This month I am happy to introduce another offering in the Chamber's professional development series, one designed to meet the needs of women-owned businesses and professionals. I'd like to invite you to take part in "Glamour, Glitz, Hats & Heels" an afternoon tea and business social that will be held from 2-5 p.m. on Friday, May 29 at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa.
The iconic resort is celebrating "50 years of Glamour," in honor of its history as a destination of choice for celebrities and other luminaries, so it is the perfect place to host this event, which promises to not only be fun, but informative as well. The purpose is to bring like-minded business women together for an afternoon of relationship-building while learning the proper etiquette for business meetings and networking events.
We're honored and excited to have Elaine Swann, a nationally recognized lifestyle and etiquette expert, share her expertise with Chamber members at this event! Her advice has been featured on the TODAY Show, CNN Headline News, the Style Network, TMZ Live, Huffington Post Live, ABC, NBC, CBS, The CW and FOX. Elaine's passion lies in helping individuals empower themselves by developing sharp social skills that transcend into chic everyday style. In honing this m?tier, she founded Elaine Swann Enterprises, a lifestyle brand company committed to enriching the lives of individuals through the instruction of etiquette and social courtesies. Elaine offers a modern, friendly approach to the craft of etiquette while using her extensive knowledge to educate organizations, universities, businesses and individuals throughout the United States.
She will provide us with business etiquette tips, such as how professionals can handle themselves in situations where food is involved, including networking events, galas and lunch meetings.
"It all comes down to confidence," says Swann. "Knowing what to do in these situations allows you to focus on conducting business."
The afternoon will also feature a fashion show curated by Lisa O'Hearn of CAbi Clothing and Carol Fehr of Mary Kay Cosmetics. All of this will take place outdoors in the Valley Promenade, which offers an idyllic background of rolling coastal hills and the freshly cut fairways of the world-class Legends Course.
I would also like to thank the businesses that are sponsoring this event: title sponsor The Loftin Firm, as well as Savvy Women Wealth Management ("SWWM") a subsidiary of Wolf Wiese Magana (WWM Financial) and an SEC Registered Investment Advisor and California Fruit Wine. This event would not be possible without their contributions.
This new Chamber program addresses the demand for women-focused events among our members. For the past three years, the Carlsbad Business Journal has celebrated women-owned small businesses during the month of October. The popular issue serves as an inspiration to the community, shining a spotlight on the accomplishments of Chamber women entrepreneurs.
As part of that issue, we've conducted a survey of our businesses, and asked them what the Chamber can do to support women-owned businesses. One of the most consistent responses was the call for the Chamber to offer regular programs geared toward women in business.
Last year we offered a very popular workshop. We hope to continue to address the needs of our members with events such as these in the future.
For this event, general admission is $75. Admission for Chamber members is $50. Those who attend the event and want to become Chamber members can apply $25 from their admission price toward new member processing fees, that's half off!
Also, we will be donating a portion of the proceeds from the event to the Women's Resource Center.
For more information, you can contact the Chamber at 760-931-8400 or register on our website at www.carlsbad.org.

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