5 Things That Can Only Happen at a Live Event Like WERC 2023

In an era when everyone has access to video conferencing and anyone with an internet connection can offer a webinar or online course, why should you attend a live event like WERC 2023?

Because in-person learning and face-to-face communication are still the most powerful way for people to connect, hands down. If you’re trying to persuade your colleagues or your boss to invest in the trip to Orlando, Florida next spring, share these five things that can only happen at the WERC Conference!

People solve problems more effectively in person. When you’re sitting around a table with informed, engaged warehousing and logistics colleagues, leaning forward and nodding as they speak, you’re communicating and collaborating in a uniquely human way that simply cannot be duplicated on a conference call. Information flows faster, participants share more readily, and the group can arrive at solutions more efficiently -- and solutions are what WERC is all about.
People truly connect in person. As Don Neal of 360 Live Media says, ““there is power in looking someone in the eye and shaking their hand, and it is a connection that cannot be formed in the same way over email.” Non-verbal communication is powerful, and you can only get it at a live event like WERC 2023.
In-person meetings leverage the power of serendipity. The person you sit beside at a seminar, the company sales rep you bump into at a networking event, the person sitting beside you on the bus out to a facility tour -- all of these people are at WERC for the same reasons you are, and chances are you’ll strike up a meaningful conversation that takes you to new places. WERC 2023 provides the opportunity for a shared experience that you can’t duplicate online.
A place to build a real network. You might have over 500 followers on LinkedIn, but how many of those people could you call up for a favor? Despite what the social networks would have you believe, the best way to build strong, reliable career connections is still an in-person meeting. When it comes to real communication, exchanging comments on LinkedIn doesn’t hold a candle to a conversation over coffee. There’s a reason that an in-person request is 34 times more likely to be granted than a request sent via email!
Gathering together with like-minded people is empowering. As Neal says, “we all need to renew, restore and remember why we do what we do.” The best way to do this is by gathering together and sharing your experiences with people who share your passion for distribution logistics. Inspiring speakers, relevant education sessions, facility tours and one-of-a-kind Solutions Studio Sessions allow you to get up to speed on the ideas, tactics, trends and tools that are shaping the future of our industry.

Download and complete our Making the Case letter and print off these talking points when you head in to ask for approval to attend the conference. We look forward to seeing you!

Inspired by Don Neal’s 7 Things That Can Only Happen At A Live Event, PCMA

The WERC Guarantee

The Warehousing Education and Research Council stands behind the quality of our conference program; therefore, if the conference does not deliver a quality educational and networking event, we want to hear from you. WERC will provide you with a credit certificate toward any national educational program, or refund your money.

Making the Case

WERC is committed to helping distribution logistics professionals pursue education and networking opportunities, and we’ve created a template letter that you can use to help secure approval to attend the 2023 Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, June 4-7.

How to Use This Letter

Download the Word document WERC Conference Making the Case.
Personalize it with your employer’s name, your preferred learning tracks and estimated costs. We have provided topics and links to help you fill in the details.
Print, sign and submit to your supervisor along with any internal documentation you may require.