Emerging Leaders: AICC ELs Engage and Learn in Savannah

In the age of social media, economic uncertainty, and seemingly ever-shorter attention spans, how do you get more than 40 leaders under the age of 35 to stay engaged in their workplace and want to be drivers of success at their companies? Well, that is one of the things we set out to find out during AICC’s annual Emerging Leaders (ELs) Workshop. The 2024 theme for the EL program, selected by EL Junior Delegate Jordan Dawson of Harris Packaging, was “Engage!” This has motivated the leadership of our EL program to focus on ways to educate ourselves and our fellow members on the importance of staying engaged within our respective companies, AICC, and our broader EL community. We put those ideas to the test in Savannah, Georgia! Traditionally, the AICC vice chair would host a summer workshop, formerly called the EL Field Trip, to connect with the next generation of industry leaders and to promote an opportunity for education, peer training, and networking. To better foster relationship development, the event is designed to be more intimate than large national meetings; therefore, attendance is capped at 40 members. Current AICC Vice Chair Gary Brewer, CEO of Package Crafters and Creative Packaging, took on the challenge. He and his wife, Ginny, worked with AICC and the EL delegates to plan the Savannah event. Forty ELs set foot on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, in Savannah. They came from across the United States and Canada, representing a variety of general and Associate member companies and holding various primary job functions, from customer service representatives and sales executives to managers and the children of company owners. They represented the next generation of leadership and the hope for the future of the independent packaging industry and its related industries. After settling into their hotel rooms and catching up on work emails, the group met in the hotel lobby and walked along the 18th-century cobblestone River Street, which runs along the Savannah River. From there, they boarded a charter boat that took them about 30 minutes to the 19th-century Old Fort Jackson. There, the members were greeted by two local reenactors in 1812-era uniforms who shared historical information about the fort and demonstrated period muskets. As the ultimate “dinner bell,” there was a celebratory firing of a Civil War-era cannon. Then, ELs enjoyed a Lowcountry-style meal and time together in this beautiful and historic space that sits right on the river. This low-pressure time of networking is key for the members, many of whom are newer to the industry, to build relationships that will benefit them for the rest of their careers. After this social time together, a great meal, and some cocktails, the members departed via boat. The next morning, members took a bus to the DS Smith Riceboro Paper Mill, where they enjoyed a thorough mill tour and learned more about the production of linerboard from the team at DS Smith. After the tour and a bus ride back to the city, members had a networking lunch before sitting down for a deep-dive training session led by Omar Abdullah, Ph.D., of Baroco. Abdullah led a thorough and interactive workshop focusing on the concrete steps the attendees could take to foster engagement within their own teams and how to help these principles overflow into their entire organization. After the workshop concluded and the attendees were sufficiently motivated to help transform their companies and careers for the better, the group headed to a celebratory networking event. Together, they attended a Savannah Bananas baseball game. The game was a hit, and smiles were abundant. On the last morning of the workshop, the EL members headed to Gary Brewer’s local sheet plant, Creative Packaging. There, members were given a tour of the facility and a chance to learn more about the production practices and operation principles of the Creative Packaging team. After the tour ended, the bus was loaded up one final time and transported the group to the airport to catch their flights home and back to their offices and production floors. Ask any EL who was there, and they’ll tell you they left feeling engaged and ready to work hard to help take their businesses to the next level. Plus, they got to have plenty of fun along the way! As the AICC slogan says, “When you invest and engage, AICC delivers results.” I can’t wait to see some new faces and plenty of good friends at the next EL Workshop! 

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John McQueary is an AICC Emerging Leaders senior delegate and area sales manager for corrugated board at Bobst North America.