Vulnerability and community were the themes at the Ohio Promotional Professionals Association’s (OPPA) inaugural Women in Merch event, held Oct. 20 to 22 in Newark, OH.

The event brought together dozens of women working in promo from around the country for a three-day event focused on building connections and encouraging attendees through common industry challenges.

“It really wasn’t about the place or the building,” said LaDonna Belcher, OPPA’s executive director. “It was about the fellowship of the women. This was truly a place that they could relax, bare their hearts, talk about their businesses, share obstacles they were having and know where to go.”

The event featured sessions on confidence, AI and authenticity, self-defense, kitting and more from speakers including Counselor’s 2024 Woman of Distinction Susan Lewandowski of Counselor Best Place to Work supplier BEL Promo (asi/39552); Maple Ridge Farms’ (asi/68680) Jodie Schillinger and Jamie Johnson; and keynoter Kelly McDonald, a bestselling author and marketing, customer experience and leadership expert.

Belcher’s goal with developing this event – which she’s had on her radar for more than a decade – was to create a smaller-scale space that made attending a women’s promo conference accessible to more people.

“As somebody that’s a small business owner, some of those bigger conferences are just out of my reach,” said Jennie Eberz, current president of OPPA and a multi-line rep at Joe Eberz & Associates. “So, this is something that’s very, very special – some of these people would have otherwise never met.”