The TRICOM Client Conference was a success thanks to our wonderful clients and sponsors who came, participated, shared their insights, and were just generally awesome.

Our team was excited to have the opportunity to spend time with them while sharing our hometown, connecting with our partners, and learning together.

We extend our thanks to everyone who attended, our sponsors, our speakers, and our employees – each of you played a critical role in making the TRICOM 2022 Client Conference a resounding success!

There was one aspect of the conference of which we are particularly proud. During the conference, CEO Julie Ann Bittner decided to have attendees and sponsors participate in a water filter build she had learned about earlier in the year while attending a conference herself.

“Social responsibility is very important to me along with educating others about social responsibility and the impact we can make in our community and our world,” explains Julie Ann.

Julie Ann felt that the Client Conference would be a perfect opportunity to come together for a cause that helps others in a truly meaningful way. She introduced the water filter build by explaining that, “I feel today now more than ever this country, this world needs each of us to come together. I believe there is something beautiful about community, the Milwaukee community, and TRICOM’s community. Within this community today – which goes beyond ethnicity, race, religious backgrounds upbringings – inside us all, we are united by a common thread of love, hope, compassion and service.  It’s really what we do every day in our jobs – we serve.”

During the conference, the group moved away from their businesses and used their hands to change people’s lives. They assembled water filters to provide clean water to those without.

Access to clean water impacts people throughout the world – including millions of people right here in the U.S., and even more so in the wake of devastating natural events such as Hurricane Ian.

In 2003 Doc Hendley, founder of Wine To Water (W|W), learned about the world water crisis. He found that unsafe drinking water kills more children than anything else in the world. The second largest killer is HIV-AIDS, third is Malaria, and fourth is Tuberculous. In fact, water kills more than the next three on the list combined.

This inspired Doc to create Wine to Water in 2004. Since its inception, W|W has helped over 1.4 million people in over 45 countries gain access to clean drinking water.

On Thursday evening of TRICOM’s Client Conference, before all the food, fun and music, attendees and sponsors assembled 250 water filters for Wine to Water. Each water filter can provide up to 12 people with clean water for ten years or more.

Additionally, Julie Ann challenged attendees to help raise funds for the Wine to Water Filter Build Program. “Our goal was $20,000, but to my surprise and because of generous business owners and their staff, along with business partners, we raised a total of $50,819.00 – that’s over 250% of our goal.”

The event is a testament to the impact a group can make when people come together with a common goal. TRICOM is proud to have been able to facilitate the event, and we look forward to incorporating similar initiatives in future TRICOM Client Conferences.