Last night, DMN, in partnership with PR firm Channel V Media, kicked off the Marketing Hall of Femme cocktail hour at Channel V’s headquarters in Manhattan. It was an intimate group of professional women marketers, who came from all walks of life. There were women of all ages, colors, nationalities, and religions, and in different stages of their careers. Women lingered over drinks and spoke to each other, many of whom for the first time, as if they were catching up with good friends.
After a solid hour of networking, we kicked off the evening’s program with some opening remarks, and the ladies split off in three separate groups to discuss different topics. One of the groups, moderated by Editor-in-Chief Kim Davis focused on how women can organize effectively in the workplace; Special Projects Editor Marjorie Romeyn-Sanabria moderated the CMO discussion; and Channel V’s Gretel Going moderated the mentorship discussion.
Romeyn-Sanabria set the tone for the evening when she told those gathered, “Women have made huge strides in the last few decades, but the last few years for women have been turbocharged. With the rise of #MeToo, communities like the Wing springing up in places like New York and DC, and more women in the C-suite than ever, the future for women in business looks bright.”
But such strides require continued effort and attention. “There are still questions,” Romeyn-Sanabria added, “that need to be answered, and progress that still hasn’t been made. The pay gap. Paid family leave. How to break into the business, and how to keep going.”
These sentiments resonated throughout the ensuing discussions, which were both cordial and purposeful. Women discussed how groups have taken root in their own organizations, and where roadblocks remain, especially in large corporations. Hopefully, occasions like this cocktail hour will provide additional resources for change and increased diversity. The entire industry will benefit from the advancements of these goals.
