Greater Hartford Women's Conference: A day of professional development

Carolyn Kepcher, the founder and CEO of Carolyn & Co., and author of the New York Times best-selling business book 'Carolyn 101,' will be the keynote speaker at the 2012 Greater Hartford Women's Conference. Courtesy photo.

The South Windsor Chamber of Commerce has announced its plans for the 2012 Greater Hartford Women’s Conference, scheduled for Tuesday, March 27, at Maneeley’s Banquet and Conference Facility, which is located at 65 Rye St. in South Windsor. This year’s keynote speaker is Carolyn Kepcher, well-known from television's “The Apprentice” show.

Kepcher, who lives in Ridgefield, Conn., is the founder and CEO of Carolyn & Co., and author of the New York Times best-selling business book “Carolyn 101,” which is filled with career advice and anecdotes from her own experiences working with Donald Trump.

According to SWCC Executive Director Shari Fiveash, the focus of the conference is personal and professional development. In addition to the keynote presentation by Kepcher, the full-day conference will feature a panel discussion on women entrepreneurs, moderated by a well-known local celebrity. The women will share their success stories, whether opening franchises or running independent companies, and ranging in experience from being new to the business to having years of experience in the corner office.

The idea of “social enterprise” will be presented by another local speaker, discussing the concept of giving back to the community as soon as possible, rather than waiting until a business has achieved an arbitrary milestone of success.

Conference participants will have a selection of breakout sessions to choose from, including the role of continuing education in furthering one’s career, mentoring in the workplace and in the community, deciding which technology advances best suit one’s individual needs and the interconnection of mind, body and spirit as it relates to the workplace.

“ECHN is again the signature sponsor of the event,” said Denise Carter, chair of the Greater Hartford Women’s Conference Committee. The concept of integrating mind, body and spirit is a link between a day of professional development and the Eastern Connecticut Health Network.

Recognizing that both businesses and individuals are continuing to tighten their belts due to the sluggish economy, the SWCC decided to reduce the price of the conference from $125 to $85. “The main reason we did it was more people could come,” said Fiveash. She is hoping the lower price will encourage businesses to send their employees for the day of professional development, and that it will be cost-effective for individuals wanting to expand their own personal development. For those who register before March 1, the early bird registration is only $59.

This year’s conference is also one month earlier. Last year it was held on Administrative Professional’s day, but the SWCC decided to hold a separate Administrative Professional’s day luncheon this year on April 25 at Nomad’s in South Windsor.

This is both Fiveash’s and Carter’s second year of organizing the conference. While Fiveash took on the role of executive director of the SWCC in December 2010, Carter is no new-comer to the Chamber. She has been volunteering with the Chamber for 10 years, including three years as Chamber president. She was also on the committee that formulated the recent strategic plan, as well as several other committees and events planning groups. Professionally, Carter works at DST Output as the executive assistant to the president and senior vice president/general manager. Located at 125 Ellington Road in South Windsor, DST Output prepares customer documents, either in paper form or electronically, for a variety of large businesses, such as financial, health care and utility companies.

Although Carter lives in Portland, she explained that she is involved with the SWCC because, “The Chamber is a business entity. It’s not based on where you live, it’s based on where you work.” DST Output supports Carter’s work with the SWCC, recognizing that a strong Chamber is good for the overall business community.

“I think the details are important,” said Fiveash about this year’s conference organization. She and Carter focused on the breakout sessions and the quality of the speakers to ensure that the conference would truly be a day of professional development. “I think we’ve raised the bar this year,” said Fiveash.

The conference is open to all women, and men too, with participants coming from Massachusetts and throughout Connecticut. For more information, visit the website www.greaterhartfordwomensconference.com. Updates are also available on Facebook.

Other upcoming Chamber events include the 2012 Regional Economic Outlook Breakfast on Jan. 26, hosted in cooperation with the East of the River Chamber of Commerce Association. The breakfast will be held from 7:45 to 10 a.m. and costs $20 for SWCC members and $30 for future members. The featured guest speaker is Nicholas S. Perna Ph.D, economic advisor to Webster Bank.

On Feb. 2, the SWCC is hosting a luncheon featuring Elena Cahill of Globele Energy, who will discuss energy efficiency, energy conservation benefits, and funding. The lunch will be held at Mill on the River from noon to 1:30 p.m. The cost is $20 per person.

For more information on the upcoming Chamber events, visit the website at www.southwindsorchamber.org or call 860-644-9442.