Marco Island, Fla.—FCNews is on Marco Island, Fla., for the FEI Group’s national conference. The event kicked off Wednesday evening with an opening address by Graham Howerton, president of the FEI Group, who welcomed members, supplier partners and guests. During his talk, Howerton paid tribute to the staff of The JW Marriott Marco Island who endured hardship after Hurricane Ian struck the area four weeks ago, closing the facility for nearly two weeks and disrupting many lives. The staff members entered the conference room to a standing ovation.
The FEI Group national conference is more than just educational seminars and networking. The group also desires to give back. With that in mind, the group held the “No Child Hungry Give Back Challenge,” where dozens of FEI members worked on an assembly line to make oatmeal and pack them in boxes for distribution the following day to a local food bank. The meals come during a particularly difficult time for families in Southwest Florida who were displaced by Hurricane Ian last month.
FEI Group’s annual national conference Day 1 culminated in a welcome dinner highlighting the family atmosphere and truly collaborative spirit of the group—chock full of food, drink and live music.
