The 2021 Northwest Arkansas Business Women’s Conference is excited to announce that the 23-year-old event will be a hybrid experience, with safely hosted in-person and virtual events for all.

This year the conference will feature three days of programming with a kick-off celebration beginning on Monday, Sept. 13. This outdoor celebration will host over 60 vendor booths, live music, libations, and hors d’oeuvres. This happy-hour style event will be a great time to gather safely with friends and colleagues you likely haven’t seen in over a year. The goal is to get people back together and create a safe environment for networking and reconnecting with other like-minded business professionals.

Gone are the days of gathering like sardines in an auditorium; unlike years past, attendees will gather in smaller more intimate groups across the region, giving the event a greater reach across Northwest Arkansas and beyond. Featured venues include: Record in downtown Bentonville, the Supply Chain Hall of Fame in Rogers, and the Fayetteville Public Library. More venues will be announced soon!

Attendees will get to experience both immersive and fast-paced breakouts, roundtable discussions, join in Q&A sessions during fireside chats and hear from well-known keynote speakers who will bring motivational and tactical advice to help women build on their business and life. All speakers and content will be streamed live to the virtual attendees.

The conference will focus on financial wellness, leadership skill building, successful DEI strategies, and equity for women in the workplace. The keynotes and live breakout sessions will take place on Sept. 14-15. The full schedule and breakout sessions will be announced in June.

NWA Business Women’s Conference is honored to announce Judith McKenna, President and CEO of Walmart International, as the first keynote speaker for the 2021 conference. Learn more about Judith’s dynamic background below:

Judith McKenna is president and CEO of Walmart International where she is responsible for all aspects of Walmart’s footprint outside the U.S., leading a team of 550,000 associates across 23 countries. Judith is transforming the shape of the international portfolio while expanding eCommerce and omnichannel offerings, leveraging innovations from across international markets to build strong local businesses that are powered by Walmart, and working to make lives easier by creating a global culture that puts the customer at the center of everything. Prior to leading Walmart International, Judith was executive vice president and chief operating officer for Walmart U.S. During that time she led the rollout of online grocery to the U.S. by leveraging best practices from her time in the U.K. Before that, she served as executive vice president of strategy and development for Walmart International, chief operating officer for Asda Stores Ltd. in her native U.K, and as Asda’s chief financial officer for more than a decade.

The conference registrations are on sale now for $140. The registration includes: access to the kick-off celebration, option to attend the event in-person OR virtually, opportunity to purchase VIP tickets to additional offerings and access to all content for 12-months post-conference. Breakfast/lunch will be provided for those who attend in-person. In-person tickets are first come, first served. Virtual tickets are only $75.

If you are interested in becoming part of the dynamic NWA Business Women’s Community, contact Alex Howland for more information, ahowland@greaterbentonville.com or 501.247.4914. For more details, visit the website at www.nwabusinesswomensconference.com.