Thousands of Northwestern Mutual employees attending first in-person annual meeting since 2019. Economic impact put at $19 million.
Northwestern Mutual employees, some with families in tow, have been unleashed in Milwaukee for the first time since 2019.
The company’s annual conference kicked off Monday and was the first in-person conference since the company switched to virtual because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Ryan Perrino, assistant director of adviser practices who is based in Miami, was impressed by the atmosphere of the event.
“I feel like I’m at a rock show/industry event, let alone a single company event,” Perrino said. “There’s a sense of convenience that work from home provides, but there’s nothing like being around your co-workers and being around the energy of being in person.”
The conference focuses on peer-to-peer information sharing and recognition. Country music acts Florida Georgia Line and Thomas Rhett will perform a private show for the attendees.
The company expects 13,000 employees to attend the meeting, not including family members who tagged along.
Perrino said the last time he was in Milwaukee, the temperature was in the single digits, but the 85-degree weather with the sun out and a slight breeze was perfect for the attendees, who were glad the meeting wasn’t virtual.
“There’s a ton of people and I think that’s a sentiment of how times have changed and we’re getting back to ‘normal’ and I think that’s such a great sign,” Perrino said.
For married couple David and Adny Montes, the weather was a welcome break from the scorching heat.
“We came from Texas, it’s 114 degrees out there,” David Montes, tech coordinator out of Dallas said. “Coming here, the weather is already the biggest advantage.”
Having the meeting in person was a “big morale booster.”
“You also have a good sense of what kind of camaraderie you have at your disposal, when people are like-minded and know what you’re achieving,” Montes said. “It’s intense. It’s a lot of fun. I can see why people missed it.”
Adny Montes, an associate financial representative for the company, said it was easier to learn what’s going on with the company in person as opposed to virtual.
“There’s a lot of stuff changing (at Northwestern Mutual) and being able to come together, being a part of listening and taking notes of what’s coming up is really neat,” Montes said.
In their free time, the couple might visit the Milwaukee County Zoo and maybe get on a boat to sail on Lake Michigan.
The surrounding venues, restaurants and attractions are counting on Northwestern Mutual employees visiting their businesses and exploring what Milwaukee has to offer.
“It’s fantastic for the city,” said Peggy Williams-Smith, president and CEO of VISIT Milwaukee. “They’ll be eating in our restaurants, staying in our hotels, shopping at our retail, going to our cultural events and institutions. It’s a $19 million economic impact.”
Williams-Smith said the last time the event was held in person in 2019, it brought roughly $13 million to the area.
But the Greater Milwaukee area overall is not at the level it was in pre-pandemic times.
This past June, hotels were around 66% capacity, according to VISIT Milwaukee, compared with 80% in June 2019.
“We really want to get that occupancy back up,” Williams-Smith said. “I think there’s a bunch of different factors. COVID is still very real. And we’ve got increasing prices, which sometimes makes it hard for someone to travel.”
Williams-Smith said occupancy numbers are growing since 2020 and the annual meeting is going to help continue that trend.
“They provide a lot of things for their attendees to do, but a lot of their attendees bring their families, they come a day ahead of (the conference), stay a day or two longer,” Williams-Smith said. “They enjoy the city of Milwaukee and what it has to offer.”
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Thousands of Northwestern Mutual employees attend annual meeting
