NOTE: The province of B.C. has once again declared a week in February as Chamber of Commerce Week. This year, it runs Feb. 12 to 16, and the Langley Advance Times worked with the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce to put together a series of stories to inform people in Langley about the local business organization and what it does to bolster and advocate for companies in this community.
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Yes, the steering committee and members of the Langley Women’s Business Network get the irony of their mandate acronym –MEN. The women’s group mandate is three-fold – mentoring, education, and networking.
“We landed on an acronym which we kind of find funny,” said Laurie Shopland, who chairs the women’s network steering committee. “So it’s always through the focus of anything that we do we always want to come out… doing one of those three things.”
Through the chamber and now through the women’s group, members can access not only help related to business matters, but the network aims to also offer programs and events that help with other facets of life.
“We’re women in the community, business leaders in a community that want to support our community, and then we also want to model to the community,” she said.
Shopland noted that it’s not hard to find business information in this day and age, but the women’s group wanted to focus on more than just the bottom line.
“Maybe this is personally like my personal lens is that after COVID of actually being isolated for two and a half years, seeing firsthand how businesses struggled not only with the economic challenges but really with their support network being removed…,” she said. “[What is important is] to be able to go and build connection, to build that support network, and knowing that I’m not on my own doing this and [knowing] the like-mindedness of the women around the table. We’re all passionate about what we do.”
Shopland credits the vision of the chamber which heard from members about the need for a more focus on women in business.
The group was created in 2023.
“This was something that they didn’t know if it would work or not work,” she said.” So that was where we put together our steering committee. And then from there we really came together to decide what was our vision, mission, and values to be able to actually do this.”
The first gathering was a networking event last autumn. As with any new initiative, success is never certain.
“It was really exhilarating that it sold out within just really days of us advertising it,” Shopland noted.
The networking event was a success and so the steering committee started planning more events, based on the three pillars of the group. Next up was education.
Shopland said the group hosted an emotional wellness event and dinner in October. There was some fun networking during the holidays and in late January.
She said about half the attendees at each successive event has been new faces, and the events sell out soon after they are announced – signs to her that the group is both wanted and needed.
The steering committee launched into 2024 with more plans.
For International Women’s Day, the network and the chamber are hosting the Women’s Leadership Luncheon a few days prior to International Women’s Day. The event will feature topics such as the current reality professional women face, gaps to achievement and behaviours that can close those gaps, opportunities to add value, influence and impact, and more.
The event is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5, at the Coast Hotel and Convention Centre. The cost is $55 for members. Non-members can obtain a guest ticket to attend. For information, go to langleychamber.com or call 604-371-3770.
The women’s group is about more than helping business people be more successful in business. Shopland noted that the group discussions also include what it means to be part of the community.
So the group is heading out into the cold.
“We’ve got a team in for the Coldest Night of the Year, and are inviting anybody and everyone to come join us to walk in support of the Salvation Army,” she said.
Coldest Night of the Year is a fundraiser that also intended to help people better understand the lives of unhoused members of the community. This year it takes place Saturday, Feb. 24, and the local event benefits the Salvation Army Gateway of Hope.
“This is we want to we want to be – grassroots and supporting the people in our community. So that’s like it was unanimous around the table of like, what would that look like and we landed on that,” she said.
So expect the women’s group to not only have more business-related gatherings and programming but also to be involved in community initiatives and events.
Behind the Langley Women’s Business Network this is a steering committee of diverse members.
“We have all ages. We have all sectors…,” she said. “There’s a high level of respect for everyone on there. Everyone brings such value and ideas.”
The group has caught the attention of others outside the community.
“What’s exciting about this is that we have been contacted by other chambers, asking ‘Tell us what you’re doing. What’s working?’ And I think we’re really starting to see the momentum build,” Shopland added.
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• READ MORE: Meet the team at the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce