Innovation and inspiration on the menu as ITWales marks International Women’s Day 2009

A supper event to celebrate International Women’s Day will be held in Swansea next week. Women Shaping the Future of Wales takes place at the Village Hotel on Thursday 5 March, and is organised by ITWales.

Places for the event can be booked at 25 per head or 250 for a table of ten by contacting ITWales on 01792 602702 or online at www.itwales.com/events.

Since its inception in the early 1900s, International Women’s Day has grown to become a global day of recognition and celebration of the achievements and potential of women. Women Shaping the Future of Wales will build upon the success of previous ITWales events by not only providing an insight into the diverse range of career opportunities for women in the 21st century, but also offering a platform for sharing experiences, knowledge and best practice for women working with science and technology.

Jonathan Hill, news anchor of ITV Wales Wales Tonight will act as master of ceremonies, and a panel of high profile female speakers, each leaders in their respective fields will share their personal and professional experiences with the attendees.

Emma Westecott has worked in the game industry for over ten years, producing and programming games, as well as lecturing in game design internationally. She achieved international recognition when she worked closely with Douglas Adams as producer for the best-selling game, ’Starship Titanic’. Over the years, she has built up a worldwide reputation for developing original and popular projects and products, and has established herself as a figurehead and spokeswoman for a more emotional approach to gaming. She believes that the current boom of the industry is not sustainable without a creative evolution of game form, both in terms of creating new experiences and new markets, and in 2007 she organised the international Women in Games confererence. Westecott currently works as Research Fellow, Computer Games Design, Newport School of Art, Media & Design at University of Wales Newport.

Laura Tenison MBE is founder and Managing Director of JoJo Maman Bébé Limited, the UK’s foremost niche market specialist in the pregnancy and baby market. She has grown the company organically from start-up to its current 19m gross turnover without the need for VC or private equity. Her career has earned her many awards, including Welsh Entrepreneur of the Year 2003, Harpers & Queen Entrepreneur of the Year 2005, and Fast Growth Business Awards Female Entrepreneur of the Year 2007. In 2008 she was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the University of Wales, and she received an MBE for services to business in the Queen’s 2004 New Year’s Honours List. Her determination that woman can "have it all" has provided inspiration for many, and she is a Welsh Assembly Role Model, speaking to groups of teenagers in South Wales schools, and business groups to encourage and enthuse women from all walks of life to start and grow their own businesses.

Baroness Professor Ilora Finlay of Llandaff is a professor of palliative medicine at Cardiff University School of Medicine and a consultant at the Velindre cancer centre in Cardiff. She became a consultant in palliative medicine in 1987, and established the Marie Curie Hospice in Penarth in the same year. Former Vice Dean of Cardiff University’s School of Medicine, she was made a life peer in 2001 and in 2003 she proposed a bill to ban smoking in public buildings in Wales, a proposal that became legislation in the principality three years later. In 2006, she became President of the Royal Society of Medicine, and was named as 2008 Peer of the Year at the Second Dods and Scottish Widows Women in Public Life Awards for her work as "a tireless champion".

Chris Williams, Operations Manager of ITWales said, "This is the eighth year that ITWales has held a celebration of International Women’s Day, and we’re delighted to bring together such a high calibre of speakers to inspire and encourage our audience this year. Women have always had an important role to play as part of the Welsh workforce, and in these difficult economic times it’s extremely important that we learn from the very best to underscore that, and show just what is possible. Wales is a small and clever country, and our speakers will reinforce that as they share their experiences."

She continued, "This annual event celebrates the success and achievements of women who are currently helping put Wales firmly on the map as a great place for innovation and ambition. Our speakers this year are at the very top of their profession and have used technologies to support their ambitions. As in previous years, Women Shaping the Future in Wales 2009 will highlight the role of technology in 21st century Wales and demonstrate its relevance in business, academia and society in general."

Women Shaping the Future of Wales is organised by ITWales and supported by Swansea Bay Partnership, Speakers Unlimited and The Village Hotel.

For more information please visit www.itwales.com/events.