The Young Professionals Network (YPN) seeks to empower the next generation of sign industry professionals to pursue leadership positions within the association and their own companies and to provide inspiration for the next steps in their career.  Age is not a factor. If you’re in the first half of your sign industry career and working for a SAC-ACE member company, the YPN is for you!  Our task force is consistently on the lookout for driven and enthusiastic young professionals who aspire to make a meaningful impact.

Sign Up

By joining YPN, you get access to:

• Networking events with industry leaders and local YPN leadership
• Access to tailored educational opportunities and invaluable mentorship
• Online resources for professional development, including an active chat group connected members across Canada

Why should your young talent join YPN?

Are you currently employing individuals who are just embarking on their journey in the sign industry? Are you dedicated to fostering their growth, boosting their confidence, and keeping them engaged? By ensuring their success within the sign industry, you’re inherently contributing to the growth of your own company!

Join YPN

Enrolling in YPN offers young professionals with a unique opportunity to build a network of likeminded sign industry peers from across Canada.

To ensure that investment into the next generation of sign industry leaders takes place on a national level, in 2022, Sign Association of Canada initiated a national YPN Leadership Conference.  The three-day, two-night conference is designed to offer insights into industry-wide best practices and facilitate vital connections that stand to enhance not just the participants’ personal professional journeys, but also benefit their current employers. The inaugural conference took place in Toronto in 2022 and moved to Edmonton in 2023. This year we were in Montreal, QC. To take full advantage of this leadership building community join the Young Professionals Network.

We have had the privilege of hosting three amazing YPN Leadership Conferences. None of this would be possible without the dedicated individuals who bring their passion and expertise to every aspect of the event. Our industry, and by extension our association, wouldn’t be the same without these incredible people who make it all possible.

As they say, it takes a village, and we would like to thank ours for devoting their time, resources, and expertise to making this conference a success.

A huge thank you to all the taskforces members, host companies, sponsors, attendees, and speakers who have participated in the YPN Conference over the years.

We can only improve our industry by working together, sharing, and encouraging best practices while nurturing our emerging leaders.

2024 YPN Conference

“The YPN leadership conferences are unlike any personal or professional development I have been to before. They focus intensely on the connections we form in a relatively small industry as the pillar of what makes us so strong. Meeting others my age in the same field helps contextualize wins and losses we all have and serves as a platform to improve with newfound focus. I would recommend any young person stepping into the industry to join in on these conferences and the YPN in general. The information gained and the people you meet will propel your career forward like nothing else.”

– Will Gibbs, Fast Signs Scarborough

“I thought the conference was an amazing experience. It taught me more how to be a leader, by involving everyone in your workspace. Being on the same page and working together in personal development. I really enjoyed the round tables and the openness of communication between everyone.”

– William Gagnon, Gagnon Image Inc.

“Attending the recent YPN leadership conference in Montreal was an enlightening experience for me as a young professional. The conference was a meaningful moment in my professional journey, equipping me with skills and perspectives to lead authentically and drive positive change…this was a great opportunity to network with peers who share my passion and to learn from mentors who generously shared their expertise.”

– Rebecca Potvin, EM Plastic

2023 YPN Conference

“This is my second year going. Its great to see the growth from the previous year.  I got to see some familiar faces, catch up and make new connections and learn about myself with a full detailed disc assessment.  This will help me going forward with connecting and communicating with my guys, clients and mentors. The panel of experts were awesome to hear from and talk with as always.  The shop tours blew me away, its amazing to see what other divisions there are in the sign industry.  I’m excited to see what comes with next year!!”

– Mac Schultz, Sleek Signs

“Prior to YPN, I had little knowledge of just how big the industry truly is. Networking with people close in age who share the same passion as me was incredibly eye opening. Walking through different sign shops and seeing how much love and passion goes into our industry was exciting! A big highlight for me was seeing the neon sign museum lit up at night.

The experience as a whole is something I will cherish forever. I am beyond thankful that not only the people I work with, but the Sign Association of Canada see potential in the younger generation. They are giving us the tools and investing time into the future of signage.”

– Jayden Fradsham, DayNite Neon Signs

“The SAC-YPN conference was fantastic because we could meet, network, and learn from like-minded individuals in our industry. I enjoyed hearing about other people’s day-to-day activities and what their role in the business was. I talked to project managers, sales executives, installers, graphic designers, estimators, controllers, and business owners. It was great to see people’s passion for the sign industry throughout all levels of an organization.”

– Connor Snyder, Electra Sign