.
‘I feel I have done my job well when I read enthusiastic comments from attendees during the live session chats, as well as the positive feedback in our post-event surveys.’
After the event, Nina and her colleagues spend time collating data from post-event surveys to ensure that the content of future conferences is exactly what the audience wants.
On a personal note, Nina will not be attending many live sessions this year, as her first baby is due in early October and she will be on maternity leave, but she smiles as she says –
‘I will be back at work soon after, and our team will have already started planning the 2023 conference, as it takes nearly a year to prepare the agenda and confirm speakers’.
- The 2022 WomenIFuture Conference is taking place Tuesday 8 – Thursday 10 November. Tickets are available on the conference registration page. Get $15 off registration by using promo code FREELANCELIFE at checkout.
For press, media, or sponsorship inquiries, contact help+conference@stevieawards.com
