Women to celebrate their 'superpower' at sold out event

Hundreds of women are to gather to mark their achievements and look to their next challenge at a sell-out Sunderland event.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Mar 2018, 13:15 BST
Updated 1st Mar 2018, 13:20 BST
Cheryl Holmstrom, Louise Kennedy, Jeni Banks and Sharon MacArthur, the organisers behind the event.Cheryl Holmstrom, Louise Kennedy, Jeni Banks and Sharon MacArthur, the organisers behind the event.
Cheryl Holmstrom, Louise Kennedy, Jeni Banks and Sharon MacArthur, the organisers behind the event.

The International Women's Day Conference is making a return to the city for the second year runninb after it made a move from Newcastle.

Tickets were sold out within a fortnight of being released, with hundreds of delegates expected at the Hope Street Xchange in the city centre.

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The annual event is the brainchild of Louise Kennedy of Oculus HR, and Sharon MacArthur from Red Handbag Consulting.

They wanted to create an event that would inspire women at all stages of their careers – from those starting out to those who have already grown a successful business.

With the support of Jeni Banks from Sunderland Software City and Cheryl Holmstrom from University of Sunderland, the conference has grown year-on-year, with over 200 people now registered for the 2018 event.

The celebration – which is free to attend - will feature a range of high profile speakers.

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The guests are from a range of backgrounds, but all have stories that showcase the importance of women at work and what can be achieved by stepping outside of a comfort zone.

Louise said: “This year our event is themed around ‘I’m a woman, what’s your superpower?’

"We want people to know that success is what they think it looks like, it’s different for everyone.

"Success does not necessarily mean money in the bank, it could be achieving a particular lifestyle or simply enjoying what you are doing.

"Our speakers encapsulate that.”

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The speakers for the event include Naomi Morrow from Sunderland Software City, Kevin Haynes from Greggs, Sarah Greenwell from Big Little Toys, Allison Raper, who represents Teesdale Cheesemakers, Adrienne Dickson from Doggie Dinner and Julia Austin from Tyne Bank Brewery Ltd.

The event is sponsored by Greggs, Natwest, Northern Print Solutions and Hope Street Xchange.

Rebecca Robinson, manager at Hope Street Xchange, said: “We’re honoured to be welcoming this fantastic event for the second year in a row. International Women’s Day 2017 was the first event held when our building opened, and we’re thrilled to be able to support it for another year.

"Many of our tenants are women in business and we thrive on being able to help them grow and achieve their goals.”

The conference will take place on Thursday, March 8.

Anyone who has been unable to get a ticket can still take part in the discussion on the day by using the #IWD2018 hashtag.

Related topics:SunderlandTicketsNewcastle