WLIA 2025 Annual Conference Appleton

Come here to start your journey or get questions answered at any time!

Wednesday evening, we will open the Annual with a Smashing Backyard BBQ, think "Summer Magic". Expect to be here from 6 to 9pm Imagine yourself at a magical backyard gathering with your friends. Food will be backyard grill themed including some of the following…grilled hamburgers & brats with hot sauerkraut, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles, ketchup, mustard and relish, will also be available to dress things on baked brioche buns. We will also have baked rolls along with kettle chips, watermelon, and either cookies, brownies, or bars for your sweet tooth. Beverages such as coffee and tea will be available and we also hope to have Arnold Palmer style mocktails. We will have some light music in the background, draw names for some giveaways and of course have a few surprises up our sleeves. Pose for pictures with your friends or just hang out with your colleagues. Chat or play cards and other assorted games, and if you wish to test your tossing prowess, you can team up and take part in a bags/cornhole tournament. We will pair entrants on teams who will compete to win bag toss sets to take home. Prizes will be awarded to the champions and the 1st runner up team. The tournament will be set up in a sixteen team double elimination bracket and limited to first 32 entrants.

Later in the evening, there will be live music playing at the Gibson Music Hall at 211 W. College Avenue, a short walk, within a block of the Paper Valley Inn. The Chris Haise Band will be performing! This band just happens to feature Chris Dickerson, a member of our very own WLIA! If you haven't heard of the Chris Haise Band (where have you been?), they hail from Milwaukee, WI. Their indie/folk/rock music has been described as “intense, thoughtful songcraft”* with “lyrics so vivid you can practically touch them, (Chris Haise) is among the finer storytellers”. Adding members Mark Harrig (guitar/vox), Tony Sturino (cello/vox), Chris Dickerson (bass) & Chad Burgess (drums); they released their highly anticipated 5th studio album “Busy People”. CHB’ songs are layered with contagious hook-filled melodies while keeping true to Haise’s Dylan-esque vocals and cello-laced compositions. (Review credit: *Brooke Billick – Shutter 16; **Piet Levy – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.)