Laredo Commission for Women finalizes logistics for Feb. empowerment conference

Commission for Women member Sandra Cavazos reported on final preparations for the commission’s Women’s Empowering Conference, including schedule, sponsors, volunteer assignments and registration targets. The meeting, held virtually with a quorum present, covered logistics such as registration desks, name tags, floral arrangements, exhibitor tables and a revised capacity target.

The conference is scheduled for the Falcon International Bank third floor; registration is set for 8:00–8:40 a.m., with opening remarks at 8:45 a.m. and programming through a 2:30 p.m. closing. Cavazos said organizers had been tracking registrations and had instructed commission members to recruit attendees: “We have 27 registered, but we have 30 already committed,” Cavazos said during the meeting, and later reported the count had risen to 40; the committee expanded capacity to 50 spaces to accommodate late sign-ups.

Why it matters: the conference brings public-health and business workshops to local residents and relies on city and private sponsors and volunteer staffing from the commission. Organizers assigned volunteers to specific tasks to ensure the event runs on schedule and avoid understaffing at the registration and greeting tables.

Key decisions and directions included assigning registration volunteers (Frida, Mary Lou and Sylvia Palumbo were listed for the registration table), asking all commission members to invite guests (one ticket awarded per five confirmed invitees), and scheduling volunteers to arrive early to set up floral arrangements at 7:15 a.m. Cavazos said the commission secured three reserved tables (speakers, VIPs/city council and the commission) and planned an additional registration table against a wall to handle overflow.

Sponsors and exhibitors named during the meeting included Falcon International Bank (lunch sponsor), Laredo Title (continental breakfast sponsor), the Laredo Health Department, a local emergency-room provider that will supply insulated bags with VIP cards, and Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) for small-business programming; Cavazos also listed an outlet mall as a potential exhibitor. The commission said exhibitors would have no charge to participate.

The program schedule presented by Cavazos lists keynote and session speakers: a special guest appearance by former Mayor Betty Flores; a 9:15–10:00 a.m. presentation by Dr. Julia Vassan on stress and time management; a 10:05–10:50 talk on women’s cancer and cardiovascular disease by Dr. Barry Cortes (internal medicine, Gateway Community Center); a nutrition session by Marisa (last name not specified); a business and etiquette session by Cavazos at 11:45 a.m.; and entrepreneurship presentations by Norma Rodriguez (listed as associated with small-business administration work at TAMIU) in the early afternoon.

Organizers described door prizes and a raffle: members were asked to help collect items (goal 10–15 prizes) and to participate in drawing winners; Cavazos said one prize drawing would offer a $100 gift package (spa and jewelry set) and that tickets for the raffle would be awarded based on confirmed registrants. Floral arrangements were to be provided by a named sponsor and assembled the morning of the event.

Operational details clarified at the meeting included that name tags would be preprinted and placed on a table for attendees (the commission said the Laredo Convention and Visitors Bureau would prepare them), that the VIP table would seat 10 and the commission has 16 members (commission members were asked to confirm attendance so seating and counts align), and that a hard-copy registration form would be circulated for people who cannot register via QR code.

Next steps and follow-up: members were asked to text flyers and registration links to contacts, to post the event on social media and to contact local press for promotion. The commission set a registration goal (an additional ~50 registrants beyond current counts) and agreed to reconfirm assignments and a final head count before the event.

The meeting also recorded routine business: the body approved minutes (motion made and seconded; approval recorded) and scheduled the next Commission for Women meeting for April 14 at Guerra Library.

Organizers emphasized volunteer coordination and last-minute outreach as the main outstanding tasks ahead of the conference.