SOS attended the inaugural ‘C-Store’ Point event April 28 through May 1st, in Carlsbad, California. The marketing group Connecting Point facilitated the three-day event to bring together suppliers, project management firms and convenience store, ‘C-Store,’ representatives.
The event kicked-off Sunday night with a wonderful meal, then an inspiring presentation by Alison Levine. Alison is a very accomplished person who serves on many university boards, is an adjunct professor, motivational speaker and is an extreme athlete and best-selling author. Alison wrote the New York Times best-selling book ‘On the Edge: The Art of High Impact Leadership’. She is also most notably known for being the first American Women’s Everest Expedition team captain. Alison spoke about leadership development which she chronicled through her 2002 and 2010 Mt. Everest climbs. Her storytelling skills and sharp wit entertained and energized the audience. She compared climbing Mt. Everest to the business world, where complacency can kill you, literally and figuratively, and where the environment is always changing… you can only control your reaction to it and keep moving. She closed her presentation by saying “Standing on top of a mountain doesn’t change anything. What’s really important are the lessons you learn along the way.” Well said, and true… aspire to keep climbing, but always be aware of your impact and the lessons you learn and teach each day.
Although Alison was a hard act to follow, Connecting Point totally hit the mark with the conference. The format was excellent, each day began with 20 minute ‘Boardroom style meetings followed by Q&A, then feedback via the Point portal. There were also private one-on-one meetings that were pre-scheduled to further discuss ideas and opportunities. Throughout each day there were breakout sessions and events to discuss topics and strategies that companies were using to grow their businesses.
The next two days unfolded with meetings, networking, delicious meals and team-building activities. Not only does Connecting Point facilitate an awesome event, they also give back to the community through numerous philanthropic initiatives. One such event was a team-building exercise to assemble sixteen bicycles to donate to underprivileged children. Fun event with a great cause!
The closing reception was perfection. A delicious meal was served, comedian Ian Bagg entertained and a check for $16,200 was given to the local Food for Kids Backpack Program. Another worthwhile and meaningful gift that all attendees expressed appreciation and gratitude for.
This conference was productive, inspiring, fun and a huge success. See you next year C-Store Point!