In 2018, the city of Myrtle Beach will play host to the 8th Annual Women's Leadership Conference and Celebration of Inspiring Women, presented by Women in Philanthropy and Leadership for Coastal Carolina. The conference has been set for February 5-6, 2018, at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel. There will be several inspiring speakers this year, including Barbara Pierce Bush and Jenna Bush Hager.

The Women's Leadership Conference and Celebration of Inspiring Women brings together women from all walks of life for two days of education, professional and personal development, and networking. Entrepreneurs, professionals, community volunteers and activists, students, moms, and women in transition all enjoy this dynamic program with incredible opportunities to learn and grow.

The 2018 program will feature notable speakers from the fields of business, science, culture and more. ‌‌Speakers include:

• Cara Brookins, author of Rise: How a House Built a Family, which details the extraordinary true story of taking the greatest risk of her life in order to heal from the unthinkable
• Barbara Pierce Bush, CEO and co-founder of Global Health Corps (GHC), a global community of young leaders to build the movement for health equity; daughter of former U.S. President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush
• Jenna Bush Hager, author of bestseller Ana’s Story: A Journey of Hope; daughter of former U.S. President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush
• Julia Landauer‌, two-time NASCAR champion and advocate for STEM education and women's empowerment
• Joan Robinson-Berry, vice president and general manager of Boeing South Carolina
• Sharon Suchoval, founder of Advice for My Daughter, a blog to inspire women and the people who raise them
• Barbara Hickman Whye, vice president of human resources and chief diversity and inclusion officer at Intel Corp.

The Celebration of Inspiring Women honors remarkable individuals and celebrates their contributions to our state, region, nation and world. The awards were created as an important and lasting way to recognize the incredible achievements of women with ties to South Carolina. Since the program's inception in 2011, 37 women have been recognized; 2018 honorees include Joan Robinson-Berry and Amber Campbell.

Registration for the conference is now open. For more information, or to register, go to www.wiplconference.com.