Facilisgroup (PPAI 493664), a software-as-a-service company and partnering community within the promotional products industry, recently held its 2021 Partner Summit, a three-day event dedicated to industry education, innovation and community. Beginning June 14, it brought more than 200 industry professionals together in Nashville, Tennessee, for the first Facilisgroup Partner Summit in two years.

The St. Louis, Missouri-based company cites in-person events as a vital piece of its community, and the lockdowns and restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic made such events an impossibility. Recent advancements due to vaccinations and the subsequent loosening of restrictions provided Facilisgroup precisely the opportunity to reconnect with its partners.

“Simply seeing our partners in-person again had such an impact on us,” says Ashley McCune, president of Facilisgroup. “But to hug, chat and spend meaningful time with these individuals, after so long, just meant so much.”

The Partner Summit was held under the theme “Change PurposeFULLY,” which Facilisgroup describes as an idea born out of the need to adapt in response to the challenges the past 18 months brought to the promo industry, but that serves as a daily reminder that change can be good, and purposeful change can be transformative. The theme was woven throughout the sessions, which included a combination of Facilisgroup executives, distributors and suppliers presenting on topics such as customer journey, profitability, expanded services and supply chain, among several others. Additionally, McCune presented a session on the current state of the company, which included information and product-related announcements; ASI’s Tim Andrews provided a “State of the Industry” presentation, and decorated U.S. Air Force fighter pilot Lt. Col. Waldo Waldman provided the keynote, “Never Fly Solo.”

Community-building aspects of the Partner Summit included a private tour, concert and dinner at the Country Music Hall of Fame, a private rooftop concert experience at Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar and a walking scavenger hunt through the streets of downtown Nashville. Additionally, the Facilisgroup team committed to leaving Nashville better than they found it by partnering with two organizations dedicated to making a difference in the lives of Nashville-area children, raising over $8,000 to date for the United Way Stuff the Bus and Gabe’s Chemo Duck programs.

“Our community never ceases to amaze me, and the Partner Summit was no exception,” says McCune. “With what we’ve all been through over the past year, this may have been the most meaningful community event in our history. It managed to capture and exemplify what makes our relationship with our partners so special, and for that, we are grateful.”