Facilisgroup, a St. Louis-based software-as-a-service company and partnering community for promotional products firms, recently concluded its REBOUND-20 series of virtual townhalls and education sessions. The event was launched after the organization, which also runs an office in Ottawa, was forced to postpone its annual Partner Summit and Supplier Showcase this spring in Nashville.

Started with a single townhall featuring Jeremy Lott, president of Top 40 supplier SanMar (asi/84863), and C.J. Schmidt, president of Top 40 supplier Hit Promotional Products, the event expanded to four weeks, with daily virtual sessions featuring Facilisgroup leaders and executives from across the promo industry who shared their advice on weathering a challenging business environment as a result of mass shutdowns due to the coronavirus.

In one session, Facilisgroup President Ashley McCune and vice president of technology Liam Conlan shared data on the correlation between innovation and future success. “Facilisgroup defines innovation, one of our core values, as turning an idea into a solution that adds value, but more importantly, staying relevant in the midst of change,” said the company in a statement. “Today, Facilisgroup focuses on adapting to deliver the same value to our partners in this different world by staying true to our pillars: community, supply chain and technology.”

Chuck Fandos, the former CEO of Facilisgroup and now chief strategy officer for The Pebble Group, told attendees they should be ready to leverage a busy job market over the next few months as laid-off people look for new opportunities. “It’s going to be a better buyer’s market for hiring than it’s been in 12 years,” he said. “There’s going to be quality people who are out of work.”

In total, the month-long event welcomed 575 attendees and 85% of the organization’s partners.

“This was such a productive use of my time,” Nicole Delatinsky, an inside sales rep at Shippam & Associates in Winnipeg, said in a testimonial for Facilisgroup. “I created a reading list and action list from what I learned. … [A] great way to increase morale and provide insight into the industry.”

Facilisgroup plans to hold its 2021 Partner Summit and Supplier Showcase in Nashville from June 14 to 17.