The Small Business Development Center will host a conference entitled “Women Mean Business” on Thursday, March 29. The all-day event held from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p .m. is meant to empower professional women in the work force. The event will be held at Twelve Oaks Reception Hall on campus. Also, for the first time, the event will feature a fashion show at 12:45 p.m. Admission to the “Women Mean Business” conference is $50 for regular registration and $20 for Southeastern students. Students in the Fashion and Promotion class taught by instructor Jacqueline Didier will be coordinating the fashion show.

“We chose the class with the hopes to include a fun and lively piece to the event,” said Sandy Summers, assistant director of the Small Business Development Center and coordinator for the “Women Mean Business” conference. “The day will be packed with a lot of great topics as well as networking opportunities, and we hope that this portion will educate and entertain all at once.”

According to Kristina Colleta, a fashion merchandising senior and one of the fashion directors, models will be wearing designs donated by local businesses in the Hammond area featuring the current spring and summer trends. Categories will include business wear, casual wear, cocktail or evening wear and resort wear.

“The fashion show itself is basically to show them that they can be fashionable with the designs from around here that are readily available,” said Colleta.

Casting calls were held last week in order to cast student models for the show.

Noelle Mitcham, the show’s modeling director and a junior fashion merchandising major, said the main criteria for the models were to have a fun personality and not be shy in front of people.

“I feel that fashion says a lot about who you are,” said Avery Hinyard, a fashion merchandising senior and one of the fashion directors for the show. “If you wake up in the morning and you feel good about yourself and you put on beautiful clothes, then you’re going to go to the workplace and feel happy about being there.”

According to Summers, the proceeds from this year’s event will be put toward a scholarship fund for local students.

Fashion is definitely a part of being a professional,” said Summers.  “In the working world, your peers and colleagues are always observant of your quality of work and how you communicate.  But if you do not look the part, others question your professionalism.”

For more information on the fashion show or the “Women Mean Business” conference call the Small Business Development Center at 985-549-3831 or [email protected].