Have you ever wondered how a rapidly growing company maintains its culture and keeps employees connected across hundreds of locations? In this episode, I sit down with Cari Watson, Senior Vice President at Westland Insurance, to explore how their annual Leadership Summit plays a crucial role in fostering connection, alignment, and growth.

Building Culture Through Events

Cari shares insights on how Westland Insurance has adapted its summit to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding organization:

• Shifting from a retreat-style gathering to a more business-focused event
• Balancing familiar elements with fresh content to keep things engaging
• Creating opportunities for networking and relationship-building across the company

Strategies for Engaging Diverse Attendees

We discuss tactics for ensuring the summit resonates with both long-time employees and newcomers:

• Showcasing the company's culture and values through executive presentations
• Incorporating sponsor participation to highlight key partnerships and resources
• Designing experiences that make leadership approachable and relatable

Measuring Success and Driving Lasting Impact

Cari reveals how Westland evaluates the effectiveness of their summit:

• Gathering feedback through surveys and anecdotal evidence
• Collaborating with internal teams to reinforce key messages post-event
• Balancing the need for consistency with the desire for innovation

Key Takeaways:

• Understand how events can be powerful tools for culture-building in growing organizations
• Learn strategies for creating memorable experiences that resonate with diverse attendees
• Discover ways to measure event success beyond traditional metrics
• Explore the challenges and opportunities of evolving long-standing company gatherings

Whether you're planning an internal corporate event or looking to strengthen your organization's culture, this conversation offers valuable insights on leveraging summits and conferences to foster connection, alignment, and growth.

Follow Cari:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cari-watson-563509a2/

Company: https://www.westlandinsurance.ca/

2024 sizzle reel: https://vimeo.com/1082584142

2023 sizzle reel: https://vimeo.com/tandemphotography/review/828889392/7586289d83

Mentioned in this episode:

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