Invest for the Future has created a high impact conference featuring learning workshops, facilitated networking and a marketplace to showcase the talents of participants which will be held in Struga, Macedonia from October 17-19, 2013.  With over 180 applicants, our budget and format did not allow for more than 80 participants coming from 15 different countries.  However, with each participant pledging to share on the knowledge during and after the conference, the estimated impact will reach a wider network of 800 more women.  We will also be reporting live from the event with Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook reports, so check back frequently to experience the event virtually.

Invest for the Future, a project to support learning, networking and earning potential of female entrepreneurs funded by the U.S. Department of State, has an open application process for another regional conference to address female entrepreneurship hot topics and emerging issues. This time, the conference is taking place in Struga, Macedonia, October 17 through 19, 2013. It will gather talented women from across the region and across different sectors. 

Women need a forum to unite around Entrepreneurship and this conference is set up to build ties by sharing talents and strengthening networks. While we will also have experts in various fields we know that many women who will attend as participants also have talents to showcase. The conference will try to identify talents that applicants want to share and match them with the right participants who are interested in gaining skills in those areas. There are many conferences that rely on panel discussions but leave little time for audience participation. The vision of this conference is that everyone has some expertise to contribute, some skill to learn and the ability to pass on the knowledge, resulting in stronger networks.

This conference is intended primarily for women from the Southeast Europe Region, although depending on regional interest, some additional spots may be available for interested applicants from elsewhere to pay their own expenses. The common criteria for those selected to attend will be:

1. Ability to share a specific talent/expertise that they possess,
2. Desire and openness to acquire new skills, and
3. Motivation to spread the practical knowledge gained through conference participation to other women in their networks.

IFTF intends to keep the conference to a size that optimizes the networking opportunities and learning exchanges. The topics addressed at the conference will be created out of the talents/expertise all applicants note in their application forms. Expected topics may include, but are not limited to, talents categories such as:

1. Personal Characteristics (Control, Initiative, Optimism, Persistence, Resilience, Risk, Vision)
2. Interpersonal Skills (Communication, Ethics, Leadership, Listening, Motivation, Negotiation, Personal Relations)
3. Critical and Creative Thinking Skills (Creative thinking, Opportunity recognition, Problem solving)
4. Practical Skills (Social Media, Decision Making, Goal Setting, Knowledge, Planning and Organizing, Research).

In order to maximize the impact post conference, women who attend should have an established network where they can pledge to organize their own smaller gatherings for their employees, colleagues, friends and business partners. Ideally, within a month after the Struga event, participants should share their talents and skills through online forums (blogs, websites, social media) and offline (formal meetings or casual networking events). A record of their follow-on activity should then be forwarded to the organizers either through email, the IFTF website or Facebook page and a full report of the conference impact will be shared with the community via these channels.