Taking place at Birmingham's National Franchise Exhibition on 3 & 4 October 2008 the Women in Franchise Zone sponsored by Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs, is aimed at educating and assisting female visitors in their search for new and exciting careers in the franchising industry. Opening with a presentation from a successful Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs franchisee, the zone will continue with a series of free inspirational seminars which will provide visitors with useful ideas and tips on how to get ahead in business from a woman's perspective. The seminars will address key themes including; turning an idea into a business concept and over coming challenges. Josephine Fairley, co-founder of the organic chocolate company, Green & Blacks, will present the keynote address on Saturday 4 October. Entitled 'The highs and lows of being in business for yourself from a woman's perspective', Josephine will draw on her experiences of launching and building the Green & Blacks brand, and will discuss the key factors to consider when starting your own business venture, particularly as a woman. Also addressing 'Making it in business', will be Jessica Huie, founder of Colorblind Cards, a multicultural greeting card company which is the UK's only ethnic card range to be stocked in a high street chain, and Lara Boyle, joint founder of Beauty & the Bib, designers of bespoke baby bibs. Both Jessica and Lara will give a fascinating insight into how to build a small business from scratch, providing essential do's and dont's for women looking at going into business. Elizabeth Ashby of Venture Marketing Group, organisers of The National Franchise Exhibition commented «The Women in Franchising Zone at The National Franchise exhibition plays a vital role in helping enterprising women pursue their business goals».

The Women in Franchising Zone will form part of The National Franchise Exhibition, which takes place at Birmingham's NEC on 3 & 4 October. The event is open from 10am each day, closing at 5pm on Friday 3 October and 4pm on Saturday 4 October