The Soirée Women’s Leadership Symposium will return for a seventh year on Thursday, May 8, 2025, to the Statehouse Convention Center in downtown Little Rock.
Set in the Wally Allen Ballroom, the symposium will once again bring its signature half-day lineup of professional development sessions led by entrepreneurs, executives and industry experts, all geared toward the unique experiences of women in the workplace.
Last year marked the event’s first in the space after outgrowing its previous location, with crowds still selling out the 2024 symposium with more than 600 attendees.
Mandy Richardson, publisher of Little Rock Soirée and founder of the Women’s Leadership Symposiums and Summits, continues to champion the notion that perhaps the event’s biggest asset is its engagement with attendee feedback.
That evaluation was behind a new addition for 2025: the option to add on workshops and networking opportunities after the core event wraps up at lunchtime.
“Every year, we put a lot of time into reviewing feedback from the previous years and using it to help tweak the event to meet market needs,” Richardson says. “These new offerings allow access to more growth and intimate discussions both with peers and with a handful of experts, all in addition to our regular programming.
“So if you find yourself wanting more SWLS or simply wanting to dig deeper, these expanded workshops may just be what you’re looking for. We’re excited to give the opportunity to build the SWLS event of your choosing.”
Another crowd favorite, SWLS guests will be able to customize their schedules with various tracks, and the popular pre-symposium VIP networking event will return on May 7.
Keynote speakers, presenters, panelists and facilitators have yet to be announced. Previous headliners include Soledad O’Brien, Mia Hamm, Shiza Shahid, Randi Zuckerberg, Rebecca Minkoff, Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin.
Registration for the symposium and adjoining events will open in early 2025, with discounted early bird tickets set to go on sale Jan. 29.
Learn more about the Soirée Women’s Leadership Symposium on the event website and follow along on Facebook and Instagram for updates.
View this post on Instagram