Above photo: The 2018 Women’s Leadership Conference in Hollywood, California, drew 155 attendees, including 63 first-timers.

On June 24-26, PPAI’s Women’s Leadership Conference (WLC), the foremost professional conference for women in the promotional products industry, is coming to New Orleans, Louisiana. WLC brings together a community of forward-focused, inventive and inspiring women, and gives them the opportunity to network with industry peers, have fierce conversations and develop lasting partnerships and friendships. The three-day event for PPAI members and associates also includes an extensive lineup of live education seminars, where attendees can learn from industry experts while earning credits toward certification.

WLC’s schedule and programming is built around a common theme, and for 2019 this theme encompasses the fear that professional women face daily concerning workplace responsibilities and challenges; the notion that they can’t do it, that they will fail, that they are not enough, that they  will never be able to balance work, life and wellness. The conference will emphasize how women can move past this fear and position themselves as bold leaders who can learn from and support each other. Approaching each day with courage, these professionals will learn the success tools to bolster their skills and confidence as female industry leaders, both individually and collectively.

A series of outings and community outreach activities precede the conference on June 24, and the conference kicks off that evening with a networking reception, dinner and recognition of the 2019 Woman of Achievement recipient.


Above, left: This year the conference returns to New Orleans, Louisiana, which was host city for the event in 2015.
Right: PPAI Chair Brittany David, MAS, and WLC Work Group Co-chair Kate Plummer, MAS, connect at the 2018 conference.

WLC’s education lineup includes several keynote speakers from inside and outside the promotional products industry. Author and career coach Carla Howard will start off WLC’s first full day with a general session presentation on recognizing and managing your inner critics. Several other insightful and thought-provoking speakers will also take the stage during WLC. Among them are manufacturer, futurist and inventor Julie Austin, who will speak on turning innovation into your competitive advantage in the face of industry disruption; and members of PPAI’s leadership team—Board Chair Brittany David, MAS; President and CEO Paul Bellantone, CAE; and Director of Public Affairs Anne Stone—who will deliver updates on the state of the industry and the Association’s strategic foresight.

Along with its general session speakers, WLC’s agenda includes roundtable discussions to learn from industry colleagues, and breakout opportunities for attendees to tailor the experience to their needs.

WLC concludes on Wednesday, June 26, with dinner and a view of New Orleans from a riverboat cruise. For information on the conference and to register, visit www.ppai.org/wlc.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

James Khattak is news editor of PPB.