The last day of SMC began with GAWDA Announcements including the introduction of the new Technology Committee, the recognition of the inaugural Best in Show Winner and the introduction of the GAWDA Gives Back Recipient for the 2024 Annual Convention in Phoenix, HopeKids. Visit https://www.gawda.org/about/gawda-gives-back/ to learn more.
Then Gary turned the stage over to GAWDA First Past President Robert Anders to introduce the 2024 GAWDA Scholarship Recipients and Donors. Thank you to all of those companies who made this year’s scholarships possible. Congratulations to the following students for for winning this year’s 2024 GAWDA Scholarship:
- Avery Abke
- Kaden Abke
- Kaylynn Brewer
- Anna Hanchette
- Madison Jones
- Dylan Kaduc
- Zackery Kimmel
- Luke Lundquist
- Robert Mathews
- Ty Morrison
- Bryce Olson
- Gregory Phillips
- Madeline Reardon
- Trey Schmelzer
- Ethon Watts
Following that announcement, Robert introduced the morning’s first Main Stage presenters, Dave Lambert and Sharon Szafranski from ITW.
Dave and Sharon took the stage to the tune of “Blue Suede Shoes,” celebrating ITW Miller’s world-famous Blue. Together, the two gave a welding update as well as an ITW Company update before concluding with business and leadership lessons learned over their long and illustrious careers. They reflected on how they both “escaped” accounting to wind up at ITW. They also reiterated the theme of the week that “It’s ALL About the People” and that a company is only as good as the people who make it up. They discussed ITW’s Enterprise Strategy, which will carry the company into the next phase of its history as well as the trends and technology that are most impacting the welding industry, including expanding partnerships and technology. They concluded their presentation with their “Words to Live By” which had more to do with leadership and humility than they did with the nuts and bolts of welding. They really punctuated the presentation with the world debut of Dave Lambert’s cover(ish) music video of the beloved Sounds of Silence, “The Sounds of Selling,” which earned him a thunderous ovation. We’ll have to wait for awards season to see if it earns him a Grammy or possibly even an Oscar.
Following a brief break, GAWDA Vice President Albert Castillo took the stage to introduce the final Main Stage presenter of the 2024 SMC, Adrian Gostick. Adrian is a leadership strategy columnist for Forbes and is the author of the New York TimesbestsellersThe Carrot Principle,All In,Leading with Gratitude, andAnxiety at Work. His books have been translated into 30 languages and have sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide. Adrian continued the theme of the week, discussing the importance of a strong corporate culture, leadership, and engagement and how high-performing companies can cultivate that engagement. He effortlessly fit right into the GAWDA aesthetic, combining a strong message with levity and humor. He also kept attendees engaged by asking questions and peppering the crowd with stuffed carrots and incorporatingupbeat music. He also talked the power skills that drive impactful leadership in today’s day and age.
The conference concluded with Gary Halter taking the stage one last time. After thanking Adrian for his wonderful presentation. He concluded the conference with a montage of 2024 championship moments set to the Rocky theme song that had attendees ready to run through the wall. While it was the conclusion of this year’s SMC, it was really the kickoff of the rest of the 2024 schedule, with a full slate of Regional Meetings leading up to the 2024 Annual Convention.
We sincerely thank all attendees for making this such a fantastic SMC. We can’t wait to see you at one of our in-person events throughout 2024. To see the full schedule, click the button below.
