For the past seven years, Shannon & Associates, along with several other great business partners, has had the opportunity to sponsor an event called Impact.
Impact is a weekend full of learning and networking opportunities for our clients, and it gives all of us a chance to have fun with them. In bringing other area businesses together, we also have the opportunity to meet and network with owners and executives in the area that we don’t always get a chance to see and talk to.
This year’s Impact was especially exciting because it was the first we have been able to sponsor in-person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While last year’s virtual event was still a great success, being back in person reminded us why we love sponsoring this event: it’s the people.
Anyone who has spent any amount of time in the past two years on a Zoom conference call knows that there is no substitution for face-to-face interaction with people, especially clients.
The Location
Impact was held at the beautiful Suquamish Clearwater Resort and Casino in Suquamish, WA. Overlooking the beauty of Puget Sound, this location turned out to be the perfect place for everyone to learn, network, and unwind at the same time.
We were so fortunate that the weather allowed us so much time to sit outside and talk to clients while enjoying the view. We were also able to chat around a bonfire with other business owners in the Tacoma and Seattle areas. We don’t always get time to stop and learn from other business owners, and that opportunity is just one thing that makes the Impact event so special to us.
“While last year’s virtual event was still a great success, being back in person reminded us why we love sponsoring this event: it’s the people.”
The Events
On Friday night, our dinner speaker was Mike Atkinson, the CEO of Seattle Coffee Gear, a company dedicated to helping individual customers and businesses alike make the coffee they love. Atkinson shared with us how his company was able to make a successful sale transition all while making drastic business changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
I was fortunate enough to be able to present during our weekend together. My presentation was a 90-minute session on the impacts of COVID-19 and how all the various tax changes that legislation put into place affected the value of business.
We had some great interactive discussions during the session about specific ways these tax changes have impacted their businesses. While one never knows how a session on taxes is going to be received or attended, it was a great thing to see so many attendees engaged.
Breakout Sessions and Fun
On Saturday, after some engaging breakout sessions, we had some fun events to allow everyone to get to know one another and have a little downtime. There were events to please just about anyone with golf, painting classes, and enjoying the beautiful natural surroundings along Puget Sound.
“Our favorite part of the whole weekend was getting to spend time with our clients.”
These loosely structured events gave people opportunities to set aside time with their business partners to plan and reflect on where they have been and where they would like to go.
I will say that while all presentations and roundtable discussions were informative and engaging, our favorite part of the whole weekend was getting to spend time with our clients. It was the perfect opportunity to reset as we had some fun and heard about our clients’ journeys and the lessons they have learned about themselves and their companies along the way.
We can’t wait to see everyone again next year!
