inancial Women International (FWI) hosted its 82nd annual conference in Nashville, Tenn. Sept. 12 - 14, 2004. Music City USA served as an ideal backdrop for this year's theme of "Catch The Spirit." FWI packed each day of the event with inspiration, motivation and information.

At the opening ceremony on Sunday morning, the organization welcomed nearly 300 attendees, including members from Canada and Russia. A presentation by Mark Romero titled, "Infinite Dreams: Playing Beautiful Music Throughout Your Life" encouraged participants to risk pursuing their dreams and strive for balance in their lives.

Romero used a combination of insightful musings, music and visualization to share his message. He was a top performer in the electronics industry and is an accomplished musician.

During a short break, the exhibit hall opened and members flocked inside to browse the booths. Exhibitors included The Green Sheet, TransFirst, Check Mark, Inc., Graduate School of Banking, Kelly Services, Inc., K Force, Inc., FWI Foundation, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and many others offering products ranging from spa services to wardrobe items.

Sunday's keynote lunch featured motivational speaker Diana Jordan who has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, the HBO Special "Women of the Night" (highlighting five women comics) and in two feature films including "Jerry Maguire."

She is also the author of the book, "A Wife's Little Instruction Book: Your Survival Guide to Marriage Without Bloodshed." Jordan delivered an extremely entertaining and engaging presentation focused on the power of laughter to heal our lives.

New members were welcomed in the FWI Fundamental workshop in the afternoon. Another workshop prepared newly elected presidents of groups and districts for the job ahead. The day closed with a fundraiser at the famous Wild Horse Saloon. Members enjoyed a buffet dinner and then kicked up their heels on the dance floor.

Monday was another day filled to the brim with activities. The morning offered a general session presenting a panel of four bank presidents. Each woman told the audience how she had obtained her position at the bank and some of the ways in which it helped other women achieve success in the financial field.

Jordan E. Goodman was Monday's keynote lunch speaker. Goodman is the author of "Everyone's Money Book"; he is also a daily guest on radio and television call-in shows across the country, where he answers questions about personal finance topics. He has also appeared on "The Today Show," "Nightline," and on PBS, MSNBC, CNN, and CNBC.

Goodman addressed the opportunities banks now have to integrate new personal finance services and tools into their existing services. He shared his extensive experience to help FWI members understand what their clients want and how to help them meet their needs.

Three afternoon breakout sessions were well attended. Dr. Lois Frankel's presentation, "Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office" was the most popular. This session challenged attendees to explore the reasons adult women sometimes act like "little girls" and to identify some of the fundamental mistakes many women make, obstructing their path to success.

On Tuesday morning, FWI held its Annual Meeting, followed by three breakout sessions. These sessions presented information on leadership, success and how to communicate with elderly clients.

The final keynote lunch followed these sessions. The speaker, Karen Purves, discussed the five steps to becoming an effective leader. Purves' entertaining and engaging talk provided audience members with tools for using their leadership skills more effectively. And following the keynote, new officers of FWI for 2004 - 2005 were installed.

The conference ended with an awards banquet. FWI presented awards to districts and groups with the best membership retention and the most new members for the year. The foundation also awarded one lucky member a scholarship for the Graduate School of Banking. FWI also honored The Graduate School of Banking as the FWI Partner in Success for 2004.

Finally, FWI presented the Virginia D. H. Furman Outstanding Member of the Year Award to Melissa M. Curzon of San Clemente, Calif. for the exceptional dedication, commitment and passion shown in her tireless efforts on behalf of the organization.

FWI was founded in 1921 to assist women in the financial services field to be successful in their careers. This was the organization's 82nd annual conference; next year's will take place in Toronto. For more information about FWI, visit www.fwi.org .