Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit 2027

Four days in Las Vegas that could change the trajectory of your career — panels, power players, and a gala worth dressing up for.

Introduction

Some conferences fill a badge lanyard. The BLACK ENTERPRISE Women of Power Summit fills a Rolodex — and a bank account, and a résumé, and sometimes a whole career pivot. Every March, more than a thousand Black women executives, entrepreneurs, board members, and rising leaders descend on the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas for four days of executive development, unapologetic celebration, and the kind of room-level access that simply doesn't exist anywhere else. This isn't a networking mixer with a keynote bolted on. It's an institution — now heading into its third decade — built specifically for women who are running companies, running divisions, or building the company they'll be running next. If you've been eyeing this one from the outside, here's everything you need to know before you book the flight.

Event at a Glance

• Event: BLACK ENTERPRISE Women of Power Summit 2027
• Host Organization: Black Enterprise
• City & Venue: Bellagio Hotel & Casino, 3600 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
• Dates: March 7–11, 2027
• Best For: C-suite executives, senior corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, board members, and rising leaders in business
• Signature Programming: Legacy Awards Gala, Luminary Award ceremony, executive development workshops, the Crowning Glory Celebration
• Networking Level: Very high — Fortune 500 executives, celebrity honorees, and founders attend in person
• Dress Code: Business professional by day, upscale evening wear at night, all-white attire for the closing celebration
• Recommended Trip Length: 4–5 days
• Registration Types: Single registration and group registration (discounted rate for parties of five or more)

History and Mission of the Summit

BLACK ENTERPRISE has been the leading voice in business, wealth-building, and career advancement for Black professionals since Earl G. Graves Sr. launched the magazine in 1970. The Women of Power Summit grew out of that mission but with its own founder: Barbara Graves, mother of current CEO Earl "Butch" Graves Jr., created it to give Black women executives a dedicated space to be developed, celebrated, and connected at the highest level. The summit launched in 2006 and has run every year since, growing from a modest gathering into one of the most anticipated events on the Black executive calendar. Its most recent edition, marking the 20th anniversary in March 2026, drew more than 1,500 Black women executives, entrepreneurs, and visionaries to the Grand Ballroom at the Bellagio. Two decades in, the mission hasn't changed: develop Black women professionally, honor them publicly, and connect them in ways that turn into real business.

Why It Matters

Black women remain dramatically underrepresented in the C-suite and on corporate boards, and the paths that typically lead there — sponsorship, informal mentorship, being in the room when decisions get made — have historically been harder to access. The Women of Power Summit exists to close that gap directly. It's a space where being a Black woman executive is the norm, not the exception, and where the honorees on stage are Fortune 500 leaders, hospitality executives, and entertainment icons who look like the audience watching them. That representation isn't symbolic — it translates into real mentorship, real introductions, and real deals that start as a hallway conversation between sessions. For an industry conference to matter, it needs to change outcomes, not just moods. This one has a two-decade track record of doing both.

Who Should Attend

This summit is built for C-suite and senior corporate executives looking for peer-level development and visibility; entrepreneurs and founders scaling a business who need capital connections and strategic partners; board members and aspiring board members building governance credentials; rising leaders and high-potential managers who want to be in rooms above their current title; corporate diversity, equity, and talent leaders benchmarking programming; and consultants, coaches, and service providers whose clients are Black women in business. If your goal is executive-level development and access rather than entry-level career fair energy, this is your room.

What to Expect

The summit runs across four packed days, and recent editions have followed a consistent rhythm worth planning around. Day one typically opens with orientation programming for first-time attendees, plus the Legacy Awards Gala as the evening's centerpiece. Day two leans technical, with workshops on skills like AI literacy and career strategy — the most recent edition included an "AI Practical Playbook" led by a Salesforce executive and a "Passport to Power" session on international career experience. Day three shifts toward wellness, with morning motivational programming and workshops on stress management, boundary-setting, and health topics specific to Black women. Day four closes with financial coaching sessions, the black-tie-adjacent Crowning Glory Celebration (an all-white affair), an anniversary brunch, and the Luminary Award ceremony. Recent Legacy and Luminary honorees have included Angela Bassett, Carla Harris, Shellye Archambeau, Rosalind Brewer, Angela Rye, Bozoma Saint John, and Las Vegas Raiders president Sandra Douglass Morgan — a signal of the caliber to expect, even as each year's specific honoree list is announced closer to the event.

Career and Business Growth Opportunities

This is not a passive-attendance event. Executive development panels are designed to sharpen the skills that get women promoted into and retained at the top: negotiation, executive presence, board readiness, and navigating corporate politics without losing yourself in the process. Entrepreneurs get direct exposure to funding conversations, brand partnership opportunities, and peer founders solving the same operational problems. Workshops on AI and emerging skills exist specifically so attendees don't fall behind on the tools reshaping their industries. And because so many honorees and speakers are themselves sitting executives, the summit routinely turns into an informal talent pipeline — attendees have been hired, promoted, and brought onto boards as a direct result of relationships built in that ballroom.

Networking Strategy

Set specific goals before you land — three names, three companies, or three types of connections you want to leave with, not a vague hope to "meet people." Attend the smaller workshops and breakout sessions as seriously as the big keynotes; some of the most useful conversations happen in a 40-person room, not a 1,500-person ballroom. Do your homework on the confirmed speaker and honoree list ahead of time so you can approach a conversation with a specific, informed question rather than a generic introduction. Treat every meal, elevator ride, and pool deck conversation as part of the event — this crowd doesn't clock out at 6 p.m. And follow up within 48 hours of getting home, while your name and your conversation are still fresh in someone's memory.

Sessions to Prioritize

If you're early career or newly senior, prioritize the first-time-attendee orientation and any executive presence or personal branding sessions. If you're actively fundraising or scaling, look for programming on capital access, brand partnerships, and entrepreneurship. If you're eyeing a board seat, prioritize any governance or "board readiness" track. Everyone should make room for at least one wellness or financial-coaching session — burnout and wealth-building are treated as core professional issues here, not afterthoughts — and for the Legacy Awards Gala and Luminary Award ceremony, which are as much strategic networking events as they are celebrations.

How to Prepare

Register as early as your calendar allows — group rates require five or more attendees, so coordinate with colleagues or your professional network well ahead of time if you want that pricing. Book your hotel room at or near the Bellagio the moment you register; the host property fills its block quickly for a citywide-caliber crowd. Review the agenda and confirmed speaker list as they're released and build a personal priority list rather than trying to attend everything. Refresh your LinkedIn, your one-line professional bio, and your business cards. And pack a suitcase that can flex from all-day business sessions to a black-tie gala to an all-white closing celebration — this event has more wardrobe range than most.

Dress Guidance

Daytime sessions call for business professional attire — think tailored suiting, elevated separates, or sheath dresses with blazers. Evening receptions and the Legacy Awards Gala trend upscale cocktail to formal, so pack at least one statement gown or elegant evening look. The closing Crowning Glory Celebration is traditionally all-white, so plan that outfit specifically rather than improvising in Vegas. Comfortable, presentable shoes matter more than people expect — the Bellagio's convention space is large, and you'll be on your feet moving between sessions, the expo, and the ballroom all day.

Where to Stay

Staying at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino itself is worth the splurge if your budget allows — for an event built around in-person access, being steps from every session, reception, and impromptu lobby conversation is a real advantage, and check-in/check-out (3 p.m./11 a.m.) lines up cleanly with a Sunday-to-Thursday summit trip. Just note that a nightly resort fee applies on top of the room rate. If the host hotel is sold out or above budget, Vdara Hotel & Spa offers a quieter, all-suite, non-casino option an easy walk away via the CityCenter walkways. ARIA Resort & Casino and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas are both a short walk or quick rideshare down the Strip and offer strong dining and spa options for decompressing after a long conference day. Whichever you choose, book early — March convention season and Bellagio's own draw make rooms disappear fast.

Where to Eat

You don't have to leave the Bellagio to eat exceptionally well. Carbone brings its acclaimed Italian-American red-sauce menu to the Strip and is a strong pick for a celebratory group dinner. Le Cirque, with views of the fountains, is the move for an elegant business dinner. Prime Steakhouse, from chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, suits a client or mentor dinner, and Harvest by Roy Ellamar offers a lighter, farm-to-table option for breakfast or lunch between sessions. For a change of scenery, é by José Andrés and China Poblano, both at The Cosmopolitan, are a short walk away. Book ahead wherever possible — Vegas fine dining fills up fast during any citywide event.

City Guide

Most of your trip will happen inside the Bellagio's convention complex, and that's by design — but if you can carve out even a half day, Las Vegas has a genuine Black history worth seeing. The Historic Westside, just northwest of downtown, was the center of Black life in Las Vegas during the era of Strip segregation and is home to the site of the Moulin Rouge Hotel, which opened in 1955 as the first racially integrated hotel-casino in the country. The Moulin Rouge closed within months but became historically significant again in 1960, when a meeting held there produced the agreement that formally desegregated the Las Vegas Strip — a short rideshare from the Bellagio and a meaningful stop for anyone who wants their trip to include more than the casino floor. Beyond that, Strip logistics are simple: everything from the fountains to CityCenter's shops is walkable, and rideshare covers the rest.

After-Hours and Receptions

The programmed evenings are where this summit earns its reputation. The Legacy Awards Gala and the closing Crowning Glory Celebration are the two marquee formal events, but expect sponsor-hosted receptions, industry mixers, and smaller VIP gatherings threaded throughout the week as well. Treat these as extensions of the conference, not optional add-ons — deals, introductions, and mentorships happen there as often as they do in session rooms. Pace yourself across four days; this is a marathon of relationship-building, not a single big night out, and you'll want to be sharp for the morning programming that follows.

Budget Guide

Registration for the 2027 summit runs $1,895 per person for single registration, with a discounted group rate of $1,595 per person for parties of five or more — coordinating with colleagues to hit that group threshold is one of the easiest ways to cut costs. On top of registration, budget for Bellagio (or comparable) lodging plus nightly resort fees, flights, ground transportation, meals, at least two elevated evening outfits, and an all-white look for the closing celebration. If you're attending as a business expense, keep every receipt and confirm deductibility with a tax professional.

ROI and Follow-Up

Decide before you arrive what success looks like — a specific number of new strategic contacts, a mentor relationship, a capital introduction, or simply visibility with a set of honorees and speakers. Aim for depth over volume: five or six meaningful conversations will outperform fifty rushed business-card exchanges. Follow up within 48 hours of getting home while the conversation is still fresh, connect on LinkedIn with a specific reference to what you discussed, and calendar a real next step — a call, a coffee, an introduction — rather than letting the connection go cold. The summit opens doors; what you do in the following two weeks determines whether they stay open.

First-Timer Tips

Take advantage of any first-time-attendee orientation offered on day one — it's designed specifically to help newcomers navigate the week. Don't try to attend every single session; leave room to breathe and to follow interesting conversations that come up organically. Bring more business cards than you think you'll need, and a phone charger or portable battery, since you'll be using your phone constantly for schedules and note-taking. Introduce yourself confidently even to strangers — nearly everyone in that ballroom is also there to meet new people, including the honorees. And don't skip the wellness and financial programming in favor of only "networking" sessions; some of the most valuable material at this summit isn't about your next job, it's about sustaining the career and life you're already building.

Mark Your Calendar

The BLACK ENTERPRISE Women of Power Summit returns to the Bellagio Hotel & Casino March 7–11, 2027. Registration is open now, with single and group rates available — group registration requires five or more attendees, so start coordinating with your network today if you want that discount. Book your hotel as soon as you register, since host-property rooms move quickly for an event of this caliber.

Final Takeaway

Two decades in, the Women of Power Summit has become something rarer than a good conference: an institution that Black women executives build their year around. It's part masterclass, part homecoming, part black-tie celebration — and for the right attendee, it's a genuine inflection point in a career. If you've been on the fence about making the trip to Las Vegas, this is the year to stop watching the recap videos and be in the room.

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