I’ve been involved in a great number of events, in various capacities, throughout my working life. But, until very recently, I have never been anywhere near the organiser-in-chief role and honestly even if two weeks ago someone had asked me if that would ever change I very much doubt my mouth would have formed a yes.
And yet? I’m thrilled and bemused to say that, in partnership with Lisa Bryant, and the support of Women’s Agenda as media partner, I am adding Co-Organiser-In-Chief of An Epic Conference to my imaginary business cards.
We are presenting the Women & COVID19 Conference this week which will be held, virtually of course, on Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 7pm until 9.20pm.
The line up of speakers, including Jane Caro, Dr Nikki Stamp, Clementine Ford, Jess Hill, Dr Neela Janakiramanan, Carly Findlay, Jamila Rizvi and more is brilliant. And so is the concept which I can only say so shamelessly because I can’t take the credit for it.
The idea of presenting 20 sessions, for 20 minutes each, on subjects so many of us are grappling with at this time, at the accessible price of $10+GST per session, was Lisa Bryant’s. And, as soon as she shared it with me, we got to work bringing the Women & COVID19 event to life.
The impact of this pandemic on women has been huge – in so many ways it has radically changed our realities and the impacts will be long-lasting. The purpose of Women & COVID19 in this regard is threefold.
It’s an opportunity to explore some of these issues and gain knowledge and insights from some of Australia’s most sought-after female speakers to help navigate through the challenges this virus has presented.
It also provides an opportunity for paid work to the presenters, most of whom have had their paid workloads significantly reduced during this pandemic.
And, finally, while so many of us are still, for the most part, homebound without events to attend, it’s an opportunity to connect and engage. It’s an opportunity to be informed and inspired from the comfort of your own home.
From the paradox of productivity in isolation, to supporting teachers, to managing money, embracing time, reflecting on our health system, the truth about women’s confidence, nailing a presentation over Zoom, there is something for everyone.
Doing something different is scary. My initial reaction to bringing this conference to life was genuine enthusiasm but when it came to actually committing to it, and pressing send on the first invitations to presenters, I hesitated. The imposter voice crept in. What was I thinking?
If I was doing it on my own I am absolutely positive I would have backed out – not because I didn’t believe in the merit of it but because of fear. Because doing something different is scary.
With the encouragement and support of my co-conspirators, both Lisa Bryant and Angela Priestley, I ignored the fear and pressed send, and the response confirmed my initial reaction. This is an awesome concept. For the speakers, as well as the participants.
The full program is here:
The website only went live on Saturday afternoon and we’ve already had hundreds of registrations.
Come along!