The AGS is pleased to announce the keynote and featured speakers for its annual Conclave, which will be held in Seattle, WA, April 8-10 at the Sheraton Grand Seattle.“Seattle is a unique and innovative city with such an amazing energy,” says Alexis Padis, CGA, Chair of the International Conclave Committee. “Our speakers are much like our host city in that way. This year’s Conclave has a wide variety of talent and leading experts, ready to infuse our members with invaluable information they can use in both their professional and personal lives.”
This year’s exceptional lineup includes:
Monday: The Opening Session lunch kicks off with Dan Thurmon, [pictured: center], a dynamic speaker, author, and performer. Dan is president of Motivation Works, Inc. and author of Success in Action. His one-of-a-kind presentation juxtaposes ideas with actions to inspire change. Dan delivers experiences that go beyond motivation to teach concepts and skills while engaging and entertaining the audience.
The featured speaker for Monday is Steve Gutzler, [pictured: right]. Steve’s exceptional ability to communicate clear leadership and sales solutions with humor, clarity, and insight is why he is in such high demand. Steve believes every presentation should transform a life and inspire leadership.
Tuesday: Wake up ready to laugh and be entertained with the keynote breakfast speakers Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood, [pictured: left], stars of Whose Line is it Anyway? Consider this the industry’s largest icebreaker! Colin and Brad are masters of improv and are going to perform with a live variation of their hit show, relying heavily on audience participation.
Best-selling author Kelly McDonald is Tuesday’s featured speaker. Kelly is a marketing and advertising expert whose company was twice named one of the “Top Ad Agencies in the U.S.” by Advertising Age. Her presentation style is a mix of high content and high humor and employs audience interaction to increase engagement and learning.
Wednesday: The Closing Session keynote and featured speaker for the day is Galen Emanuele. Internationally renowned, Galen works with teams to create a profound shift in how teams and people communicate and perform in business. His unique, interactive keynotes and programs teach organizations how to apply the improv concept of “Yes, and” to drive an exceptional team culture of high-level performance and engagement.
Joel Zeff returns as the emcee and is well-known to the AGS members as a past keynote and featured speaker at Conclave. Zeff is an acclaimed motivator, public speaker, humorist, and actor.
Each featured speaker will teach both a morning and afternoon session. In addition, there will be over 90 breakout sessions. Conclave will also feature 13 networking events where the AGS community can mingle and meet other like-minded professionals who share their mission of consumer protection, ongoing education, and high standards of business ethics.
The American Gem Society would like to thank Jewelers Mutual Insurance Group, who is, once again, the Presenting Sponsor for Conclave. Without their support, the American Gem Society would not be able to provide the educational programming that it offers.
About the American Gem Society
The American Gem Society (AGS) is a nonprofit trade association of fine jewelry professionals dedicated to setting, maintaining and promoting the highest standards of ethical conduct and professional behavior through education, accreditation, recertification of its membership, gemological standards, and gemological research. The Society is committed to providing educational products to inform and protect the consumer and to contributing to the betterment of the trade by creating industry standards to protect the jewelry-buying public and the fine jewelry industry as a whole. AGS Laboratories, founded to support the AGS mission, is a nonprofit diamond grading laboratory with a mission of consumer protection. Adhering to the AGS Diamond Grading Standards, AGS Laboratories is dedicated to offering diamond grading reports that provide consistency and accuracy based on science. For more information, please visit www.americangemsociety.org.
About Jewelers Mutual Group
The Jewelers Mutual Group companies, which are dedicated solely to serving the jewelry industry in the United States and Canada, began in 1913 when a group of Wisconsin jewelers came together to meet their unique insurance needs. Today, the Group’s companies remain the trusted insurance advisor and loss-prevention expert for jewelry retailers large and small, wholesalers, manufacturers, custom designers, and appraisers — and for consumers who protect their personal jewelry and the special moments it represents. For more information, please visit www.jewelersmutual.com.
