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Customer LoginsInforum Alliance - according to a man in Automotive
On Thursday, May 19, at the Troy Marriott Hotel, I had the opportunity to experience my first Inforum meeting from the inside. Prior to attending the meeting what I knew about Inforum was the following:
- Women's organization
- Focused on business and empowerment
Post attending the meeting, if asked to describe the group I would begin with four words as follows: Brains, Power, Progress and Beauty. Some may ask, "Why these four words?"
My response would be as follows:
- Brains and Power - from initial registration, through the introduction of the Inforum Board to the final seconds of the program, it was obvious the ladies in the room were current and future CEOs, CFOs, COOs, Presidents, Partners, SVPs, VPs, Directors and Owners.
- Progress - one thing I noticed about this meeting, that appeared to rub off on Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's key note address, was a lack of bashing or discussion about the past but instead total focus on the future with a theme of "How can we make measurable progress?"
- Beauty - as one of a few male attendees, you couldn't help but feel privileged being surrounded by hundreds of well-dressed women representing varying cultures and complexions.
While at the conference I was made aware of Inforum's industry group for automotive, AutomotiveNEXT. This group was formed to help shape the future role of women in the automotive industry and what it will really take to make the sector a more attractive place for our daughters and granddaughters. This initiative could not have come at a better time as women's share of light vehicle purchases is 38.2%. This represents a 2.1 percentage point increase based on first quarter registrations 2011 versus 2007.
The above is my view of an Inforum Conference from a man's perspective. I would love to hear your thoughts on the blog, Inforum or any other women's group that is making an impact on the automotive industry.
Posted by Marc Bland, Product Strategist & Multicultural Marketing Lead, Polk (05.25.2011)