Appreciation Events

G.R.E.A.T.^TM Appreciation Events

Appreciation events fall on a continuum – boring and stale to exciting and innovative.

Your people deserve an event that communicates just how much they are valued and appreciated, from the invite to the event itself. (No one was ever inspired by slab cakes from Costco, long corporate speeches, slide decks covered in bullet points, or conference rooms that smell like gym socks.)

What if we told you that you could have this instead … an event where:

Attendees count down the days towards this invigorating and culture-defining ritual
Anyone not going to experience major FOMO
Your team talks about it for days (even years) afterward (at work, at home, at community functions, even at uncle Bob’s 70th birthday)
It’s so buzz-worthy that when people hear about it outside the organization, they say, “I have to work there!”

Don’t think this is possible, at least not without the budget of the Oscars? Oh, we dare to disagree!

We help organizations that want to leverage appreciation events to reinforce a recognition-rich, people-first culture through creative solutions that tap into the ways people most want to be appreciated.

We help you stop:

Wasting your budget on the things that no one cares about
Guessing what attendees want and need
Repeating the same tired events that take your time and effort without any return
Searching for speakers and strategies to “fill” the time
Hoping people show up (or, worse, begging them to)

We help you start:

Using the event as a way to reinforce the exponential power of recognition
Recruiting top talent who are hungry to work for you
Increasing retention of your most valuable contributors
Building a sense of community and meaningful connection
Leveraging events as a strategic way to build organizational engagement

To be clear, we are not event planners. We are recognition experts who know how to help you leverage appreciation events – long service awards, milestone celebrations, end or beginning-of-year retreats – as a key opportunity to reinforce your people-centric culture.

If you desire a Hall-of-Fame, Player-of-the-Year, J-Lo-quality-half-time-at-the-Super-Bowl, let’s talk!

Let Sarah Help

“There are two things people want more than sex and money: recognition and praise.”

– Mary Kay Ash

Cheryl Conick

Director of Operations, Community Living Tillsonburg

"Our first recognition event post-COVID was a great couple of days. I really enjoyed it, and I know that many of our teams are excited again to use FROG - Forever Recognize Others' Greatness. Events like this are well worth the effort. Thank you for your flexibility and incredible ability to engage an audience."

Sarah Roberts

Executive Director, MDRAO

"You gave a perfect presentation! You were able to talk to our audience in an engaging manner and everything was spot on. I heard one of our attendees say, "If she were to present the same presentation again in an hour from now, I would go back!"

Debbie Turner

Director, Professional Practice, St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital

"This year and for the first time in my 29 year nursing career Nurse’s week took on a much deeper meaning for me. I finally realized the importance of using this week specifically to tap into personal and professional reflection, to appreciate that I DO need to take my work temp much more often than I was and to cut myself some slack. Nurses are engaged in incredibly challenging work irrespective of the area we are currently working in. Perhaps this is why the Nurses Resiliency ReBoot Week resonated with me so deeply. The speakers articulated what I was feeling and opened the door for me… for nurses to initiate the conversation…. And Yes I am in the market for a tiara!!"

Judy Duchscher

Director, Nursing the Future, Associate Professor School of Nursing, Thompson Rivers University

"As we finish out Nurses Week 2021 I am reflecting on the Tasmanian WHIRLWIND this week has been. A celebration like no other - and the Nurses Week Resiliency ReBoot conference was no small part of generating that momentum and experience! Sarah McVanel - I would work with you ANYTIME. I want to commend you and your staff for putting on such a professional conference with an internationally renowned level of expertise. From the pre-conference work up to the registration and marketing, this event performed! You and fellow speaker Stephanie Staples were the perfect duo, balancing and bouncing off each other like you were intuitively connected. It was smooth, highly professional and resonant content, balanced with spirit and passion. Just what fatigued nurses needed after a gruelling year. The sessions were incredibly organized, easy to access, and glitch-free. Bring on 2022!"

Rob Janisee

Alumni Coordinator, University of Windsor

"Sarah spoke at our inaugural Volunteer Appreciation Event and "knocked it out of the park". From the moment Sarah stepped on campus she was personable, engaged and very easy to work with. Her keynote speech was spectacular and was able to connect with a wide range of audience members. Everyone in the audience, whether they were a student, faculty member, staff or volunteer was able to leave with something from Sarah's keynote. What was even better was Sarah's ability to connect with the audience during the networking portion. She was engaged and attentive with everyone present and left a lasting impact on everyone in attendance. Multiple people asked for her contact information for a possible future appearance. This spoke to her ability to connect. I would recommend Sarah for anyone looking to bring in a speaker who is energetic, real and engaging. We look forward to working with you in the future."

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Greatness Magnified