‘Power Up’ Conference: A Collaborative Gathering of Professional Women

The following op-ed was written by Sandra Lombana Lindquist, president and CEO of the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce.

NEW ORLEANS — For years, the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce has prided itself on its diversity of membership and being an organization that fosters solutions by being inclusive and open to working across demographics. To do that, we take the lead and partner with other organizations to have true community impact.

Another career focus of mine has been to support events and organizations that benefit not only the region, but women leaders in particular. So, five years ago, I began to wonder what could happen if all of the influential women’s organizations in the greater New Orleans region came together for one collaborative conference.

Soon after Fidelity Bank launched the P.O.W.E.R. program for women, I brought this question to its leadership. Immediately, the bank’s executive team was determined to explore a potential collaboration. I also had conversations with leaders at the Urban League of Louisiana, the Women’s Business Enterprise Council, the Professional Women of St. Tammany, local chapters of the American Business Women’s Association, the Junior League and other groups.

These brainstorming sessions led to the debut of our annual Power Up: Women’s Leadership Conference several years ago. I don’t think any of us realized then how quickly the idea of a collaborative regional women’s leadership conference would grow in size, impact and scope. 

The event has emerged as a premiere gathering of professional women supporting and inspiring each other. We are delighted to announce that our fourth annual conference will take place April 19 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. 

The conference will feature multiple breakout sessions and networking opportunities, including a keynote luncheon and networking happy hour. This year we expect more than 600 in attendance.

The event will have three primary purposes:

Professional Development

Sponsored by Fidelity Bank P.O.W.E.R., Emmy award-winning reporter, talk show host and commentator Monica Pierre is this year’s luncheon keynote speaker. She will share how women can employ storytelling for visibility, impact and influence. The conference also boasts breakout sessions on a variety of topics curated by professional women’s organizations, now known as our Network Partners, from across the region. Because the conference offers four different options at each breakout session, attendees can select their agenda based on their individual goals for development. 

Connections

With so many women gathering from so many different walks of life, the conference agenda includes opportunities for networking and a chance for women to walk away with a new mentor or friend and additional business contacts. Inherent in our goals for the Power Up: Women’s Leadership Conference is to foster the types of connections that accelerate success. 

Collaboration

While the Leadership Conference is the result of a remarkable collaboration of diverse women’s organizations, the gathering is also meant to inspire the same positive outcomes among participants. Conference leaders believe fervently that collaboration fuels understanding, better communication, broader perspective and the trust often needed for the problem solving and innovation needed among business leaders today.  

In partnership with our sponsors and network partners, we invite you to join us and hope that you become involved in a truly remarkable opportunity that is the Power Up: Women’s Leadership Conference. To register or for information, visit PowerUpNola.com.