ROCKPORT—With more than 50 women on the waiting list, Union Hall in Rockport was jam-packed Thursday night with 180 women from the Midcoast who gathered to meet, talk and celebrate being female entrepreneurs and business women. SparkME, organized by event planner Jamilah Gregory, was a through-the-roof success and everything she’d promised. The glittery black and gold decor set the backdrop for fabulous hors d'oeuvres, wine and craft beer donated by a number of restaurants, wineries and caterers.

The event didn’t feel like a staid networking event; it felt like a giant, but intimate cocktail party, with women dressed to the nines. For two hours, women mingled and posed for fun photos with props set up by Gingersnap Rentals. The mood was so exuberant that it was hard to hear some of the speakers over the chatter.

The point of the event wasn’t just to celebrate, it was to walk away inspired. Marilyn J. Geroux, District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration, kicked off the welcoming address by announcing how many loans they’d given female business owners last year. As the evening progressed, other successful female entrepreneurs spoke to the crowd from the balcony, including Kate McAleer from Bixby & Co. chocolates, who spoke of the challenges of being a female in a male-dominated chocolatier industry; Ronna Lugosch, owner of Peapod Jewelry who showed up in a giant peapod suit, talking about the importance of memorable branding; and Shannon Kinney, founder of Dream Local Digital, who spoke about balancing motherhood with business and doing our best to inspire the women who will follow in our footsteps.

To that end, the event doubled as a fundraiser for New Hope For Women.

“It’s a good possibility that many of the ladies who come to this event have been affected by domestic violence in some way,” said Gregory. “I’m hoping that the event will be a spark for many of these women who just need to keep going, keep pushing through this year.”

Stay tuned as Penobscot Bay Pilot will add a gallery of the night’s photos, coming soon.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com