Lessons Learned

Download the NAWBO-LA pocket card.

May 2010

Breaking Records: Honoring Women in Business

As a woman-owned business, Hershey|Cause is proud to support and promote other businesses run by powerful, inspiring women. The Los Angeles Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO-LA) propels women entrepreneurs into economic, social and political spheres of power. Chris Hershey, our president, serves on NAWBO-LA’s board, and we recently helped the organization promote its premier annual event.

On March 19th, NAWBO-LA held its 24th Annual Leadership and Legacy Awards Luncheon in downtown Los Angeles. The luncheon honored seven top-achieving Los Angeles entrepreneurs and business leaders who have established a legacy of entrepreneurial excellence and made significant contributions to the community:

• Lizanne Falsetto, CEO/President, thinkproducts
• Peter Griffith, Vice Chair and Managing Partner, Ernst & Young, LLP
• Maelia Macin, Vice President/General Manager, Univision Communications, Inc.
• Caroline W. Nahas, Managing Director of Southern California/Senior Client Partner,
  CEO and Board Services for Korn/Ferry International
• Synthia SAINT JAMES, Artist/Author, Atelier SAINT JAMES
• Paula Schneider, Former President, Speedo, Calvin Klein Swimwear, Warnaco Swimwear Group
• Kalika Yap, CEO & Founder, Citrus Studios, Inc.

To bring visibility to these women and their impressive entrepreneurial achievements, Hershey|Cause designed a complete communications strategy, from visual concept to media outreach and membership motivation. Among the suite of materials we designed under the theme of “The Courage to Lead,” was a print invitation, a pocket card highlighting facts and figures about women in business, a program booklet for luncheon attendees, and display boards featuring the honorees.

In the weeks leading up to the luncheon, the communications team at Hershey|Cause wrote and designed three brief emails for distribution to NAWBO-LA’s mailing list. Each email highlighted a unique and compelling aspect of the event – venue, honorees and sponsors – and linked directly to the luncheon registration page on the NAWBO-LA website. We also conducted media outreach to local and regional outlets in Southern California to promote NAWBO-LA, the event and honorees.

The sold-out event drew more than 1,000 women business owners, community leaders, media, dignitaries and celebrities together to recognize women-owned business in Los Angeles. The largest event at the new JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE, the luncheon surpassed NAWBO-LA’s previous events in attendance, fundraising and media coverage. The Los Angeles Business Journal, Ventura County Star, CNBC.com and The Huffington Post were among the media that promoted the event, and Univision was on-site to interview several Spanish-speaking NAWBO-LA members for the “Mujeres en Poder (Women in Power)” television series.

To learn more about NAWBO-LA and the many benefits of membership, visit NAWBOLA.org.