Students, corporate groups, organizations and men also encouraged to attend
Every once in a while you should pack your bags, get the girls and get away for the weekend, and there’s no better place to be refreshed and inspired than the International Women’s Empowerment Summit (IWES) on Paradise Island.
One of the most anticipated events of the year is scheduled for October 19 – 21 at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort and is filled with life changing activities, including eight stimulating panels, and busy women are invited to take time out to benefit from the dynamic summit.
The eight panel topics include: Business as Unusual Women, Doing Business with Confidence, Wealth Creation and Economic Empowerment, Startup Women, Presentation is Everything, The Value of Educating a Woman, UN Women HeForShe and The Balanced Woman.
Joy Jibrilu, Director General of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism is encouraging Bahamians to getaway from the every day hustle and bustle of city life and head over to paradise to experience the unique event.
“We’re inviting Bahamian women, Bahamian organizations, students and corporate groups to make a retreat or a weekend away. Come with your colleagues, come with your girlfriends and come with family members, just come! The Atlantis Resort Hotel has given us phenomenal rates on rooms, so you can get a room at Royal Towers for $171 for example if you book through the conference. I’m encouraging people just to come out and to look after your body, mind and get away from it all – just enrich yourself,” she said.
Director General of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism Joy Jibrilu
Local incentive rates for the summit begin at $400 per person or for persons wishing to attend daily, the price is $225.00 per person. Groups of five or more will receive five per cent discount. Student rates start at $250 per person and the local student daily rate is $50.00 per person. For civic organizations wishing to attend, there is 10 per cent discount for qualified organizations. Atlantis is also offering discounted rates for the weekend, but attendees are encouraged to book soon as the rates expire September 26. The discounted rates include taxes and are based on single or double occupancy. Rooms at the Royal Tower are $171.00 per night, and The Cove Atlantis is $299.00 per night.
Jibrilu also encouraged men to join in the fun as the summit isn’t just for women.
“I should stress that even though it’s called International Women’s Empowerment Summit it is open to men. In fact, our first registrant was a male so that speaks to the fact that all people feel they can learn from the speakers. On the UN Women’s panel, there’s a speaker coming from the United Nations and he’s a male. He works with UN Women and he will the featured speaker and our closing panel is the UN Women’s panel. Women HeforShe is an organizaiton advocating on behalf of women, so it’s open to men and women,” she said.
Some of the featured speakers include Lauren Holowesko – Director of Island House, Ted Bunch – Co-founder of A Call to Men, Gabby Bernstein – Celebrity Makeup Artist, Amber Atherton – Fashion and Swimwear Designer, Sarah Jakes Roberts – Daughter of TD Jakes and Pastor of One Church LA and Cheryl Tiegs – Fashion Model and Designer.
IWES is a forum for women professionals and entrepreneurs from around the world and the Caribbean to meet, inspire, and learn from each other. The inaugural event will be hosted by the Ministry of Tourism in partnership with StartUp Woman, and in collaboration with UN Women. The summit will also host the launch of the StartUp Woman initiative for The Bahamas, a new enterprise by the founders of WIE Network, which shines a spotlight on woman-owned SME’s in the UK, the US, and The Bahamas. With the support of Startup Woman Bahamas, six notable women will be invited to mentor six young Bahamians aspiring to one day be entrepreneurs.
For more information and to register for IWES 2016, please visit http://bahamasiwesummit.com/
By Dawn Demeritte
Source: Ministry of Tourism
