More than 100 industry women from across North America attended the 10^th Women’s Empowerment Event (WEE), hosted by the Promotional Products Professionals of Canada (PPPC) on May 3 and 4 in Mono, ON. It was the highest number of attendees the event has welcomed since its inception in 2009.

Women from across the industry gather at the Adamo Estate Winery for the gala dinner; credit: WEE Committee

According to WEE Committee Co-Chair Carol de Ville, president of The Branding Company in Brantford, ON, 33% of the 104 attendees traveled across provincial borders, 28% were first-timers, 10% flew in from the U.S., and the group was almost evenly split between suppliers and distributors. “It demonstrates that this event is a must-have for the industry,” she says.

Committee Co-Chair Ann Baiden, CEO and founder of Innovatex Solutions (asi/231194) in Richmond Hill, ON, says her inbox has been full of appreciative emails from attendees in the days after the event’s conclusion.

“WEE has been my favorite industry event since the first one in 2009,” she says. “To watch it flourish over the past 10 years into what we experienced last week is nothing short of awesome! It never ceases to amaze me that a room of competitors can come together and create an environment without walls and an energy that allows friendships to flourish to better our industry. From the incredible speakers that evoked learning, tears and laughter, to the celebratory gala dinner, the event had undeniable value.”

Attendees greet friends and settle in before the first educational session with Frances Biernacki of Clear Concepts.

The two days at the Hockley Valley Resort combined educational sessions with team-building activities and networking events. Attendees also enjoyed a special 10^th anniversary gala dinner on Friday, thanks to Gold sponsor SAGE, while Platinum sponsors ASI and ASI Show headlined the “Night Under the Stars” after-party; both were held at the nearby Adamo Estate Winery.

Lanterns from Debco (asi/48885) add ambiance to the 10th anniversary gala dinner at Adamo Estate Winery.

Attendees received Cinema Light Boxes (SM-2698) from Bullet (asi/42424) during the ASI-sponsored after-party; credit: Michelle Merrifield

The event gained real momentum several years ago, says de Ville. “Through lots of brainstorming, we built a sponsorship program and approached our valued-added industry partners,” she says. “It was the start of an amazing journey. Supplier partners, distributor partners and industry associations came forward and now we’re able to build budgets, source funding, attract talented speakers, produce a dynamic agenda, incorporate networking parties and deliver a program that continues to raise the bar.”

On Friday, May 3, educational opportunities included a session entitled “Powerful Communications: Thriving in Today’s Promotional Products Industry” with Frances Biernacki, a consultant at Clear Concepts, a Richmond Hill, ON-based productivity and leadership training organization, who discussed improving workplace communications to bring team efficiency and productivity to optimal levels. “Communicating well is critical to our success,” she told the audience. “Effective delivery of your message hits your listener in both the head and the heart, and harnessing that is very powerful.”

Frances Biernacki of Clear Concepts presents on optimal workplace communication.

Speaker Lisa Leitch, a strategist and coach from sales training firm Teneo Results in Norwich, ON, presented “Your Star Power: Be Strategic, Proactive & Brave,” and offered suggestions on encouraging teams to adapt to change. “How do companies continue to add value?” she asked. “Your company has to change, and fast. But some employees are resistant because they think the status quo is just fine. Work to have your team understand and support change.”

Lisa Leitch of Teneo Results discusses handling necessary change at companies in order to adapt and grow.

Attendees received a champagne toast in vacuum champagne flutes (SM-6999) from Bullet to round out the first day of the event.

On Saturday, May 4, breakout sessions included “Finding the Perfect Match: Recruitment & Retention” with Pauline James of Thornhill, ON-based Anchor HR and Jennifer Lahey of Whitby, ON-based Predictive Success Corporation; and “The Legalities of Artwork: Who Owns What” with Ashlee Froese of Froese Law in Toronto.

Pauline James (L) of Anchor HR and Jennifer Lahey of Predictive Success Corporation present on best practices for recruitment and retention.

James and Lahey covered both the recruitment and retention processes, and the employer’s and employee’s roles in each step: application, interview, assessment, development and engagement. “The candidate looks for the perfect role,” said James, “while the employer looks for the perfect person. ‘What is your main challenge?’ is the question both parties should ask themselves.”

Lahey stressed the importance of employers understanding potential hires and employees as “whole” people from the “Briefcase” level (education, knowledge and skills), to the “Heart” level (values, passions and beliefs) to the “Head” level (behavior and cognitive ability). “Employers spend too much time at the Briefcase level,” she said. “Emotional needs also have to be met.”

In “Staying Afloat When Life Hits You with an Emotional Tsunami” industry veteran Mel Sibbitt of Two Crazy Ladies (asi/347888) in Toronto, presented a stirring and emotionally charged session based on a period of personal challenges and upheaval that would upend even the steadiest person. In her hour-long session, Sibbitt, a PPPC Image Award winner, recounted how, in a relatively short span of time in 2013, she lost her beloved father, moved to a new city, overhauled her business and bought a houseboat in Victoria, BC. Sibbitt shared how one traumatic and tumultuous moment had a lasting and profound impact on her life: The same day her favorite pet died in her arms, a blaring and jarring alarm went off, signifying an impended tsunami on the very body of water where her floating home was docked.

Sibbitt credits her success to perseverance, listening to her clients and surrounding herself with an incredible number of people that have supported her through her journey: “We need to talk and listen to each other, and help people know that it’s OK to share if they’re experiencing signs of depression.”

Noting that mental health and wellness in the workplace are very important topics, Sibbitt cited the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMAH), which reports that in any given year, one in five people in Canada will personally experience a mental health problem or illness. Mental illness affects people of all ages, education, income levels and cultures. Approximately 8% of adults will experience major depression at some time in their lives. In response to that, forward-thinking and empathetic companies like Trimark (asi/92121; Canada 92122), PCNA’s apparel arm, offer onsite mental health classes and employee advocates who are specifically trained for peer counseling. “Now that kind of initiative,” Sibbitt said, “can make all the difference in someone’s life.”

Canadian triathlete Lisa Bentley also addressed the attendees, in a session called “Transforming Adversity Into Mastery Like a Pro: Be a Life Champion.” Bentley won 11 Ironman triathlons despite suffering from cystic fibrosis. “In a stressful situation, it’s easy to forget who you are,” she said. “You tell yourself, ‘I’m not good enough, so I might as well stop.’ Instead, continuously feed yourself the reasons you’ll succeed. Be your own biggest fan. A true champion finds success despite adversity, and adversity always leads to greatness.”

The final speaker of the event was happiness and resilience trainer Hailey Patry of The Lifted Lid in Toronto, who shared her personal story of emotional and physical pain and how it led her to her life coaching career, in a session entitled “Star Power: When Your Inner Light Shines So Bright, It Lights the Path.”

Hailey Patry of The Lifted Lid discusses her personal story and how to overcome adversity to achieve success and happiness.

“Our stories are not meant to be kept hidden,” she said. “Make them public to help yourself and others. And remember that happiness pays, unhappiness costs. Eliminate clutter and overwhelm, and plan your life so that everything important gets time. Declare your goals like promises.”

First-time attendee Ashley Chan, administrative and sustainability specialist at Redwood Classics Apparel (asi/81627) in Toronto, says WEE was an “inspirational” and “empowering” experience. “It added to what I already know, and everyone’s so friendly,” she says. “I feel like everyone here is really supportive of each other on their life’s journey.”

Krystal Siokas, president of ESPRIT Communication & Marketing (asi/189426) in Montreal and a member of the event’s sub-committee, has attended eight WEEs. “It’s not a competitive environment at all,” she says. “I’m a distributor, exchanging with other distributors, even those in my own backyard. I don’t feel any reservation. It’s really enjoyable, like we’re all from the same company. I love hearing when my competitor says she’s doing well, and when we genuinely share ideas.”

Another WEE regular is Becky Provily, customer service manager at Talbot Marketing (asi/341500) in London, ON, who’s celebrating 32 years with the distributor this year and nine years of WEE. She says there’s something for everyone, regardless of how many years they’ve spent in the industry.

“It started small, maybe like 20 women, and then it grew through word of mouth,” she says. “I keep coming back for the networking and to see friends from all over. Everyone is open and friendly. It gives you affirmation and action items you can bring back to your company. We all get caught up in the day-to-day, so it’s nice to have some rejuvenating time.”

Attendees also received a variety of promotional products to commemorate the event, including a long-sleeve Preloved shirt from Redwood Classics Apparel, stemless wine glasses (1919) from Moderne Glass (asi/71920), vacuum champagne flutes (SM-6999) from Bullet (asi/42424) and Revolution Umbrellas (2351MM) from Peerless Umbrella (asi/76730), all of which fit nicely into RuMe Classic Medium Totes (100018-412) from Gemline Canada (asi/56071).

The WEE Committee coordinated a myriad of promo products, including drinkware, apparel, sweet treats and a shimmery notebook with the event agenda inside, all of which matched the event's "under the stars" theme.

“So much work goes into planning this event,” says Kate Plummer, WEE Committee Associate Chair and vice president of sales & marketing for Clearmount (asi/45440) in Scarborough, ON. “But each of us does it because we know what we’ve gotten from WEE and want to make sure more women can find their community and build strong and long-lasting friendships. It was amazing at the 10^th year that we had so many first-timers and so many people returning. It had a special energy where we could sit down as colleagues and not clients and competitors. So many of us work alone or in small companies, so having this opportunity to build our network and find friendship and mentorship has such lasting impact.” –With Michele Bell, ASI’s Senior Executive Director of Editorial & Special Events

For more information on WEE, contact PPPC’s Jenny Steinke-Magnus at jennysm@pppc.ca and go to wee.pppc.ca.