On Saturday, October 23, 2010, about 1,000 of the top undergraduate women from around the world will gather at The Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel for the 6th annual Intercollegiate Business Convention (IBC). Organized by Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business, IBC 2010 will feature three keynote speakers, over 30 breakout sessions, an exclusive career fair, and a networking reception. Participants will interact one-on-one with company representatives and recruiters while current Harvard MBA students will be offering resume reviews and practice interviews. IBC participants are also invited to take part in Business for Good, our social enterprise business plan competition (details below).

IBC Information

This year’s theme is Imagine. Build. Connect: Business Rewired. The mission of IBC 2010 is to inspire future leaders to challenge boundaries and innovate. By exposing participants to a vast range of industries and a wide network of professionals, IBC strives to revitalize the conception of business and embrace its fusion with technological developments.

This year’s keynote speakers include: Marissa Mayer, Vice President of Search Product and User Experience for Google, Kate White, Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan magazine and accessories designer Lauren Merkin. Marissa Mayer joined Google as one of the first 20 engineers and the first female employee. She is also the youngest individual to make the Forbes 50 Most Powerful Women list. Kate White has served as the Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan, the world's leading women's magazine, for the past twelve years. She is also a best-selling author and the ultimate fun, fearless, female. Lauren Merkin's handbags and clutches are regularly featured in various publications including Vogue, Teen Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Lucky, WWD, and The NY Times. Only eight years since its creation, the Lauren Merkin brand is sold in more than 300 retail stores worldwide including Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bloomingdales.

IBC will also offer over 30 breakout sessions on topics ranging from Fashion to Finance. Learn about specific industries in our panels and develop important skills in our workshops. Throughout the day, interact with women who have reached positions of prominence in their fields.

Friday Programming

For those who will be arriving on Friday afternoon, Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business will be hosting a tour of Harvard Business School. UPDATE: The deadline for RSVPs for the HBS tour has passed. If you would like your name added to the wait list, please send an e-mail to ibcinfo2010@gmail.com with "HBS Tour" in the subject line.

We are excited to invite you to our Make It Happen Magazine Launch Party on Friday, October 22nd, at 7 PM in Ticknor Lounge. We will unveil the 5th edition of our annual publication, which features Tory Burch, entrepreneur and fashion icon, and Rachel Moore, CEO of the American Ballet Theatre. The magazine includes a variety of interesting and informational articles on topics ranging from international microfinance to on-campus recruiting. Come enjoy some desserts and refreshments, learn how to make the most out of IBC, and be the first to see our magazine!

Business for Good

Business For Good, the second annual HUWIB social entrepreneurship business plan competition, allows women the opportunity to get input on their social enterprise ideas and develop them further. Social entrepreneurship is becoming increasingly important as modern businesses incorporate social responsibility into their missions. We seek to facilitate creativity, innovation, and collaboration among social entrepreneurs, increase the visibility of social entrepeneurship, and encourage college students to consider social entrepeneurship as they move into the working world.

This competition, which occurs in conjunction with the Intercollegiate Business Convention, consists of teams submitting ideas and business plans for social enterprises. The chosen final teams will compete at the convention itself, presenting their idea to a panel of high-profile judges in front of an audience of other competition participants and any interested convention attendees. The winner will receive a monetary prize and a private consultation with a high-profile woman within the non-profit or social enterprise world.

Registration and submission will occur online. More details to come as the date approaches! For questions, contact Tara Suri at tara.suri@college.harvard.edu.

Exclusive Networking Reception

Following the success of last year’s reception, this year’s conference will also feature an exclusive networking reception allowing select attendees to interact one-on-one with sponsor recruiters and representatives taking place from 5-6 PM the day of the conference. More information regarding participating companies will be announced soon. If you are interested in attending, please e-mail ibcresume2010@gmail.com with your name and university in the subject line. Please save your attached word or PDF file in the following format: Last Name, First Name (University). Selected participants will be notified by e-mail a week prior to the conference.

Housing

We encourage you to reach out to friends and family in the Boston area for housing. We have also prepared a list of conveniently located hotels which is available on our website at ibc.huwib.org. However, if you are concerned about finding accommodations and would like to request to be hosted on-campus, we are handling requests on a case-by-case basis. Please note that on-campus accommodations are very limited. Email ibchousing2010@gmail.com with the subject line IBC Housing for housing requests.

Payment Options

Our PayPal account gives you the option of paying with PayPal or paying with a credit card. At the bottom of the registration simply click on the type of credit card you have. You will then be transferred to the PayPal website. You do not need to pay with PayPal here, unless your credit card is already linked to a PayPal account. On the left-hand side, you will see a bold heading that says, “Don’t have a PayPal account?” Below that is a hyperlink that will take you to a page where you can pay for the convention with a credit card. If you are told that your credit card is linked to a PayPal account but don't recall having created one, we recommend that you call PayPal and see if you may have made an account for something in the past and forgotten your login information. You can contact PayPal at 402-935-2050.

Registration Questions

Those of you who are bringing large groups have reached out to us with concerns about being able to type and submit all of the information in the 1-hour time limit on EventBrite. Please try to get groups of eight to register together; for example, a group of 40 can register as five groups of eight. If you have further concerns, please email us at ibcmarketing2010@gmail.com and we will discuss other possibilities.