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.
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 had the privilege of hosting our third annual YPN Leadership Conference. First and foremost, our industry, and by extension our association, wouldn’t be the same without the incredible people who make it all possible.
Over the three days, attendees and speakers from 26 different companies across Canada and two from the US engaged in unparalleled, in-depth discussions.
As they say, it takes a village, and we have a long list of thank yous:
A huge thank you to the sign companies who hosted us: Access Signs for kindly hosting our learning day component, Lettrage Boisvert, and Enseignes Landreville Signs for the insightful tours on Friday. Thank you all for sharing your best practices and lessons learned!
We can only improve our industry by working together, sharing, and encouraging best practices while nurturing our emerging leaders.
Thank you to our premier sponsor, ND Graphics, for supporting our conference for the second year in a row. Your support enables us to continue investing in the future of the Canadian sign industry.
Merci à l’AQIE de nous accueillir dans votre belle province. Un IMMENSE merci à Lee Murphy (Access Signs) et Pierre Lachapelle d’avoir co-organisé cet événement avec nous.
A big thank you also to the YPN Task Force members who helped organize this: Tristan Allan (TDH Experiential Fabricators), Taylor Blanchett-O’Donnell (Blanchett Signage Solutions), Christopher Dade (ND Graphics), Krista Edwards (Media Resources Inc.), Jayden Fradsham (Day Nite Neon Signs Limited), Stacey Gagne (Signex Manufacturing Inc), and Maicka Olivier (Enseignes iCubic).
Thank you to Robert Blyth (Les Installations Stalaich Installs Inc) and Jebb Nucci (Enseignes iCubic) for facilitating the peer roundtable discussions and joining our OG panel. Also, thank you to Sylvain Fontaine (Groupe Enseignes Dominion) and Susan Svotelis (PLASKOLITE) for your candid remarks during the OG panel discussion.
Finally, thank you to all the member sign companies for investing in the future of the Canadian sign industry by sending their emerging leaders to the conference.
Testimonials from the 2023 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
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!