Coming back from the energizing and memorable PowerUp Americas conference in San Antonio, I took time to reflect on what made it so impactful and it came down to the inspiring members I met and the fresh ideas we shared.
Veronica Blatt, Director of Corporate Communications and our resident historian, did an amazing job bringing the history of NPAworldwide’s 70 years to life. She brought original documents and pictures for members to enjoy at the registration table, created a wonderful slide show, meeting table decorations with timelines of the network and we ended the conference with a champagne toast to celebrate where we have been and where we are going. Here’s to many more years to come!
We had 80 attendees who were able to connect, collaborate and build relationships with existing partners and new members they would have never met.
We had 5 new members and 1 new staff person that jumped right in with both feet and actively sought out people to meet and have impactful conversations with. Whether through structured sessions or informal conversations, participants engaged in meaningful dialogue that sparked new ideas and strengthened relationships
We celebrated our Chair's Award Winner – Jim Lyons—and had the opportunity to visit with Dave Nerz and Marcia Bateman who came back to celebrate Jim’s legacy.
We presented and celebrated our 2026 award winners, Volunteer of the Year Winner – Emery Long; New Volunteer of the Year Winner – Dinesh Agarwal; and Regional Leadership Award Americas – Ross Wolfson. Your time and energy supporting our members success is noticed and appreciated.
A key highlight of the event was the opportunity to learn from respected industry leaders as well as our talented member owners that shared their experience, tips and strategies. Topics included Account Mapping, Job Applications of the Future, Building Your Business for Your Future Exit in Mind, Taking Better Requisitions, AI in Recruiting and Thriving Through Challenges. Attendees gained valuable perspectives on emerging trends, best practices, and strategies for success to take back to their businesses.
Of course, it wasn’t all business. The conference also offered plenty of opportunities for fun and time together. Marc Belaiche organized a lively pub crawl on Friday night, followed by a closing event at a beer hall and brewery on Saturday. The beer hall buzzed like a live wire, packed with hyper-competitive recruiters swapping business ideas between games of pool, darts and air hockey…with just a little bit of trash talking. It was a great way to end the conference.
So…I would encourage you to start saving for a trip next year to PowerUp Americas at the Hyatt Regency in La Jolla, CA March 18, 2027 – March 20, 2027.
The ideas sparked won’t end with the event—they’ll carry forward into the strategies, partnerships, meaningful friendships and more splits for the year ahead.
Best to you all,
Patti Steen