by Marlena Sullivan, Exhibit City News
Connections drive experiences. When the annual Women in Experiential breakfast was held at EXHIBITORLIVE on February 28th, this was the sentiment shared across speakers and attendees alike. The morning began with warm coffees and teas, breakfast to share, and lively conversations between women across the experiential umbrella. As a first comer, I was welcomed by a variety of women who were excited to share, not only their experiences, but their words of women.
Women in Experiential officially rebranded to Women in Experiential from Women in Exhibitions, that morning, as a way to embrace the full experiential community.
Ellen Kaminski, President of Women in Experiential explains the change of the name, succinctly, “Last Spring, after the new board took over, we talked about how our industry is changing and how our membership has such diversity of companies and roles represented. We have members from companies who design and build of tradeshow exhibits, who are suppliers, and those who represent brands. Our commonality? We are trying to create a great experience for our clients and guests. We also wanted to avoid any confusion with the international Women in Exhibitions Network group. We have a good relationship with that organization and recognize that it can sometimes be confusing. The great news is that there are women around the globe in all aspects of the live business events industry that are passionate about the industry and passionate about supporting colleagues in their careers.”
The keynote speaker, Sarah Sparks of Hamilton, spoke about relationships and how they can be used to foster healthy work environments. She provided attendees the opportunity to learn, not only more about themselves, but those around them through the use of a personality test.
Kaminski adds, “We frequently hear from our membership that they want more networking activities. We felt Personality Lingo facilitated by Sarah Sparks, head of HR for Hamilton, would be a good fit. We learned a bit about our own personality types and how to communicate with colleagues that might be a different type.”
We were separated into four groups: Connectors, Planners, Thinkers, and Movers; told how our typing excelled and how we could assist our fellow coworkers. Attendees received necklaces correlating to their typing and a brilliant icebreaker was created. With our new necklaces and a new way to view ourselves, I found myself able to bridge the gap in conversation with many of those who I had not spoken with before. Relationships were formed, with a common ground that we shared.
Kaminski says, “I don’t know if connections drive experience or experience drives connections. One thing for certain is that meaningful connections are best created with a shared experience, ideally an in-person experience.”
Over the course of EXHIBITORLIVE I there was a common sentiment that events are better, seeing each other in person has a different energy than online. In an era where people are more isolated from each other, where individuals find it harder to make meaningful and last connections, where companies are constantly looking for a way to connect to their customers and clients, we can take a note from the Women in Experiential handbook.
As Kaminski says, “Women coming together in a professional setting to catch up on what’s been happening in our families, what’s been happening in our careers, introducing each other to even more women in the industry. These are shared experiences that enhance a sense of community, of belonging, of support and of connection.”
When the individual I becomes a WIE, meaningful experiences are bound to be remembered.
This story originally appeared in the Q2 2024 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 84. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/ecn_q1_2024.
