Anaheim : 5,000 Attend 3rd Annual Conference on Women

Five thousand women converged at the Anaheim Hilton and Towers Hotel on Wednesday to learn more about investing, climbing the corporate ladder, starting a business and other topics at the third annual Conference on Women.

Many of the women were asking “How can I have more money and be more successful?” said Chris Christman, a conference spokeswoman. Basically people came because they want to get more out of life. They came because they want to improve themselves financially. They want to achieve.”

The conference, sponsored by state Sen. William Campbell (R-Hacienda Heights), featured 90 seminars on subjects that ranged from makeup and skin care to abortion. About 3,000 women were turned away, conference organizers said.

The most popular seminars dealt with personal financial planning, followed by motivational seminars dealing with self-image and seminars about starting a business, Christman said.

“The women’s concerns far transcend the issue of abortion or ERA or comparable pay,” Campbell said, adding that only 20 women who registered indicated interest in the abortion debate compared with more than 600 for a seminar on the basics of investing.

Ann Luke, who spoke at the conference on women’s re-enterting the job market and about business networking, said that one of her panel discussions was attended by about 100 women who had a lot of questions about getting jobs. “They are sponges,” she said. “And they give me the feeling they’re well established. These are not beginners. These are people out in the work force.”

“I think why I mostly wanted to come (was to find out) how to start your own business,” said Sonia Basic. She said she is thinking about starting a boutique or import-export business. “The children are grown, and I’m sick of being a housewife only.”

Among the most popular speakers were astronaut Sally Ride and psychologist and author Irene C. Kassorla.

“I’ve been helping women realize they can have a career and a family and they can have the nails and the hair and the clothes,” Kassorla said. “To have it all requires a great deal of investment and energy. You’re not going to do it 9 to 5.”