2024 saw us go on the road and host three events in three amazing cities. First up London!
We decided to build on the success of our first event and returned to the citizenM on Friday, May 31st, 2024.
This time, we numbered fifty, including soloists, founders, and leaders working in ecommerce, app development, marketing, and content creation, primarily within the Shopify ecosystem. They came to listen, share, and learn. — and the day delivered.
We also introduced a new group element to the day called “Conversation Stations” which everyone seemed to enjoy.
Our guest presenters were Tim Richardson, Ellen Donnelly, Faye Oakenfull, Elliot Jay Stocks, and Piers Thorogood. Talks covered everything from planned and unplanned career paths to goal setting, being terrible at marketing, and team culture — the kind of honest stories that make Craft+Work what it is.
Next up, NYC!
After much encouragement from friends and former colleagues, we took the plunge and booked two venues for our first overseas events — starting with New York City.
Workhouse proved to be the perfect venue, allowing our group of thirty to share, listen, and converse with ease. Sadly, neither Craig nor I followed the “get lots of photos” rule, so the gallery is a bit sparse — we were too engrossed in the conversations to remember!
Our presenters brought perspectives from across the Shopify Partner world — from agency life and creative direction to building long-term client relationships and staying adaptable in an ever-changing industry. Each session delivered practical insights, honest reflections, and plenty of shared laughter along the way.
We were joined by Arianne Foulks, Galen King, and Ross Beyeler.
After wrapping up the day with more great conversations at an Irish pub across the street, we gathered our thoughts and headed to Penn Station for our 13-hour trek to Toronto!
Our final stop of the year took us to Toronto, Canada.
Two events in two countries in one week felt ambitious, but we were up for the challenge. This was put to the test when our friends at Partner Meetup and Toronto’s ECC chapter added two more events to our dance card the day before our Toronto gathering.
Fortunately, we made it through Thursday’s events and were ready for our first Canadian edition. The Underground at the Drake Hotel served as our venue for the day. After adjusting to a suitable level of coolness (the AC, not the people!), we got started. Oh, we also learned our lesson and captured more of the day on our occasionally wobbly iPhones!
The morning kicked off with our guest presenters. After lunch, we reintroduced the “Conversation Stations” alongside questions from the audience and my expertly coded random question generator, which sparked engaging conversations and valuable insights.
Our three invites presenters were Blair Beckwith, Jess Chan, and Trudy MacNabb. Their topics included product insights, lessons learned from leaving a unicorn company, and leadership development.
We wrapped up the day with a Happy Hour featuring cocktails, cheeses, and small meats!
Let’s see what 2025 brinds to the party!
