by ALEXANDRIA, Va. – WithIt’s Professional Conference is known as the home and furnishings industry’s best forum for professional development to build today’s leaders. This year’s conference, entitled, “Empowering Leaders to SOAR,” is being held June 22nd – 24th at the Westin Hotel in Alexandria, Virginia. The two-day program offers industry professionals at all stages of their careers the opportunity to learn from top-notch speakers, develop skills, and network with industry peers. Membership is not required to attend. Register by May 30 to get an early registration discount. For more information go to: www.withit.org.
WithIt is celebrating its 25th anniversary, making this year’s annual conference even more special. WithIt’s Executive Director, Amy Van Dorp, explains the meaning behind the conference title, “SOAR is an acronym for the benefits offered by WithIt –Support; Opportunity, Advocacy, Relationships. Our annual conferences are continually rated #1 by our attendees over other conferences they attend, and this one will be no exception.”
“We are very excited to be holding an in-person conference this year after two years of holding it virtually,” states conference co-chair, Tori Evans, from SEI Furniture. “We expect the event to be full of energy as WithIt members from around the country enjoy spending time together honing their leadership skills, being inspired by nationally-known speakers, learning from each other at roundtables, gaining insights from industry-expert panelists, and of course, having fun at our themed celebration.”
The speakers, panelists, and roundtables all focus on timely topics of leadership, mentoring, mental health and well-being, re-inventing and transitioning your career, work/life balance, as well as industry-specific topics such as leveraging influencers for your brand, data management, and more.
The conference kicks off with an inspiring and energizing message, “Unmute Yourself: Elevating Your Confidence, Courage & Career” from keynote speaker, Rachel Druckenmiller.
Back by popular demand, is global workforce expert and best-selling author, Dr. Shirley Davis, to speak about “Inclusive Leadership.” Every attendee will receive her new book about fostering an inclusive and high-performing culture, “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Dummies.”
After two full days of action-packed learning and networking, the conference concludes with Dr. Carmen Landrau, a cardiologist and motivational speaker. Her workshop “Embrace Your Brilliance” will bring a wonderful close to the conference, allowing attendees to leave with an action plan for using their talents.
“We have been very intentional in our selection of speakers and topics,” explains conference co-chair, Violette Forman, from Havertys, Inc., and recipient of the 2021 WithIt Visionary Award. “Our speakers and panelists represent many different areas within the home and furnishings industry. So, whether you’re an interior designer, an entrepreneur, or you’re in the corporate world, we promise, you will be engaged, educated and inspired.”
WithIt’s conference is sponsored by leading companies who believe that the education and development of women builds the C-suite pipeline including Outward, Inc., FurnitureDealer.net, Universal Furniture, The Tombras Group, Stressless, THS Creative, Esquire Advertising, Furnitureland South, Banker & Brisbois, Furniture First, J.B. Hunt and Havertys. Sponsorships which include conference registrations are still available, contact Cathy Smith, WithIt’s Development Director at devdirector@withit.org.
