If you are a regular follower of events and activities at Babson’s Center for Women’s Leadership, you already know that for the first time in a dozen years (even longer if you count the amazing student-run conferences back in the days when) we will not be holding our Annual Women’s Leadership Conference this autumn. Why? What’s going on?

Late January 2009, we began our usual discussions with sponsors, with supporters and with potential speakers. We quickly discovered just how deeply the economic downturn affected their ability to make commitments. Even organizations that were in strong or at least stable shape, financially, still faced the difficult challenge of employees, customers and suppliers that were unsure, even frightened.

Because of the exceptionally strong relationships we’ve developed with these organizations over the years, this just wasn’t something we could blow off with a “Well, everyone’s in the same boat” attitude. So in the space of one intense staff meeting/brainstorming session we went from trying to figure out ways to get support, to finding ways to give back something to these amazing organizations who have been there with us and for us for so many years. What follows is the intro to the message we then sent to fourteen organizations:

Our Gift To Our Conference Sponsors and Supporters: The 2009 Women’s Leadership “Thank-You”Mini-Conferences…Rather than make 2009 another year of asking you for your sponsorship or to support women attending our Annual Women’s Leadership Conference, we want to make this the year for telling you “Thank You.” Thank you for everything you have done in years past to support CWL, to make our Conferences so successful and for publically underscoring your strong commitment to employing and developing talented women.

So far, ten have contacted us—mostly in amazement—and certainly in gratitude for reaching out to them during tight times. Eight are in the process of working with us to create these Thank-You Mini-Conferences, to be delivered on-site, at their organizations, free of charge.

In the meantime, we’re also hosting a dynamic set of programs and events that, while they can’t ever replace the buzz of our Conference, will give hundreds of women opportunities to explore cutting-edge issues, meet experts and continue the CWL tradition of building strong and lasting relationships.

In some ways, this was a tough decision. In others, we felt like it was really a no-brainer. What’s your view?

Submitted by: Janelle Shubert, Director, The Center for Women’s Leadership