Inaugural 02 Women Mean Business Conference & Awards launched
Tuesday, 12th June 2007:
Women Mean Business magazine, WMB, in association with O2 Ireland, today launched the inaugural O2 Women Mean Business Conference and Awards 2007, which will take place in Dublin’s Shelbourne Hotel, St. Stephen’s Green, on Monday 1st October. O2 Ireland is the Title Sponsor of the awards, designed to recognise the achievements of Ireland’s businesswomen. There are also four Associate Sponsors.
Five awards will be presented on the day, which are: O2 WMBusinesswoman of the Year Award 2007; Accenture WMBig Idea Award 2007; Bank of Ireland WMB Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2007; Irish Life WMB Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2007; and the County & City Enterprise Boards WMBreakthrough Award 2007.
Entry to the awards is via a dedicated webpage, www.womenmeanbusiness.com/awards where women can either nominate themselves or a businesswoman that they admire. The closing date for entries is 10th August 2007. A shortlist of entries will be generated and an independent judging panel will select the winner in each category.
Speaking at the launch, Rosemary Delaney, Managing Director of WMB Publishing, said, "We want this new initiative to be an opportunity for businesswomen to be rewarded for their hard work and achievements to date. Most importantly, it is an event which, through the Awards, will recognise the vital contribution women make to Irish business and to society".
The day long event will include some unique speakers to motivate and inspire Ireland’s businesswomen, including Jacqueline Gold, Chief Executive of Ann Summers and Knickerbox, in her first ever conference appearance in Ireland, and Jack Black, Founder and Course Director of MindStore, the UK's leading provider of performance excellence and personal development training.
Danuta Gray, CEO of O2 Ireland, Title Sponsor of the event, comments, "In areas as diverse as science, technology, tourism, business services and manufacturing, Irish businesses are benefiting from the fresh ideas, dedication, and leadership that women can bring. O2 is proud to sponsor the first Women Mean Business Awards. In recognising their achievements, these awards will hopefully encourage even more women to succeed in their chosen field, and give budding entrepreneurs the impetus they need to start their own business".
"The 02 Women Mean Business Conference & Awards 2007 event has hit a chord with many and this is reflected by the calibre of businesses and speakers who have signed up thus far to support us. It sets the whole mood for the day which I believe will be electric," concludes Rosemary.
Further information on the O2 Women Mean Business Conference & Awards 2007 is contained in the June/July issue of Women Mean Business magazine and online at: www.womenmeanbusiness.com/awards.
WMB was launched last year to fill a gap in the market for a quality magazine for businesswomen. Throughout it’s 84 pages of editorial, the magazine covers features on prominent businesswomen and also includes regular editorial on daily work issues, finance, technology and general business with the aim to mentor, motivate, inform and inspire. A mix of ‘Forbes meets Sex in the City’, the publication is quality driven and is produced on a bi-monthly basis.
O2 Ireland, part of Telefónica O2 Europe, is a leading provider of mobile services, offering communications solutions to 1.6 million customers in Ireland. The company has offices in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick and was voted Best Company to work for in Ireland in 2006.
Telefónica O2 Europe comprises mobile network operators in the UK, Ireland and Slovakia, along with integrated fixed/mobile businesses in Germany and the Czech Republic - all of which use 'O2' as their consumer brand. Telefónica O2 Europe also owns 50% of the Tesco Mobile and Tchibo Mobilfunk joint venture businesses in the UK and Germany respectively as well as having 100% ownership of Be, a leading UK fixed broadband provider and the Isle of Man fixed/mobile operator, Manx Telecom.
