2012 Connecting Rural Business Women Program

The program for CRBW2012 was as diverse and engaging as for 2011. Keynote speakers, Miriam Silva (General Manager, Commercial Operations at Elders) and Angela Betheras (RIRDC Rural Women's Award Victorian winner and alpaca breeder from West Gippsland) provided insight into leadership, cultural diversity, working in the corporate environment and their own personal journeys. Christine Nixon was the guest speaker at the banquet on Sunday evening. Skills development workshops were run over the two days again showcasing local business women.

The 2012 program is shown below.

Sunday 1st April - program overview

10am - Noon	Registration
Noon - 1pm	Lunch
1pm	Welcome and official opening
1.15pm - 2pm	Opening Keynote Speaker
2.15pm - 3.30pm	Workshops - Series One
	Afternoon Tea
4pm - 5.15pm	Workshops - Series Two
5.30pm	Connecting and networking over drinks
6.30pm	Connecting and networking over dinner - Banquet showcasing local products

Monday 2nd April - program overview

	Morning Yoga
8.30am	Welcome and outline of the day
8.45am	Rural Business Women in Profile
9.45am - 11am	Workshops - Series Three
	Morning Tea
11.30am - 12.30pm	Lunch
1.30pm - 2.45pm	Workshops - Series Four
3pm - 3.45pm	Closing Keynote Speaker
3.45pm - 4pm	Summary and Close of conference

Introducing our Conference Caterer, Farrah Reid.

Farrah’s business is Pinchos Catering, a small catering business specialising in Spanish and Mediterranean food. She is committed to using fresh and healthy ingredients and the philosophy that home cooked food is best. Using regional produce is a passion of hers and she is always sourcing and researching new produce in North East Victoria.Farrah has travelled around the world cooking for a professional yacht team and has a large amount of experience is restaurants and catering businesses locally, in Melbourne and WA.

For a year, with Puma Ocean Racing she catered for 60 hungry sailors and crew in different parts of the world which gave her experience in catering in sometimes difficult situations whilst sourcing the best produce from many and varied regions.

When organisers, Cathy, Trish and Karen, first met with Farrah, they were thrilled that she understood the vision for the conference and that the food would be such an integral part of the success of the 2 days. ‘She got us’ and prepaed a menu that helped connect us together and showcase our local producers.