They Are Women, Hear Them Roar

A wise woman once mused, "What happened to the dreams of a girl President? She's dancing in the video next to 50 Cent."

Okay, so maybe P!nk's "wisdom" is debatable, but no one can claim that she isn't observant. In a time when the United States has come closer than ever to having that girl President, it's a bit depressing to know that more young women look up to the likes of Tila Tequila and Paris Hilton than a trailblazer like Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

If these misguided gals are looking for direction, they could start by heading for the beach.

On October 22, over 14,000 women will be converging on California's Long Beach Convention Center. As the site of The Women's Conference 2008, hosted by California First Lady Maria Shriver, it is an important destination for all women traveling down the road to self-discovery. This illustrious annual event unites women from all walks of life by empowering and inspiring them to become "architects of change" in their own lives and the world at large. Tickets will be available for purchase online at www.californiawomen.org beginning today at 9:00 a.m. PDT.

The Women's Conference was originally established in 1985 as The California Governor and First Lady's Conference on Women. When Shriver and her husband, The Governator, took the helm in 2004, they transformed what began as a small forum to support local women-owned businesses into what is now the largest women's conference in the country. With such tremendous growth and popularity, tickets for this year's conference are expected to go quickly. Some featured speakers include:

* Gloria Steinem - You can't have a women's event and not invite Ms. Steinem.

* Christiane Amanpour - CNN's chief international correspondent, Amanpour is an award-winning reporter who has covered nearly every recent major event. She is known for her exclusive interviews with world leaders, her coverage of Hurricane Katrina and, most notably, the conflicts in Bosnia and the Middle East.

* Lance Armstrong - The retired cyclist has endured cancer, allegations of drug use and a highly publicized relationship and break-up with Sheryl Crow, but never seems to lose his positive outlook on life.

* Bono - As a member of U2, Bono has left an indelible mark on the world of music and, as a humanitarian, he has left an indelible mark on the world. He's the only person to have ever been nominated for the Academy Award, Golden Globe, Grammy, and Nobel Peace Prize. I think the secret is in his sunglasses. Has anyone ever seen him without them?

* Sally Field - You like her, you really like her!

* Heidi Klum - Klum is proof positive that women can be smart and sexy. Her looks made her a supermodel, but her brains made her an icon. Klum has created several clothing lines, two jewelry collections and two fragrances. Her best work came in 2004 when she brought Project Runway to our TV sets. For that, I'm sure there is a very fabulous corner of Heaven reserved for her.

* Condoleezza Rice - The first African American woman to serve as Secretary of State, she was reportedly once introduced to Mikhail Gorbachev by George H.W. Bush as "the one who tells me everything I know about the Soviet Union." And the polls say we're still not ready for a female President?

Other big names slated to appear are Warren Buffett, Michael J. Fox, Caroline Kennedy, Jennifer Lopez, Jenny McCarthy, and Chris Matthews.

New this year is Shriver's creation, "Night at The Village," a pre-conference event designed to attract more women to the venue to network, mingle, and let their hair down. The festivities begin on October 21 at 5:00 pm, and The Village will remain open the following day for conference attendees. The event will feature plenty of the three Fs - fashion, fitness and food, as well as musical entertainment, book signings, and a conversation with the eternally bubbly Rachael Ray. I imagine the topic of her chat will be Red Bull: Too Much is Never Enough.

Ms. Ray is expected to put everyone in a positive mood for the conference, which boasts an impressive roster of over 50 dynamic personalities from the worlds of politics, business, media, sports and more, all ready to - as a friend of The Governator's might say - pump you up.

In addition to the speakers, there will be a special musical performance by Bonnie Raitt during the presentation of the Minerva Awards, hosted by Maria Shriver and Bono. These awards are presented each year to women who embody the spirit of Minerva, the Roman goddess of warriors and wisdom. The 2008 honorees will be announced in September, but past winners include Betty Ford, Sally Ride and Sweet Alice Harris, the latter a community activist best known for her three-hanky episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Whether you're looking to inspire or to be inspired, The Women's Conference promises to be a celebration of how far women have come, and how much further we can still go.

If you're going:

What: The Women's Conference 2008

When: October 21 - 22

Where: The Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA

http://www.longbeachcc.com/

How Much: Five ticket options are available, ranging in price from $20 to $185. In addition, there is limited seating on the arena floor at a cost of $3,000 per table of 12. For more information, visit www.californiawomen.org.

Comments

[gennifer6]

Sounds like an incredible lineup for the conference. Bono, Heidi Klum, Jennifer Lopez and Warren Buffett all to speak? Love it, they should get pics taken together.