Women’s Exchange of Washtenaw

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SPECIAL DEAL: WXW Economic Stimulus – Buy One Full-Day Ticket, Get One Free >> REGISTER NOW

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This year our second annual conference is called “WXW Forum 2009 – Now We’re Talking.” After feedback at last year’s May conference, WXW attendees told us they wanted “more, more, more!” So this year we’re offering an all-day event. In the morning, we’ll host intensive and interactive 2-hour morning workshops facilitated by amazing local business leaders, who are prepared for your burning business questions. After lunch, we’ll hear from a panel of the region’s leading business women. Then attendees will choose from eight different breakout sessions. And finally we’ll wrap up with a happy hour that includes wine, food, music, and the best networking opportunities in the state.We expect 300 attendees from the Ann Arbor area, Southeast Michigan, and Northeast Ohio.

The full agenda follows. (Oh gals, this is gonna be good!)

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Agenda – Morning Session

9:30 AM – Morning Registration

9:45 AM – Welcome & Intro to Workshops

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM - Workshops

Choose one of the following workshops:

• “Creating & Executing Your Vision” – Eleni Kelakos (Kelakos Enterprises) & Carrie Hensel (Inner Circle Media)

• “Online Social Networking – How to Use Facebook, LinkedIn, and Other Web Tools for Your Business” – Catherine Juon (Pure Visibility) & Marisa Smith (Whole Brain Group)

• “Developing Your Marketing Plan” – Debra Power (Power Marketing) & Rhonda Foxworth (Bank of Ann Arbor)

• “Financial Strategies & Cash Flow Management” – Diane Gilson (Info Plus Accounting)& Mary Hayes (Michigan Commerce Bank)

• “Tactics for Time Management & Productivity” – Beth Stoner (Delta Possibilities) &Tracey Roy Williams (Reinhart Realtors)

• “Leading from the Middle – Learning To Be a Better Leader” – Dolly Bond (Madonna University) & Lynette Cable (Key Bank)

> Click here for descriptions of each workshop

12:00 PM – 12:45 PM – Light Lunch: Munch & Mingle

Agenda – Afternoon Session

12:30 PM  – Afternoon Registration Begins

1:00 PM – Afternoon Welcome & Intro

1:15 PM – 2:15 PM – Panel of Local Business Leaders

• Debi Scroggins, CEO, Bearclaw Coffee
• Maria Thompson, President of the Government Solutions Group of A123Systems, Inc (formerly T/J Technologies, Inc.)
• Kimberli Cumming, Executive Director, The Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan
• Moderator – Mary Morgan, Publisher of the Ann Arbor Chronicle

> Click here for panel bios

2:15 PM – Break

2:25 PM – 4:15 PM – Breakout Sessions

Choose one of the following sessions:

• Entrepreneurial Leadership – How to work ON the company vs. IN the company
• Team Building – Employee Recruitment and Retention
• Marketing Tactics
• Sales Strategies
• Customer Service & Retention
• Extreme Networking
• Strategic Opportunities For Growing Your Company
• Creating and Communicating a Vision for Your Company

4:30 PM – Wrap Up from Breakouts

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Happy Hour (technically, it’s 2 hours!)

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WXW Background

WXW hosts monthly events for women business owners, entrepreneurs, managers, and aspiring leaders. Each May we host a gigantic conference.  In the first year over 200 people attended this event. They came from the Ann Arbor area, as well as Detroit, southeast Michigan, and Toledo. Through dynamic break out discussions, these attendees really talked about their companies, careers, successes and struggles.

When you attend a WXW event, two things are certain – you will learn a lot and you will make lasting connections. WXW attendees are often surprised at their first event because our format is so unique. Upon occassion, they ask, “But where’s the speaker or panel of experts? ” When we tell them that we rarely have scheduled speakers and instead we have round table discussions where our attendees can really talk about their own experiences in business, they are surprised and intrigued. By the end of their first meeting, most WXW attendees become big fans of the unique format and they understand our tagline first hand – “Now we’re talking…”

>> REGISTER NOW

While many of us consider “sales” a scary word, it is truly the lifeblood of our companies. During this session the group will talk about how to improve our sales approach and become more comfortable in selling situations. Attend this session if you want to reinvigorate your sales efforts by exchanging ideas and hearing real world experiences from local women business leaders. Conversation topics may include …

• Uncovering new opportunities
• Establishing trust with prospective customers
• Qualifying (and more likely disqualifying) sales leads
• Developing a “script” to help you through the selling process
• Closing sales
• Negotiating with buyers
• Building your referral business
• Guiding and motivating your sales team

Who’s attending the Sales Session?

Catherine is coming to the sales session because she feels like she writes a lot of proposals but doesn’t seem to close enough sales. She wants to talk with WXW attendees about finding more qualified prospects, asking the right questions, and writing a proposal only when the deal seems likely.

Diane says she won’t miss the session because sales are intrinsic to the success of her growing company. Diane’s company provides technology-intensive services, and she’s worried that most sales people aren’t tech-savvy enough to appear credible to prospective clients. Diane wants to talk with the group about how to train her sales people.

Come to the WXW sales session and share your ideas with Catherine and Diane!

Details:

When: Tuesday, April 7, 11:30-1:00.  Lunch included!

Cost: $20.00 – Register Now – space is limited to 75 participants.

Location:

The Polo Fields Golf and Country Club
5200 Polo Fields Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
http://www.polofields.org/

Directions: http://www.polofields.org/contact/contact_index.html

>> REGISTER NOW

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Join us for an interactive event where you’ll hear from a panel of local business women on how they found mentors, built their network, and mentored others. Attendees will then participate in “speed mentoring” where they’ll have brief, productive one-on-one conversations with 15 other women business leaders. Please bring at least 15 business cards and be ready for some extreme networking. Conversation topics could include any of your deep and pressing business questions related to growing your company, inspiring your team, hiring/ firing, building a stronger referral network, or finding life balance.

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Who’s attending the Mentoring & Peer Connections session?

Megan’s company has been in business for 4 years. She is trying to build a team, so she can step out of the day-to-day work and be more of a face and leader for her company. Megan is coming to this session to meet more business leaders and make more meaningful business connections. She wants to talk with others who’ve built strong teams because she’s worried about cash flow, job descriptions, and training her team to provide great service to clients. Megan also wants to talk with people who are just starting their companies, so she can help them make good decisions.

Come to the Mentoring & Peer Connections session to talk with Megan.………………………..

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>> REGISTER NOW

Cost = $20 – Breakfast will be included!

Location:

Eagle Crest Marriott
1275 S Huron Street
Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197 USA
Phone:  1-734-487-2000

map link: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/maps/travel/dtwys-ann-arbor-marriott-ypsilanti-at-eagle-crest/

Our July 31st event at the Ann Arbor Art Center is SOLD OUT! Obviously, local business leaders were looking for a fun, artsy networking event this summer. I personally can’t wait to hang out with 120 smart women (and maybe a few men too!) who want to talk about art, business, and life while consuming yummy wine and scrumptious cheese.

If you didn’t register in time, you can still join us after 7 PM at the Earle for more eating, drinking, and schmoozing – with happy hour prices all night long!

Thanks again to our sponsors:

• Morgan & York – The best selection of wine and cheese in town! Get a WXW discount.
• The Ann Arbor Art Center – For art classes, art shows, and creative gifts!
• The Earle – French and Italian cuisine in a romantic setting.

Check out our video and register for our July 31st networking-art-show-happy-hour-extravaganza!

Hey all you brilliant business leaders, seasoned managers, brave entrepreneurs, and aspiring executives! Register for the next WXW event on July 31st from 5 to 7 PM at the Ann Arbor Art Center. Please see the post below for details.

This time we’re focused purely on NETWORKING, and we hope to bring over 100 of you together to eat, drink, view some interesting art, and make new business connections.

If you didn’t have a chance to attend our inaugural event back in May, here’s a short video to let you see what you missed. We had over 200 big-brained business women in one room! Hot stuff!

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