SLC IX: A Virtual Celebration of Best Version Media!

At Best Version Media, one of the best moments of the year is when our company comes together to celebrate the successes of our Publishers. In any other “normal” year, our Publishers and staff would’ve united together in Milwaukee to share their stories of triumph (and adversity) during our annual Strategic Leadership Conference (SLC).

This year, though, was unlike any other we’ve experienced. And yet, we all came together to support one another and provide inspiration for the year ahead.

SLC IX was a two-day virtual event for Publishers that included an impressive lineup of speakers who shared positive vibes and inspiring messages for our people to carry with them in their everyday lives. Speakers from Best Version Media included Dave Durand (CEO) and Kevin O’Brien (President of North American Publications). The event also included numerous panels with BVM’s top-performing Publishers and sales leaders, who shared their insight (and advice) into how they’ve achieved so much success working with our company.

O’Brien kicked off the conference with an energetic and uplifting speech to get everyone excited for the SLC experience. He spoke about unity and how BVM is making a difference for our people and the communities they serve.

“It’s amazing how much control we have to make a difference in our own lives and the lives around us,” he said. “You’re not alone in this quest. There’s strength in numbers. Alone we can do little, but together we can do so much. It’s in the DNA of [our people] to be the best they can be and to unite by helping each other succeed.”

BVM also invited guest speaker Patrick Lencioni to the conference to offer Publishers an inspiring and motivating message. Lencioni is the founder of The Table Group, a firm that’s dedicated to providing organizations with ideas, products and services to improve teamwork and employee engagement. He’s also a best-selling author, distinguished speaker and host of the podcast At the Table with Patrick Lencioni. He’s been featured in Fortune magazine, USA TODAY, Bloomberg Businessweek and the Harvard Business Review.

Lencioni expressed how much he admires what Best Version Media is doing for local communities and marveled at the work of our incredible Publishers. Throughout the conference, BVM honored Publishers who have excelled while working with us and awarded them for their outstanding work in the community.

Of course, it wouldn’t be BVM SLC without recognizing the dedication, commitment and hard work of our people. This year’s awards included, to name a few, the Customer Service Renewal Excellency Award, 7-Week Sprint Awards, Court of Honor inductees and Hall of Fame inductees.

We were also able to continue our proud tradition of giving back to the community during this year’s event. Summit Educational Association –a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to support academic excellence and character development by serving  economically disadvantaged inner-city Milwaukee students – was this year’s beneficiary of a financial gift on behalf of BVM. We’re honored to assist an organization like Summit, whose goal is to encourage students to stay in school through mentorship, tutoring and recreational programs.    

Best Version Media CEO Dave Durand wrapped up the event with this great news and some parting words of gratitude and encouragement.

“I’m grateful for our people because the part of this program that’s the strongest is you,” he said. “Wrapping up SLC is not about what we just did, it’s about what we’re going to do.”

As we head into another year of bringing people together, our Publishers have become more resilient than ever. Challenge after challenge, they prove why BVM is so special to the hundreds of communities across North America where our magazines are distributed. No matter what obstacles are in the way, our people have shown how willing and able they are to accomplish their goals.

We can’t wait to come together again and celebrate as one big family at SLC X in 2021!