It's new, unique and ... wow!

Imagine a world, or rather a village, that you could "connect" with by just sitting down and talking. So begins the invitation to join a unique new global community that calls itself WOW. Women of the World, Beyond 2000 (WOW2000) is the brainchild of Canadian Donna Messer, author of Effective Networking Strategies and recent winner of the Woman of the Year competition.

In preparation for the first WOW summit in Toronto next August, Ms Messer is inviting "passport applications" from women who would like to benefit from access to the Global Village right away and to connect with each other via the Internet. Newly arrived "citizens" will be surrounded, electronically speaking, by other female entrepreneurs who will talk business, networking, joint ventures and increased profit.

For another breed of woman - who moves round the world, often in pursuit of her husband's career, and wants to work but doesn't - there is WIN rather WOW. Working Internationally Now (WIN) is geared up to hold its second international conference in Milan, at the end of September. This year's event promises "winning strategies for women in the global era". Seminars,workshops and open forums are being presented by a selection of globally aware women.

Then there is a third "W" event, this time calling itself WOTM. In March 2000 the sixth biennial Women on the Move conference will be held in London. Like its sisters, it will be aimed at mobile women who work, or who are on the cusp of working, and at human resources people.

Nancy Roebke does not run conferences nor does she have dreams of creating a global community. Yet she too is a firm believer in the value of international networking for sharing skills and ideas and widening your market.

Her free bi-weekly e-mail newsletter Network News is packed with no-frills information and advice from other international network addicts the world over. Subjects in recent issues have included the power of auto-responders, reciprocity, and improving online sales and customer loyalty. Members are invited to write, respond, contribute, or advertise their wares. It's a simple concept, that appears not to have bitten off more than it can chew and costs nothing. And men can go too.

n For more information about the organisations mentioned above please refer to:

WOW2000http://www.womenoftheworld2000.com

WIN99http://www.winconference.com

WOTM 2000http://www.focus-info.org

For your copy of Network News contact Nancy Roebke on e-mail: execdirector@profnet.org- WOW and WIN.rtf