photo: Linda Denny, President & CEO, WBENC
Dear Friends:
WBENC Logo
 
Following the excitement and success of the 2010 Women in
Business National Conference & Business Fair:  The Opportunity Connection, everyone at WBENC took a few days to relax and enjoy the relative quiet around the office. Of course, that didn't last long. We're gearing up for 2011, and we want to make sure you have the necessary information to make the most of what WBENC has to offer. 
 
When planning your budget for 2011, take a moment to review the upcoming events calendar. The dates for the 2011 Summit & Salute to Women's Business Enterprises, the WBENC National Conference& Business Fair, and other significant occasions are all available. Click here to view the 2010-2011 Calendar.
 
Brief descriptions of the programs, projects, and research initiatives that require support from Corporate Members are listed below. WBENC sponsorships provide Corporate Members and WBEs with opportunities to showcase their companies, while simultaneously supporting key educational programs and resource initiatives that are integral to our collective success. Please contact Paige Adams, Director of Development and Corporate Relations, at [email protected] or 202-872-5515 ext. 8020 to discuss details of a specific sponsorship and options for customizing a sponsorship package to better address your company's objectives.

How to Pledge: You may fill out a pledge form for each sponsorship opportunity or use the sponsorship summary sheet to consolidate your choices on one sheet.
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 Photo of Linda Denny courtesy of Women's Enterprise Publications and WE Magazine.
In This Issue
Tuck-WBENC Executive Program
Dorothy B. Brothers Executive Scholarship Program
Summit & Salute to Women's Business Enterprises
Special Recognition: Hall of Fame
2011 National Conference & Business Fair
Student Entrepreneur Program
Book Sponsorship
Research and White Papers
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WBENC 2011 Sponsorship Participation Opportunities

Tuck-WBENC Executive Program Brought to you by IBM
Sponsorship Range: $3,000 - $18,000
photo: women learning
The year 2011 marks the eighth anniversary of our partnership with the Tuck School of Management at Dartmouth. With all new content, the program is an intensive five-day learning experience designed for 60 WBEs that are graduates of the previous Tuck-WBENC Executive Programs and first-time attendees. The program will explore three alternatives for growing to scale: organic growth, strategic alliance and acquisition. The central case study will be the WBE's own business, and the assignment for the week is to develop a strategic growth plan for their business. IBM is the lead sponsor, but there are other sponsorship opportunities available. Sponsors can select a WBE to attend the program or choose a WBE who has already applied. There is still time to participate in the October 2010 program.
 
Click here to review sponsorship details for 2010, and click here for the 2011 commitment form. You may fill out this pledge form or use the sponsorship summary sheet to consolidate your choices on one sheet.


Dorothy B. Brothers Executive Scholarship Program
Brought to you by Bank of America

Contribution Range: $5,000 and above

image: woman with diplomaWBENC, along with Bank of America, and its extended family of suppliers and business partners suffered a great loss in the passing of Dorothy Brothers in July 2002. Ms. Brothers was a Supplier Diversity & Development executive, and WBENC board member. The Dorothy B. Brothers Executive Scholarship Program was founded by Ms. Brothers and is available to owners of WBENC-certified Women's Business Enterprises only. This scholarship program provides women business owners access to the same high caliber management education that is available to Fortune 500 Companies and a framework to enable WBEs to formulate and implement business strategies and achieve a competitive advantage in the new millennium. Executive management scholarships are awarded annually to 14 women business owners, one per Regional Partner Organization (RPO). The winners are chosen by the Scholarship Selection Committee which reviews all applications. Each award provides a scholarship of up to $11,000 in tuition depending on the executive management program chosen by the winner. Contributions for this program may not be earmarked for a specific school or WBE participant although a winning WBE may use it to fund her attendance at the Tuck-WBENC Executive Program if she's accepted.

Please click here to complete the contribution pledge form. You may fill out this pledge form or use the sponsorship summary sheet to consolidate your choices on one sheet.


Summit & Salute to Women's Business Enterprises:
The Opportunity Connection

Sponsorship Range: $6,500 - $50,000

photo: Summit & Salute General Session 2010
The 2011 Summit & Salute provides valuable education and networking opportunities, highlights the significant contributions of WBEs to the United States economy, and pays tribute to the Women's Business Enterprise Stars of 2011. The corporations that provide WBEs with growth opportunities in today's competitive marketplace also receive top honors.

Important Print Deadline: To be recognized in the Summit & Salute invitation that is mailed to more than 14,000 individuals, you need to sponsor at the $15,000 level or above, and your pledge form must be returned by October 15, 2010.

The Summit will include expert speaker panels, workshops, and industry meetings. Specific schedule details will be available in Fall 2010. Summit activities will take place March 22-24, and the Salute Recognition Dinner and Awards ceremony will be in the evening on Wednesday, March 23.

The Salute includes an open reception followed by dinner and the Salute program. We expect to attract more than 900 guests to the Salute at The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. Online registration and ad sales will be available in mid-October 2010.

Event sponsorships and branding opportunities are available. Click here to view sponsorship details. Call Paige Adams at 202-872-5515 ext. 8020 to learn more about the benefits of being a Presenting Sponsor.

You may fill out this pledge form or use the sponsorship summary sheet to consolidate your choices on one sheet.
Special Recognition Opportunity - Hall of Fame Distinction Package
Cost: $1,000

Recognize the outstanding efforts of a company team member at the Summit & Salute by purchasing a Hall of Fame distinction package to honor their dedication to expanding opportunities for women business enterprises. The chosen team member will receive the following:
  • One quarter page ad in the program book featuring their photo (to be provided by the company) with a special message from their team leader or colleagues as the caption;
  • One framed 8x10 photo that will be hung on the Hall of Fame wall at the Summit & Salute;  
  • One Designee will be listed on www.wbenc.org for up to twelve months following the event.
Use the Summit & Salute pledge form to reserve this unique opportunity.

 Photography by Linda Johnson Photographer

WBENC National Conference & Business Fair:
The Opportunity Connection

Sponsorship Range: $10,000 - $75,000

photo: Women in Business 2010 Business FairThe12th annual WBENC National Conference & Business Fair will be held in Las Vegas, NV, June 21-23, 2011. More than 2,500 attendees and 300 exhibitors are expected to attend the three-day event. WBENC's National Conference & Business Fair is the largest event of its kind in the U.S. for women's business enterprises (WBEs). During the event, WBEs, senior corporate executives, supplier diversity and procurement professionals, and government representatives foster many business opportunities by participating in an ambitious agenda including networking activities, workshops, general sessions, and special events.

Important Print Deadline: To be included as a sponsor in the conference registration brochure that is mailed to more than 14,000 individuals, your pledge form must be returned before November 1, 2010.

Co-Chair roles, event sponsorships and branding opportunities are available. Click here to view sponsorship details. Call Paige Adams at 202-872-5515 ext. 8020 to learn more about the benefits of being a Co-Chair.

You may fill out this pledge form or use the sponsorship summary sheet to consolidate your choices on one sheet.

Photography by Linda Johnson Photographer
Bridging the Gap: Student Entrepreneur
Scholarship Program
Scholarship Cost: $2,400


photo: Student scholars at WIB2010
Bridging the Gap reaches out to the next generation of WBEs by bringing aspiring women entrepreneurs from diverse universities across the U.S. to the 2011 WBENC National Conference & Business Fair. The students are introduced to key corporate leaders and women business owners in dynamic settings that assist with career planning, creative and critical thinking, and entrepreneurial development.  
 
WIB2010 was the second year for the program, and it was a big success! Twenty students from institutions, such as Howard University, University of Texas at El Paso, and Clark Atlanta University, were supported by a combination of efforts from both Corporate Members and WBEs. Their generosity allowed the students to take part in the three-day program. Students and corporations who participated in this program expressed deep satisfaction with the initiative and the desire to meet again this Fall to discuss ways to enhance the program in future years. Join us in providing resources to a group of talented young women who have already demonstrated a capacity for entrepreneurship and are eager to learn more.
 
Please click here to learn how to become a 2011 corporate supporter of this important program. You may fill out this pledge form or use the sponsorship summary sheet to consolidate your choices on one sheet.

Photography by Linda Johnson Photographer

Book Sponsorship: "Just in Time Learning Series"
by Susan Bari
Sponsorship cost: $40,000

WBENC's first president, Susan Bari, authored several popular books on entrepreneurial strategy in obtaining contracts and forming profitable partnerships. These are valuable tools for any business owner, and it is time to update and re-print two of the most pertinent books. These books include Breaking Through: Creating Opportunities for America's Women and Minority-Owned Businesses and Partnering for Profit: Success Strategies for Tomorrow's Supply Chain.

Book sponsors receive a number of benefits including the opportunity to write the forward for the new publication. Book sponsors also participate in a full media campaign announcing the release of the updated book(s) and further position their companies as an advocate in doing business with WBEs.  Contact Paige Adams at 202-872-5515 ext. 8020 for a full proposal.


Research and White Papers
Sponsorship cost: $12,000 - $25,000

photo: research
Some of WBENC's most widely distributed and frequently requested research was made possible through the sponsorship of a corporate partner or partners. In the past, we've produced significant publications on topics such as the globalization of the supply chain and how to build a better business case for the inclusion of WBEs in supplier diversity goals.  We want to expand our research base and need corporate partnership to fulfill that goal.
 
The corporate partner(s) would work with WBENC in determining the area of study and how it should be distributed once complete. The corporate partner(s) will participate in a full media campaign announcing research findings and further position their company (companies) as an advocate in doing business with WBEs.  Contact Paige Adams at 202-872-5515 ext. 8020 for more information.


Thank you again for supporting WBENC and the network of Regional Partner Organizations that are charged with the responsibility of processing certification applications and supporting corporate access to WBEs. We look forward to working with you in the coming year!
 
Best regards,
 
Linda Denny
President and CEO