PPB September 2018

and a first-time attendee. “I appreciate the opportunity to connect with other people in the industry with similar interests, [and enjoyed] the interactive sessions and the format of the event itself. Everyone is so collaborative and cooperative, and we all want the best for us and the industry. There’s a huge passion that’s great to be a part of. What I’m going to take from this are the relationships and connections and [the opportunities for] reaching out to that network because we’re all in it together.” The conference’s programming focused on creating an educational event that has a positive impact on attendees, getting them to think creatively and helping them network and learn from their peers. This year’s conference featured more than 15 speakers over its two-day run. “I have been in the industry for two and a half years; my first week on the job was at The PPAI Expo in Vegas. It was kind of a trial by fire, but I’m a big believer in that being the best way to learn,” says Mason Linn, central region account executive with Raining Rose and first-time SPARK attendee. “SPARK has been great. It’s been a phenomenal opportunity for me to meet with different people throughout the industry and start building strong relationships. And I’m excited to go home and implement what I’ve learned from the speakers and education sessions.” He adds, “One of the big things for me, being on the sales side of things, is the importance of communication. [We learned] how to do it properly and things we should be doing going forward. [Saying] ‘yes, and’ instead of ‘but’ is a big one that we’ve talked about, and I think it’s one of the takeaways from SPARK that is really going to help me going forward.” Reflecting on the full SPARK experience, Herron says, “This helps me grow every time. I don’t think I’ve attended a SPARK event and not taken something away I can use in my everyday practice. It’s really given me insights that I didn’t see before, or [helped me to] take a step back and take a better look at the big picture.” Beyond the SPARK Conference, young industry professionals can stay involved by connecting on the SPARK Promo Connect page throughout the year, and planning to attend the SPARK After Dark networking reception at The PPAI Expo in January. SPARK’s education program presented professional learning with unique, fresh environments and approaches. SPARK’s agenda is designed to not only give attendees a feel of the city it’s in but provide an opportunity to give back to the community as well. Education sessions at SPARK encouraged attendees to think creatively and learn from their peers through interactive elements. | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 101 CONNECT