Hearts and Minds Event Summary

Tube strikes couldn’t put off 50 kiwi women from attending a fabulous meal, inspiring and thought-provoking presentations and great networking opportunities on Monday the 6th of September.

New Zealand Business Womens Network - Bleeding Heart Event
PIctured Above: Bronwen Horton (Founder of the New Zealand Business Women's Network) and Maggie Eyre (www.maggieeyre.com)

Summary of the evening
Our September event was another sell-out event, and was held downstairs in the Bleeding Heart Tavern, part of the Bleeding Heart group of restaurants (www.bleedingheart.co.uk) owned by kiwi Robyn Wilson.

Following a welcome glass of Trinity Hill wine (www.trinityhill.co.nz), everyone found themselves a place at a table and the networking begun. Bronwen Horton, the founder of the NZ Business Women’s Network, having recently returned from a four-month trip around Europe was MC for the evening. She welcomed all the women, and gave a brief overview of her background and her reasons for setting up the network.

Three women then made three minute jam-packed introductions to the network on their businesses:

After a delicious first course of English goat’s cheese quenelle, Maggie Eyre introduced all the women to the concept of an elevator speech. Everyone then turned to their neighbour and practiced their one-minute overview of what they do, and then received feedback on how this could be improved. There are now 50 women out there hopefully selling themselves in the elevators all over London!

Sarah Lockey (www.saslockey.com) was the key speaker of the evening, and she spoke about how fear can make you powerful. It was a fantastic open and honest speech that everyone thoroughly enjoyed.

After a wonderful second course of spit-roast suckling pig or roulade of spinach and three cheeses, the winners of the door prizes were announced, and some amazing gifts were given away. A huge thank you to all the companies who donated door prizes.
Bleeding Heart Restaurant (www.bleedingheart.co.uk)
The NZ Society (www.nzsociety.co.uk)
New Zealand Merino (www.nzmerino.co.nz)
Personal Best image (www.personalbest-image.co.uk)
Annah Stretton and Frocking Chameleon (www.frockingchameleon.co.nz)
NuSkin (www.nsoverview.com)
Janet Frame Books. These can be bought at Kiwifruits, located behind NZ House www.kiwifruitsnzshop.com
The proceeds from all book sales will be used to raise public awareness and to sponsor a blue plaque on Janet Frame's primary residence in London.

Thank you also to all those who attended who helped by donating £180 to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal. Following coffee and chocolate, everyone departed nourished by good food, wine and company and looking for an alternative way to get home.