Prominent female business leaders, Mrs. Robbin Whachell, Co-Founder and Editor of TheBahamasWeekly.com along with Ms. Leslie Vanderpool, Founder and Executive Director of The Bahamas International Film Festival, and GEMS 105.9 FM have been tipped to receive the Visionary Award for business excellence at next week’s Monday’s (Monday, October 24) Visionary Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs Awards Conference scheduled at 9 am to 1:30 pm at Workers House on Tonique Williams-Darling Highway.

The annual conference, expected to re-energize hundred of business owners and entrepreneurs and persons wishing to start their own businesses will  give attendees practical business tips to make it during these challenging economic times, as well as move their businesses to the next level and will feature as its theme “In It To Win It In 2011.” 

A powerful line up of business leaders led by Dr. Myles Munroe, President & Founder, Bahamas Faith Ministries International; Mrs. Stacia Williams , President of Total Image Management, Mr.  Dionisio D’Aguilar, Chairman of Abaco Markets & President Super Wash, Mr.  Jerome Gomez, Financial Services and Small Business Consultant;  Pastor Silbert Mills, - President Bahamas Christian Network; Mr. Utah Taylor-Rolle, President of Nitro Films & Host of Controversy TV; Mr. Humphrey McPhee of Humphrey Autos; Mrs. Whachell, Ms. Vanderpool along with many others will address the half  day seminar.

Topics will include: ‘Small Is The New Big;’ ‘Closed Doors New Opportunities-How To Turn No’s Into Yes;’ ‘ The Do’s & Don’ts of Business- Playing Clean When Your Competitors Play Dirty;’  ‘Social Networking- The Hook Up Is Better Than Money;’ ‘The ABC’s of Starting Up A Business;’ and ‘Breaking The Glass Ceiling- A Woman’s Perspective On Business In The New Global Arena,’

Delighted to receive the Visionary Award, Mrs. Whachell, Ms. Vanderpool and GEMS 105.9 FM expressed gratitude to their many supporters over the years who have contributed to their success.

TheBahamasWeekly.com started in 2006 and was co-founded by Mr. David Mackey and Mrs. Whachell as an expansion of Mackey's Grand Bahama based website and the weekly newsletter started by Whachell in 2003. The Bahamas Weekly strives to provide the latest in news, sports, entertainment, arts & culture, community, celebrity sightings, and specializes in video events coverage.  The Bahamas Weekly has over twenty columnists writing on an array of interesting topics from fashion to health and more. Updated 24/7 and throughout the night and day, the website offers 'weekly' news updates emailed directly to their over 25,000 subscribers each Friday featuring their top 70 articles of the week.

The Bahamas Weekly is a proud sponsor of such prestigious events as the Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF), Islands of the World Fashion Week (IWFW), the Red Rose Ball, Supermodel of the Bahamas, the Heart Foundation Ball, Theodore Elyett's Miss Teen Bahamas Pageant, Miss Grand Bahama Pageant, and others. Placing a priority on helping charity groups, they support all Rotary groups, the YMCA, the Salvation Army, BASRA, etc. The Bahamas Weekly is a leading information site and has over 5 million hits per month and presently features over 17,500 articles.

Mrs. Whachell presently lives on the west coast of Canada.  She was a resident of Grand Bahama Island from 1998 to 2011. She is a self-taught writer and journalist, Whachell shares her viewpoints in her column, "Robbin's Nest" and her editorials. She is the mother of four children and was an involved volunteer in the Grand Bahama community, in particular with the island's soccer programmes, and is passionate about furthering her promotions of The Bahamas through cyber-world. 

Founded by Ms. Vanderpool, The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the local Bahamian community and international visitors with a diverse presentation of films from around the world. In addition to offering films that might not otherwise be released theatrically in the Bahamas, BIFF provides a unique cultural experience and set of educational programs and forums for exploring the past, present and future of cinema.  
 
Over the last 8 years BIFF has developed into a prestigious and well respected event throughout the Bahamas and around the world. Over the years BIFF has presented Career Achievement Awards to Johnny Depp. Additional honorees have been Laurence Fishburne, Daryl Hannah, Nicolas Cage, and Roger Corman. BIFF has also had the privilege to honour Hollywood’s Rising Stars, Anna Faris, Naomie Harris and Sophie Okonedo. The eight edition of the Festival will take place December 1-4, 2011.  

GEMS 105.9 FM is a privately owned radio station which is community minded and has over the years made tremendous contributions to various social and civic minded projects and worthy causes throughout the length and breadth of The Bahamas. The company is operated by a dedicated team of broadcast professionals who are committed to service excellence and the continued growth and development of The Bahamas and its people.

Past Visionary Awards honorees have included Mrs. Joan Albury, Owner of The Counsellors Ltd.; Pastor Silbert Mills, Founder of the Bahamas Christian Network; Bahamas Ferries; Mr. Burton Wallace, President of The Movi Group; Bahamas Local.com and the Ministry of Tourism.

This year’s Visionary Conference sponsors include Visionaire Marketing; BahamasLocal.com; TheBahamasWeekly.com; Gems 105.9 FM; Via Della Rosa Gated Community; Humphrey’s Auto and The Bahamas Christian Network. For more on the 2011 Visionary Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs Awards Conference persons can contact 323-5908 or 535-2277 or e-mail visionairemarketing@gmail.com