WithIt, the women’s leadership development network for the home and furnishings industry, announces that its 2020 Professional Conference scheduled for June 24-26, 2020 in Alexandria, VA is shifting to a virtual format this year. The new format, titled “Navigating Leadership in 2020,” will be presented online on Friday, June 26, 2020 from 9:30am to 4:00pm Eastern time.
Looking forward to 2021, WithIt will return to an in-person conference which will again be presented in Alexandria, VA on June 23-25, 2021.
“Without question, our very favorite event of the year on the WithIt Calendar is our annual conference,” said Lorri Kelley, President. “Like so many other organizations, we have realized the need to pivot and take advantage of the digital options available to us to bring this important content to our industry and to our members. This is an excellent platform for us to continue to drive our mission to provide leadership, mentoring and education regardless of the current circumstances. We all require connection and encouragement now more than ever, and I am so proud of this organization and our conference team to deliver on this important and immediate need.”
Led by Sydney Harris of Furnitureland South and Alexis Koscielny, this year’s virtual conference “Navigating Leadership in 2020” is designed to deliver the unique formula of a WithIt conference: concrete leadership education, opportunities for networking, actionable information and a dose of business-infused fun.
The one-day conference will include four key presentations, with a kick-off titled “COVID-19: What Happened? And Where Do We Go from Here?” by Denise Ryan. She keynoted last year’s conference with a dynamic call to “Set Your Followers on Fire” and shared that same fire when addressing WithIt’s Fall 2019 Education Breakfast, teaching attendees how to create teams with those whose communication styles differ. Following the tremendous positive response from those presentations, Ryan will give “Navigating Leadership in 2020” a rousing start before shifting to an emcee role throughout the rest of the conference.
The 2020 WithIt Professional Conference online will continue with speaker Holland Haiis presenting “Leading with the Power of Connection”. Haiis is the human connection expert helping individuals and organizations create better relationships with technology, people, productivity, and creativity. She inspires organizations to leverage their greatest assets – people, time, and opportunities through the power of connection. Holland focuses on neuroscience and behavior, is the author of Consciously Connecting-a Simple Process to Reconnect in a Disconnected World and was named one of 100 Global Thought Leaders, alongside such recognized names as Deepak Chopra and Suze Orman.
Ginna Christensen, a business, marketing and leadership coach focusing on transforming creatives, small business owners, managers, and teams into stand-outs in their field, will lead off afternoon sessions with “Taking the Lead.” Christensen is sought-after for her cool and creative solutions to the challenges of modern businesses and will share her coaching insights on leading through a changing business world.
Closing the conference will be Lisa Kahn-Allen, president of Lisa Kahn Designs, sharing her story of “Finding Peace Within Us to Create Peace Around Us.” Award-winning interior designer Lisa Kahn-Allen, headquartered in Naples, Florida, carved her stylistic niche in the residential decorating world as a purveyor of calm. Her work creating restorative spaces has become a movement to create sanctuary for clients and the community. Her message of peace and healing is meant to leave attendees with tools for self-care during this time of anxiety.
In addition to internationally-recognized speakers, the virtual conference will include opportunities to network during breaks and at moderated intervals and will conclude with a virtual social event from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. In the WithIt tradition, this segment will include music, a theme (with dress-up opportunity!) and an invitation to interact with women in our industries.
A special feature of the 2020 online WithIt conference is the opportunity to continue learning with breakout-style sessions in the following weeks. These sessions will also offer the chance to interact and will build attendees’ professional network and support, which is the heart of WithIt’s mission. And a bonus will be offered – the choice to include two online group coaching sessions by two of our speakers, Holland Haiis and Ginna Christensen.
The full agenda of “Navigating Leadership in 2020” is available on the WithIt website. The cost for the WithIt 2020 Professional Conference has been adjusted to reflect its online platform and single-day format with tickets for members ranging from $25 to $100 and guests from $50. Tickets for students are $25.
WithIt thanks the sponsors of the 2020 Professional Conference including Ekornes, The Tombras Group, Universal Furniture, Fairfield, J.B.Hunt Final Mile and Furnitureland South. With these supporters, the home and furnishings industries can continue to retain female talent and develop connections for business opportunities.