Any ambitious company prioritizes customer experience, but employee experience goes hand in hand with those intended results.

That’s what Kevin Walsh, president of Showdown Displays, and Jim Thomsen, vice president of customer success at Showdown Displays, will discuss at the North American Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. this June. Registration is now open.

“Employee Xperience = Customer Experience, Squared (or EX = CX2)” is the title of Walsh and Thomsen’s session at NALC, which will be one of numerous educational perspectives from inside and outside of the industry, as well as providing an intimate networking environment for promo leaders.

The interactive session will illustrate and emphasize the benefits of building a strong employee experience within an organization and the return on investment that comes with employee retention and engagement.

PPAI Media caught up with Walsh, who is also PPAI’s board chair, to talk about NALC, employee experience and the state of the promo industry.

PPAI Media: What have you enjoyed about attending NALC in the past?

Kevin Walsh: NALC is the premier industry networking event, driven by the quality of the content, professional speakers and industry leaders who attend.

PPAI Media: Can you give us a little preview of your presentation with Jim Thomsen? Why is employee experience something that can’t be overlooked by a growing company?

Walsh: Too often businesses focus solely on creating a customer experience that is unique and compelling in their market. While that is important, there’s an underlying effort to build and strengthen employee engagement that delivers even greater returns. Building authentic employee engagement not only improves culture, involvement and retention, but it also provides the additional benefit of amplifying the customer experience in the process.

PPAI Media: Is there anything you’re most looking forward to with this upcoming NALC in Washington, D.C.?

Walsh: Over the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to lead the GRAC committee as well as participate in L.E.A.D., albeit remotely. I’m ecstatic to experience the in-person aspect of L.E.A.D. Traveling to D.C., visiting with elected officials at the capital and actively participating to champion our Association’s efforts. What’s not to look forward to about that?

PPAI Media: You recently became PPAI’s board chair. Do you feel good about the state of the industry from your perspective on the board and now as its chair?

Walsh: My board term began in January 2020. Since that time, the board has endured a pandemic. The industry’s premier event, The PPAI Expo, had to be canceled. The president and CEO resigned. It was tough. But we endured. We successfully conducted a search for an experienced and respected leader, Dale Denham. We produced one of the most successful Expos in its history. And we completed a detailed strategic planning session that has charted a course for the industry’s future. As evidenced through these recent crises, our members and the Association have demonstrated resilience, creativity and innovation to not just preserve but also grow. That is a great source of confidence for me that the future before us is brighter than ever.

To register for NALC, click here.