Education and inspiration took center stage at the most recent Partner Summit, a three-day conference hosted by Facilisgroup that drew approximately 150 attendees from the software-as-a-service company’s partnering community.

Held in Boston in July, the summit offered attendees the opportunity to learn, network and collaborate on leadership best practices and innovation strategies.

Attendees of the Facilisgroup Partner Summit in Boston.

Facilisgroup, whose solutions are tailored specifically for the promo products industry, featured speakers that included futurist Alex Salkever, who presented on artificial intelligence and its intersection with promo. The discussion focused particularly on leveraging AI to enhance workflows.

In addition, there was a panel discussion centered on transformative technology’s impact on promo. Panelists were Dale Denham, president and CEO of Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), Jon Norris, chief operating officer of Top 40 supplier Starline (asi/89320), and Nettie Sparkman, chief operating officer of distributor Foxtrot Marketing Group (asi/170720)

Meanwhile, Justine Froelker, a TEDx presenter and author, led a workshop on leadership. “She was amazing,” said Pamela Bickett, chief financial officer of Prosperity Promotions (asi/301625), a Kentucky-based distributorship and Facilisgroup community member. “Having the courage to lead is tough, and this gave me permission to have that courage and how to do so with empathy.”

The Partner Summit also included a charitable initiative. Attendees supported the Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center by assembling “gear packs” for Boston middle school students for future hands-on science lessons held on the island.

There were also evening social mixers, including supplier-sponsored dine-arounds, group dinners hosted in restaurants throughout Boston, and a boat trip to the private Thompson Island for an afterparty finale.

“A great event,” said Nolan Parker, national account manager at Top 40 supplier S&S Activewear (asi/84358). “We suppliers appreciate how Facilis handles business.”

Facilisgroup will host its second Partner Summit from September 26-29 in Denver, CO. Attendees can expect a similar experience as Salkever and Froelker reprise their workshops. The theme of the Partner Summit series is, Unleashing Potential: Building the Future of Your Business.

“Our top priority,” said Facilisgroup President Ashley McCune,” is driving additional value to our partners.”