Positive Change for Women in Business

Queenstown Chamber of Commerce Drives Positive Change for Women in Business

Prominent motivational speakers across diverse commercial sectors will participate in the sold out annual Queenstown Chamber of Commerce Business Women’s Conference on May 16 headlined by high-profile media personality Alison Mau.

The conference, with the theme of Catalyst for Change, marks the Chamber’s third event specifically for women in business and targets participants from throughout Otago and Southland.

Chamber CEO Ann Lockhart says there has been a strong demand which underlines the value of the forum for local business women.

“The conference is now oversubscribed after the 225 places were filled within just a few weeks. We have a waiting list and it highlights an increasing awareness of the professional quality of the programme we provide.”

“Every year we set the bar higher and this year I am confident the range of speakers we have attracted will once again provide a significant point of difference. The mix of entrepreneurial skills and hands-on business experience amongst our talented line-up would equal any similar event in New Zealand.”

Alison Mau who will MC the conference has 30 years’ experience as a broadcaster and journalist and is a familiar face as a news and current affairs presenter for TVNZ. She currently fronts Seven Sharp and co-hosts a leading radio talk back show.

Amongst the seven speakers the first woman in New Zealand to work in custodial role in a men’s prison, Celia Lashlie, is a drawcard on the programme. She latterly ran the Christchurch Women’s Prison for the Department of Corrections and is the author of a number of well-known books including Growing Gorgeous Boys into Good Men.

New Zealand’s leading footwear designer, Kathryn Wilson who made her mark after graduating from Massey University and winning an AMP scholarship, will outline her road to creating a successful brand in the space of just ten years.

Julie Chapman who was a finalist in 2010 for Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year is co-founder and CEO of the KidsCan charity which provides programmes in low decile schools to help children achieve the most from their education while Andrea Thompson, who has gained recognition as the founder of New Zealand’s leadership performance company Catapult, will focus on better leadership as a means of creating greater prosperity for New Zealand.

The founder of the Agri-Women’s Development Trust and 2013 NEXT Business Woman of the Year, Lindy Nelson, has been named as one of the top ten women involved in agriculture by Primary Magazine and will provide an insight into acquiring good leadership, governance and business skills.

Amanda Mortimer who founded the Queenstown company Your Life Live It has recently published a book of the same name and is widely respected nationally for her abilities as a coach offering people who work with her specific techniques to attain their goals.

Style guru Lisa O’Neill makes her third appearance at the Queenstown conference providing an entertaining overview of her life in the fashion industry over the past 20 years.

“We have invited Lisa back because she makes such a significant contribution to our programme,” says Ms Lockhart. “She is an inspiring speaker and women attending the previous conferences have rated her highly.”

Ms Lockhart says the panel of speakers reflects the Catalyst for Change theme.

“What we want people to take away from the conference is ideas and tools to make changes in their businesses and business life which will help them move forward and accomplish the best possible results. This will not only be achieved through the advice of our panel but also through networking and connecting with other business women from around the region. That is definitely an important aspect of the conference particularly for people working as sole traders.”

The Business Women’s Conference is sponsored by Westpac in conjunction with the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce with the Hilton, Jetstar and Vodafone supporting the event as silver sponsors.
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