The first day of the inaugural PRINTING United trade show kicked off with a bang, with the excitement continuing into the Opening Night Party at Gilley’s Dallas. But the conversations were only getting started, with two more days for attendees to explore the event’s show floor, education and special events. This was especially the case for the apparel decorators community, who came together to connect with their peers at the Apparel Decorators Luncheon on Thursday, October 24. For some, it was a time to network within their industry and put faces to names, while for others, it was all about learning.
The Apparel Decorators Luncheon is designed by SGIA’s Apparel Decorators Committee to motivate business leaders within the industry to continue to grow and succeed. This year’s luncheon had a great turnout. The room was filled with flowing conversations, laughs and good food, of course. It was a chance for everyone to dive into deeper conversations on issues that they are currently facing in their businesses and the overall industry today.
Brian Adam, President and Owner of Olympus Group, was the luncheon’s keynote speaker. Obsessed with corporate culture, Brian has been recognized by Glassdoor as one of the top 25 CEOs to work for in the U.S. — an achievement to say the least. He also may have been a familiar face for some attendees, as he was a THREADX 2019 presenter whose session was ranked the highest. The Apparel Decorators Committee wanted to have him return — this time, to PRINTING United — with a spin on the presentation with new information.
It is truly hard to walk out of the room not having any takeaways with the details Brian goes into. His luncheon presentation, “Tips to Turn Your Corporate Culture into a Competitive Advantage,” resonated with everyone in the room, as several attendees were seen jotting down notes.
Brian dove into just how important culture in the workplace is and the long-term benefits for your business, while sharing several engagement-boosting practices and easy-to-implement tips guaranteed to improve overall employee engagement. This includes making them feel welcome from day one — ensuring a new hire’s manager is waiting at the door to greet them and taking them to their already setup work station. Brian is also keen on fostering open, honest dialogue, having “exit interviews” with his current employees — where they can freely share their thoughts on their job and the organization — and also encouraging them to write Glassdoor reviews (whether positive or negative).
If you haven’t had the chance to see Brian Adam at either event, you can check out his blog post, “Why Employee Engagement Matters.”
And the conversation on all things business will continue for apparel decorators at the third annual THREADX conference, February 23 - 25, 2020, at The Saguaro Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona. Register today before rates increase in two weeks!