The Women’s Conference 2010 will showcase more than 140 speakers and participants to inspire, empower and educate more than 30,000 attendees for three full days. The world class lineup will be led by Laila Ali, Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz, Martha Beck, Mary J. Blige, Erin Brockovich, Campbell Brown, Deepak Chopra, Rosario Dawson, Paula Deen, Giada De Laurentiis, Linda Ellerbee, Giselle Fernandez, Sally Field, Jane Fonda, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Gregory, Arianna Huffington, Women for Hire CEO Tory Johnson, Donna Karan, Billie Jean King, New York Times Columnist Nicholas Kristof, Matt Lauer, Omega Institute Co-Founder Elizabeth Lesser, Journalists Laura Ling and Lisa Ling, Jillian Michaels, Former Chairman & CEO, Xerox Corporation Anne Mulcahy, The Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor, Poet Mary Oliver, Suze Orman,Dr. Mehmet Oz, Robert Redford, Tony Robbins, Deborah Roberts, Al Roker, Diane Sawyer, The Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop and Primate The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Howard Schultz, Maria Elena Salinas, Jessica Simpson, Anna Deavere Smith, Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks, President, Disney/ABC Television Group Anne Sweeney, “The Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro, Kerry Washington, Ali Wentworth and Oprah Winfrey.

“I am honored to again be hosting what has become the nation’s premier forum for women,” said Shriver. “With this year’s theme of ‘It’s Time,’ we are hoping The Women’s Conference inspires women to see this challenging moment in history as an opportunity to come together and transform ourselves, our communities and our world as Architects of Change.”

The Women’s Conference 2010 will kick off on Sunday, October 24 with Maria Shriver’s March on Alzheimer’s and candlelight vigil in the Shoreline Village area of Long Beach. Joining Maria Shriver will be Event Emcee Leeza Gibbons and Event Co-Chairs, actor Peter Gallagher and Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines. Additional celebrity co-chairs and event entertainment will be announced in the coming weeks. Maria Shriver has been a long-time advocate for families like hers who are struggling with Alzheimer’s and the march will bring together thousands of families, friends, caregivers, community members and conference attendees to raise funds and awareness to fight the disease. Online registration for Maria Shriver’s March on Alzheimer’s is now open at http://www.womensconference.org. A minimum donation of $25 is required to sign-up for the march and all participants will be encouraged to raise additional funds to support the work of the Alzheimer’s Association, the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research.

“Alzheimer’s is a mind-blowing disease that disproportionately impacts women – both as victims and caretakers of loved one’s suffering from it,” said Shriver. “With more than 5 million people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in this country and a new diagnosis every 70 seconds, I believe it’s time to pick up the pace and start marching to defeat this devastating disease.”

On Sunday evening, October 24, the first day of The Women’s Conference 2010 will culminate with the presentation of its inaugural Night at the Theater event. Night at the Theater will feature a star-studded live performance of “Love, Loss, and What I Wore,” the intimate collection of stories written by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron based on the book by Ilene Beckerman. Additional information about the event, including venue, ticket information and confirmed cast, will be announced later this summer.

On Monday, October 25, the second day of the conference will begin with A Day of Health, Wellness & Transformation,which will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Due to popular demand, the second-annual event will be doubled in size to more than 3,200 attendees. Hosted by Maria Shriver and organized around the theme of “It’s Time…To Take Action,” the event will feature more than 20 world-class issue experts leading interactive sessions packed with practical tips, tools and takeaways for how attendees can transform themselves personally and professionally and become Architects of Change in their lives. Session topics include “how-to’s” such as Take Action in Your Own Life, Lead Like A Woman, Negotiate Effectively at Work & Home, Leverage the Web to Get Ahead, Enjoy a Successful Love Life, and Find Your Frank and Fearless Voice, among others. Confirmed speakers for A Day of Health, Wellness & Transformation include Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra, Martha Beck, Sally Field, Giselle Fernandez, Tory Johnson, Dr. Marie Savard, Author Gail Sheehy, Elizabeth Lesser, Black Enterprise MagazineEditorial Director Sonia Alleyne, Dr. Robert Epstein and New York University Professor Carol Gilligan, among others.

The conference’s second day will be capped off with the third-annual Night at The Village from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Night at The Village will transform the Long Beach Convention Center’s exhibit hall into an over 160,000 square foot women’s village for more than 10,000 attendees. Hosted by Maria Shriver and organized around the theme of “It’s Time…To Experience the Best,” the event will feature: stage conversations with prominent speakers, notable personalities and women entrepreneurs such as Paula Deen, Jessica Simpson, Jane Fonda, Donna Karan, Giada De Laurentiis, Ali WentworthBuddy Valastro; stage interviews and book signings with more than 20 best-selling authors such as Caroline Kennedy, Jamie Lee Curtis, Meghan McCain, Kim Barnouin, Cat Cora, “The Biggest Loser’s” Bob Harper, The Happiness Project Author Gretchen Rubin, Fresh MexicoAuthor Marcela Valladolid, Holly Robinson Peete & Rodney Peete and Katherine Schwarzenegger; live entertainment, a fashion show and cooking exhibitions; and interactive shopping experiences with women-focused products, services and information from more than 330 exhibitors. The Village stays open throughout the conference and is a popular gathering spot for speakers, authors and attendees. and “The Cake Boss”

On Tuesday, October 26, more than 70 world opinion leaders and approximately 14,000 attendees will gather at the conference’s Main Event from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Organized around the theme of “It’s Time…To Be An Architect of Change,” the Main Event will once again be a place for the conference’s signature once-in-a-lifetime conversations and news-making moments that combine the world’s most authentic and influential voices in discussions about the issues that matter most to women and shape their lives. Program highlights from the Main Event’s main stage conversations and 14 “breakout conversations” include:

· Diane Sawyer will moderate a “once-in-a-lifetime conversation” between The Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg;

· A “kitchen table conversation” between Matt Lauer and Arnold Schwarzenegger where the Governor will reflect on lessons learned from his seven years in office and discuss what’s next;

· Dr. Oz and Lisa Oz will moderate a conversation titled “It’s Time to Talk About Marriage and Relationships: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly” between Al Roker & Deborah Roberts and Hal Rubenstein & David Nickle;

· Campbell Brown will moderate a conversation titled “It’s Time to Talk to Women Who Know Firsthand What It Takes to Lead” between Carol Bartz, Anne Mulcahy, The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori and Anne Sweeney; and

· The Women’s Conference will honor the year’s most remarkable women with the presentation of the prestigious Minerva Awards during the afternoon main stage session of the Main Event.The special ceremony will be hosted by Maria Shriver and will feature remarks by Mary J. Blige and the five 2010 Minerva Award honorees Oprah Winfrey, The Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor, Oral Lee Brown, Sister Terry Dodge and Carolyn Blashek. The Minerva Awards ceremony will culminate with a special concert event that will be announced at a later date.

Tickets will be available for purchase online next Wednesday, June 23 at 9:00 a.m. PDT at www.WomensConference.org. Full day tickets for conference’s Main Event on Tuesday, October 26 can be purchased for $250 (Loge View), $185 (Balcony View) and $150 (Partial View Balcony). In addition, a limited number of tables situated on the arena floor will sell for $3,900 for a table of 12. Tickets to Night at The Village on Monday, October 25 will sell for $40. An individual ticket to A Day of Health, Wellness & Transformation on Monday, October 25 can be purchased for $165. Individual tickets for the special Minerva Awards presentation ceremony during the Afternoon Session of The Women’s Conference Main Event on October 27 will sell for $50.

The mission of the California Governor & First Lady’s Conference on Women, the non-profit organization that produces The Women’s Conference event, is to create Architects of Change – people from all walks of life who see a problem and seek to create the solution, be it in their home, their community, their state or our world. Proceeds from The Women’s Conference Main Event, Night at The Village and A Day of Health, Wellness & Transformation benefit the organization’s WE Programs. The Women’s Conference has formed strategic partnerships with established organizations to create lasting change through its six far-reaching programs – WE Educate, WE Invest, WE Connect, WE Act, WE Inspire and WE Honor. Through these programs, The Women’s Conference community works together 24/7 on the front-lines of humanity to finance dreams and invest in entrepreneurs, lift people out of poverty, help end the cycle of domestic violence, send young women to college, build community centers, playgrounds and gardens, honor courage, wisdom and strength, and inspire people by the remarkable history of their state.

WomensConference.org — The Home for Architects of Change — has become a thriving online community of more than one million women who visit the site to be empowered with daily editorial and video content, inspirational conversations and stories, and life-changing tips, tools and resources.

The Women’s Conference 2010 is supported by nearly 60 generous sponsors and partners that share its mission of empowering, inspiring and educating women. Many of our sponsors have been with us for all seven years under Shriver’s leadership, including Safeway, who returns as a Conference Presenting Sponsor and Target, who returns as The Minerva Awards Presenting Sponsor. Lean Cuisine returns as A Night at The Village Presenting Sponsor, and the Shinnyo-en Foundation returns to present A Day of Health, Wellness and Transformation. New sponsor Kodak will join the Conference this year as a Presenting Sponsor.

For more information about The Women’s Conference organization, events and WE programs, visit: http://www.womensconference.org.