Mass Conference for Women: Empowerment 2018

The 14^th Annual Massachusetts Conference for Women took place in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Hailed as the largest women’s conference in the United States, the annual event brought a record breaking 17,000 individuals together. Opening night took place on December 5^th, 2018. Opening night featured a workplace summit. Within the summit, key topics discussed included gender partnership and collaboration. The full day conference took place on December 6^th and within it participants took part in countless workshops and seminars and had opportunities to network.

Since the conference’s inception in 2005, the annual event has continued to promote professional development as well as personal growth for women and men. Keynote speakers included human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, happiness researcher Shawn Achor, and disability advocate Maysoon Zayid. Olympic gold medalist, Aly Raisman was another conference speaker. Raisman moved the audience in sharing, “I saw a quote that said, ‘Everyone should take at least five minutes for themselves every single day.' If you’re thinking, ‘I don’t have time to take five minutes for myself because I’m too busy,’ then you need a full hour every single day.'" Raisman's words echoed the words of many other speakers in that she shared a message of empowerment. Participants of all ages were able to learn from speakers and network with fellow conference attendees.

The conference also included a program for women in high school. This program highlighted such topics as coping with anxiety. The conference is sponsored by companies which include State Street, Dell, Cisco, Target, and Wayfair.

For more information, visit: https://www.maconferenceforwomen.org/

Taste of Back Bay 2017

The Taste of Back Bay was a delight for the eyes, ears, and palates. The Skywalk Observatory at the Prudential Center was infused with savory delights and sweet sounds. An array of restaurants from Back Bay featured dishes that dazzled. 80 Thoreau crafted a smoked swordfish. Buttermilk and Bourbon provided deviled egg toast with Benton's country ham and hot pepper salad. Stephanie's on Newbury created a shrimp and scallop cevich. Eataly featured a crostini with house made mozzarello and pesto. If that were not enough, Georgetown Cupcake and Sweet were on hand providing decadent desserts.

Some of the photo highlights from the event are below.

                                       

Proceeds from the Taste of Back Bay went to support the charitable organization, Food for Free.

Happy Tasting Boston!

Perks Convention 2017

The Red Balloon presents an exclusive interview with Alexa Baggio, the Co-founder of the Perks Convention. Here is what you need to know about the upcoming 4th Annual Perks Convention.

• Can you talk about the history behind the Perks Convention?

​Perks started as a simple meet up group for like minded businesses.  We had the founders of New England-based in-office service providers coming together on a regular basis to share strategy, make introductions to clients, and generally just help each other out.  We were all selling the HR managers at the same offices, so it makes sense to have a network.  The concept grew legs from there when we realized HR teams were looking for an easy way to discover our services without the hassle of organic discovery.  

The second phase of the organization came in the form of an annual convention that attracts HR managers from innovative offices all around New England.  We originally expected about 75 sign ups and were pleasantly surprised when we saw 600 plus attendees sign up.  

The last phase of the organization will be to continue developing out our online portal for the convention to then live on-line all year round.  

• Now in its fourth year, what can participants expect to be different from past years? What has stayed the same?

​We are excited to be hosting at Hatch Fenway this year.  The layout is amazing and the vibe is exactly what we look for - fun and non-traditional.  We have a ton of new vendors this year, but it will be the same atmosphere of fun music, drinks flowing and ​unforced networking.  We often call ourselves the 'unconference' of the HR world, hoping that attendees will feel more like they are at a party then a professional event. We commit to being #unconventional.  

• Can you give us an idea of what goes on behind-the-scenes of the Perks Convention?

​We are acting as connectors in the B2B services world.  We really feel like it's our duty to connect forward thinking companies with amazing on-site services that range from yoga to on-site haircuts.  Behind the scenes you'll see a lot of introductions happening and a lot of prep work for what tends to be a rather large event with a lot of moving parts. ​

• What are your goals for this year's Perks Convention? What do you hope the convention can accomplish?

​Our goal of the event is always pretty simple.  We want to add value to companies looking to explore ways to enhance culture and we want to help innovative start ups find great clients.  We also want to make sure that everyone has fun in the process. ​

• How do you envision the convention will grow and change in the future?

​We see this growing market over market.  What we are building here in New England can and will be replicating in every major market.  We hope we can spend the next few years developing the road map for a nation-wide expansion of the platform and the convention itself. ​

For more information and for ticket information:

http://www.awesomeemployeeperks.com/

Taste of Fenway

The Taste of Fenway was a huge success featuring restaurants that pleased even the most discerning palates.

Blaze Pizza, Basho, TigerMama, Fiouna Catering, Hojoko, Sweet Cheeks, Yard House, and Wahlburgers were among just a sampling of the restaurants providing a taste of their cuisine for patrons to feast upon.  Fomu was on hand offering alternative ice cream. Flavors including the seasonal favorites of pumpkin caramel and apple cider donut as well as the delightful chocolate pudding. TigerMama dished out Singapore Street Noodles which consisted of delicious crispy curried noodles, asian greens, and sesame seeds. Basho Japanese Brasserie served up a BBQ chicken wrap that delighted. Blaze Pizza provided a variety of pizza pies including a vegetarian option. Wahlburgers crafted their special "Our Burger" sliders which consisted of lettuce, tomato, "government" cheese, Paul's signature housemade wahl sauce and pickles paired with their Housemade Chili.

Wally the Green Monster made a special appearance.

Photos from the Taste of Fenway:

Here's to Fenway!

Walk to End Alzheimer's

The 2016 Walk to End Alzheimer's Greater Boston takes place on September 25th 2016. The event is the world's largest event to raise funds and awareness of Alzheimer's. The facts about Alzheimer's are startling:

Currently, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's Disease.

In the U.S., approximately two-thirds of those with Alzheimer's are women.

Alzheimer's is a chronic and progressive condition.

There are over 3 million people diagnosed each year with the disease in the U.S. alone.

Alzheimer's Disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer examined the brain of a woman who had passed away after experiencing memory loss, speech impairment, and unexplained atypical behavior. Following her passing, Dr. Alzheimer noticed abnormalities within her brain, now known to be amyloid plaques, which are a hallmark of Alzheimer's Disease.

The annual walk is held  in over 600 communities. The greater Boston Walk will take place at DCR's North Point Park in Cambridge. The Alzheimer's Association is a global organization with a goal of supporting research across the globe. The walk is all ages and all abilities, spanning two to three miles. The event sends a message of hope to the community.

For more information, specifics about the event, or to find a walk close to you go to: www.alzwalkmanh.org