Quite a lot happens in 25 years.  The iPhone didn’t exist 25 years ago and the only way to really stay in touch with a far-away friend was by mail or phone calls. Photo albums were physical objects, and business emails were an incredibly rare occurrence. 

Anyone celebrating a 25th anniversary knows how much work and dedication it takes to get there. It’s a huge milestone and a shining proud moment. Embassy Group Ltd. is just that — a shining beacon of light in our industry. And how the lights were shining at this year’s 25th Anniversary Spring Conference in Phoenix, Arizona on Marcy 15-19, 2016!

Held at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, nearly 600 hundred guests gathered for what turned out to be a highly successful event and a glittering anniversary celebration. 

The Spring Conference is first and foremost a business meeting with huge networking opportunities. It is truly a working show. A lot of work is done in a short time, but there are also some great opportunities to strengthen and create new relationships during the many social functions, which are included by design.

The event kicked off on Monday, March 14th, with an outdoor welcome reception for the HVAC and Waterworks Divisions. Hundreds of guests were greeted with laughter and libations, seeing familiar faces and many new faces as well.

The HVAC and Waterworks Division Conference Sessions on Tuesday, as well as the Plumbing Division Conference Sessions on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are the most important part of the schedule. During these face-to-face meetings, Embassy vendors meet with 100% of the Embassy members, which is something their vendors look forward to and consistently praise the group for year after year.

With a wide variety of vendors and distributors, the key word of those few days was “optimism.” The real star of the 25th Anniversary show was a themed reception and dinner — “Cirque du Plomberie” (that’s Circus of Plumbing in French!), complete with silk and hoop aerialists, contortionists, stilt walkers and music by Urban Electra — an all-female rock violin group. The guests were, quite frankly, enraptured by the ambiance and celebratory atmosphere. 

The annual golf outing was also a hit and very well received by attendees, followed by a closing party with a St. Patrick’s Day theme. This event was a sure crowd pleaser and an incredibly fun time for all celebrating the anniversary and St. Patrick’s Day.

The next gathering of the Embassy members will be at the Embassy Group Shareholders Meeting on August 17-20, 2016.