MIAMI, FL (May 17, 2010) – A driving force in the cruise meetings and incentives business, and widely known as an innovative entrepreneur, Joyce Landry, CEO of Landry & Kling and co-founder of Seasite.com, was named to the Forum Governing Group of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
“It is a real privilege for me to serve on the governing group and have the opportunity to help set the tone and policy of the organization going forward,” states Landry. “As a certified women’s business enterprise (WBE) for the last four years, I have experienced firsthand the benefits of membership as well as the credibility it brings to a business. I am excited about leveraging that knowledge to help WBEs develop their capacity to meet corporate needs and gain a better understanding of how to compete in a diverse procurement environment.
“In the interest of fostering diversity, many corporations and government agencies track their spending with women-owned and other diversity suppliers. Working with companies like ours for meetings and incentive travel programs, which often involve sizeable budgets, helps major corporations reach their required threshold of spending with diversity businesses to qualify for government contracts.
“It is my goal in serving on the board to assist in creating opportunities to connect corporate buyers with certified WBEs and be an advocate of women-owned businesses as suppliers to America's corporations,” added Landry.
To achieve WBENC certification, companies go through a rigorous, multi-faceted business application and review process, which is nationally accepted by thousands of major corporations and a select group of government entities. In 2006, Landry & Kling received their national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise. Landry says that being a certified member has on various occasions provided the added edge in winning the business of Fortune 1000 companies.
According to G. Nancy Allen, President of the Women's Business Development Center (a regional partner of WBENC), Landry was invited to participate in the Forum Governing Group because she is a great advocate for women-owned businesses and truly represents the membership by engaging in business locally, nationally and internationally. “With her in this high ranking position, the Florida women business enterprises that are part of WBENC now have a voice with the national office as well as the national corporations that sponsor WBENC.”
Of the 10,000 members of WBENC, only 70 are chosen to serve on the governing group. Throughout her two-year board term, Landry will work to further the synergy between corporate members and WBEs through committee and task force participation as well as taking an active role in the organization’s global growth and expansion into Europe.
About Landry & Kling and Seasite.com
Landry & Kling Inc., cruise event specialists and pioneers of the meetings-at-sea concept, provides turnkey solutions and custom cruise logistics for ship buy-outs, incentive cruises, all kinds of meetings-at-sea and dockside ship charters for global events. Landry & Kling recently launched Seasite.com, the first online cruise platform for meeting and event planners. For oceans of information, visit www.landrykling.com or www.seasite.com or call 800-448-9002 to speak with a Cruise Advisor.
About WBENC
The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council is the nation’s largest third-party-certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the United States. WBENC is a resource for the more than 700 US companies and government agencies that rely on WBENC’s certification as an integral part of their supplier diversity programs.
WBENC’s national standard of certification is a meticulous process including an in-depth review of the business, its records and an office inspection. The certification process is designed to confirm the business is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women. Visit www.WBENC.org for more information.
