GiGi’s Annual Leadership Conference 2024

65 Cities. 5 Days. 2 Countries. 1 Voice

Last week, GiGi’s Playhouse, Inc. hosted their Annual Leadership Conference at the Renaissance Convention Center in Schaumburg, Illinois. With over 60 Playhouses in the U.S. and 2 in Mexico, this gathering is an incredibly valuable meeting-of-the-minds.

It begins with a tour of the flagship Hoffman Estates Playhouse, Hugs + Mugs Café, and GiGi’s National Office, given by Founder and Chief Belief Officer herself, Nancy Gianni. The next 4 days are packed with trainings, break-out sessions, focus groups, networking mixers, strategic planning, generous sponsors, and so much more. It is a week of sharing passion, inspiration, ideas, and strategies to strengthen the collective voice of advocates for the Down syndrome community. Attendees are there to reconnect with their WHY and join others who understand the vital work we do.

Representatives of the Detroit Playhouse included (from left to right) Luke Tyrrell (Board Member & Self-Advocate), Amy Tyrrell (Co-Vice President and proud mama), Kathleen Tynes (Program Coordinator), and Samantha Masserant (new Site Manager).

Luke had the honor of introducing Nancy Gianni to an energetic room of hundreds Saturday morning. He began by sharing some of his personal journey as an individual with Down syndrome, and the emotional applause throughout his presentation was palpable.

In case you missed it, you can watch Luke’s full speech here.

Each of our reps had this to say about their experiences at conference:

“I had a great time and met some cool new friends.

– Luke

“As board members for the Detroit location, Luke and I haven’t attended the National Conference for a few years. For me, sessions were relevant and very interactive and productive. Luke loved his group and was engaged the whole day.”

– Amy

“We are all working so hard to provide our communities with the best Playhouse experience we can offer. Coming together on a national level provides us with the opportunity to celebrate each other’s successes and learn from each other so we can continue to grow. I look forward to going to conference each year so I can spend quality time with my friends across the network and truly collaborate so we can all come back with a fresh set of ideas and a renewed sense of purpose!”

– Kathleen

“Conference was an amazing way to be submerged into the culture of GiGi’s and celebrate all the greatness and change that we are doing within our local communities and the world. It was an opportunity to meet amazing Playhouses and learn about what they are doing in their local communities. Conference has ‘filled my cup’ and I am so excited to continue the growth of the Detroit Playhouse.”

– Samantha

Thank you to GiGi’s Playhouse, Inc. for all the work you put into another amazing conference! We love this organization and are excited to continue our shared mission of changing how the world views Down syndrome and sending a global message of acceptance for all!