As director of global events at MarkLogic, a Silicon Valley–based tech company, I sat down with some of the creative minds here last summer to come up with a conference theme for our 2018 Sales Kickoff (SKO). It only took a couple meetings, setting goals and fine-tuning the concept, before our H.E.R.O.E.S. theme was born: Harness. Engage. Relentless. Outsmart. Energize. Succeed.
We wanted employees to leave the event excited about the year ahead, the product they sell, and the opportunities in front of us. There are the obvious heroes we see on TV and in the movies, and the heroes of everyday life like first responders, doctors, and our military. But there are also those people who come to our rescue at work, like the folks in Creative Services who fix a graphic just minutes before it’s due to the general decorator, or the guy at the venue who finds the one person who can get the ballroom lights to adjust correctly for the keynote.
We all work with heroes every day, making this a relatable and fun theme for our SKO in February at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Va. I was excited to see it come to life via so many elements of the event: graphics, food, artists, awards, costumes, and more.
