Fifth Women in Business expo being staged today … more or less

With much appreciated about women’s entrepreneurship as a whole having been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, co-hosts of the 5th Annual Women in Business Expo, the Sonia Noel Foundation, are hoping for today’s virtual event that will using the interior of the Pegasus Hotel as its visual backdrop, will help produce a better measure of public enthusiasm for the fashion sector, in particular, less than a month away from Christmas.

As part of the Stabroek Business’s coverage of women’s entrepreneurship during the COVID-19 pandemic, the newspaper has been in contact with high-profile local fashion designer and event planner Sonia Noel , who said last week that she believes that today. The event will test the agility and creativity of women in the fashion industry and women in business in general. She added, it’s also a testament to loyalty to the industry from local fashion enthusiasts as well as women entrepreneurs who are entrepreneurs.

Although the experienced event planner told Stabroek Business that fashion events, by their very nature, should ideally be “live events,” the mandatory option of staging today’s event is more or less a manifestation of the organizers’ decision to “Get the show on. ”He says that pursuing the virtual option demonstrates the decision of the organizers to consider the security protocols in force at this time, bearing in mind the importance of” pushing ourselves “to bring a measure of good feeling into people. lives.

“We didn’t hold the annual event in March because of the pandemic. The main objective of hosting this virtual event is to generate business for the holiday season and beyond for women and small businesses. Last year, we made remarkable strides. Over 50 exhibitors from across Guyana participated in the EXPO, including several first-time exhibitors. We want to make our virtual edition a true celebration of entrepreneurship, positioning the entrepreneurs one step closer to their goals, ”Noel told Stabroek Business.

According to Noel, the effort to stage this year’s expo was made against the backdrop of organizers’ recognition of the contribution the event has already made, over the five events it has staged over the years, to bring women entrepreneurship to the fore.

Innovair Spa and Women in Business founder Jo Ann Forde said in an invited comment that apart from “launching many small businesses and providing personal and professional development training for the exhibitors,” Women in Business also provided a sisterhood that very special. “There simply aren’t enough words that can describe the value that the Women in Business Expo has added to my own life and by extension, the lives of my family members. It has not only elevated my personal activities to ‘another level’ but also provided a sisterhood I can rely on, ”said Jo Anne in her invited comment.

And Noel told Stabroek Business that while not staging a real event this year was a “disappointment,” she was “deliberate” about hosting an event that will benefit the industry and more specifically women with small businesses.

We are living in very challenging times which can be daunting but we have to find a way to grow by knowing that this too will pass.

We want our female businesses to generate sales through this event and build momentum going into 2021, ”added Noel.

The option of a virtual event comes after organizers have twice arranged and then postponed the staging of this year’s Women in Business event due to the distractions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the political defamation resulting from the March 2 general elections.

The postponement of the first event moved from March 21-22 and thereafter, from April 4 and 5, this year.

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