The Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business Alliance program will host its annual networking and professional development event, the NJ Conference for Women, on Friday, October 27, from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village, 201 Village Boulevard, Princeton.
According to the website for the NJ Conference for Women, njconferenceforwomen.com, this year’s NJCFW will bring together approximately 600 women to network, grow, and connect with colleagues in the business community for what is described as “the largest one-day gathering of professional women in the State of New Jersey.”
The Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce launched the region’s first Women in Business Alliance networking event in 2011, establishing the Women’s Leadership Conference, now called the NJ Conference for Women, one year later.
The full agenda, which features a combination of speaking engagements and interactive workshops, as well as keynote speakers and a general session, is available online at njconferenceforwomen.com/agenda. Breakout session topics vary from professional strategies to personal empowerment, health and wellness, and more.
To register for the 2023 NJ Conference for Women, visit the page on the PMRC website’s calendar, business.princetonmercerchamber.org/chamber-events. Individual tickets are $175 each and include access to all programming, as well as breakfast, lunch, and a “swag bag” to take home. Attendees can also reserve a table to seat 12 members of their company together for $2,100.
The day begins with registration, breakfast, and networking before the opening keynote speaker, attorney, author, and happiness coach Rochelle Gapere, presents “Infuse Your Life and Career with Happiness” at 8:30 a.m.
Jennifer Willey, the founder and CEO of Old Bridge-based business consulting firm Wet Cement, then takes over as the general session speaker for the event with “Evict the Imposter: How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome and Improve Confidence” at 9:30 a.m.
Afterwards, there is a designated 10:15 a.m. coffee break where attendees are encouraged to visit tables in the exhibitor area, which will be open throughout the conferene. For a full list of exhibitors, see the NJCFW website at njconferenceforwomen.com/exhibitor-list.
Another option to check out during this time is the financial forum, a new addition to the NJCFW described as “a marketplace for financial advice, counsel, and services” that allows attendees to “visit with local banks, financial advisors, and more to build the relationships you need to secure your financial future.” Guests can receive personalized insights from advisors and organizations like Northwestern Mutual, Glen Eagle, and Bank of America from 10:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Other conference features include resume review with staff from The College of New Jersey’s Career Center and a LinkedIn lounge where attendees are free to consult with experts from Splendor, a Red Bank-based advertising agency, using their profile as a “virtual calling card.”
The workshops run during both breakout sessions, the first of which is at 10:45 a.m. Attendees can choose from the following options: “RAD Women: An Introduction to Personal Empowerment Safety for Women,” a primer to the national self-defense course with Penn Medicine Princeton Health’s director of community wellness and engagement, Debbie Millar; “The No. 1 Mindset Shift to Live an Intentional and Purposeful Life” with mental performance coach Brett Ashley Davis; “How to Future Proof Your Career: Unlock Your Potential In an Ever-Changing Landscape” with EvolveMe founders Judy Schoenberg and Linda Lautenberg; “Moving Into Your Power To Unlock Your Best Self” with the founder of Lawrenceville-based physical therapy service provider Fluid Physio, Dr. Gianna Bigliani; and “Prepare for Your Senior Years: Learn How To Prepare For And Care For Your Loved Ones” with attorney Fiona Van Dyck of the Van Dyck Law Group and caregiver advocate Kat Verdi.
For speaker biographies and additional session information, see the NJCFW website at njconferenceforwomen.com/workshops.
There will be another scheduled break at 11:30 a.m. and a second breakout session at 11:45 a.m., followed by a 12:30 p.m. networking slot that runs until the 1 p.m. NJCFW “Celebration Lunch” in the Grand Ballroom.
Closing keynote speaker Katie Goodman, a comedian, author, and international speaker, closes out the day with her presentation of “The 8 Tools of Improv Comedy That Apply to Anything — Including Your Career” at 2 p.m.
The conference officially adjourns at 3 p.m. for an after party and “post-conference reception” at the Salt Creek Grille, a restaurant in the Princeton Forrestal Village at 1 Rockingham Row.
Limited tickets to the after party are available for $50 each and can be purchased during registration. The event, as the NJCFW website adds, includes “wine, pasta, butler-passed appetizers,” and plenty of time to pause and process the educational experiences of the day.
