Associates Week is paradise for serious pin collectors.
When Michelle Arnold joined Sam’s Club 33 years ago, she started collecting pins that came with new movies on VHS tapes. But it was the 2012 Shareholders Meeting where her collection really grew. She picked up many pins at the event — including five from other countries.
Associates Week — when our Annual Shareholders Meeting takes place in Bentonville, Arkansas — is “probably the most exciting time to trade pins,” explains Michelle, who is a merchandiser at Sam’s Club 8147 in Loveland, Colorado. “It's a way to mingle and to get to know people from other countries.”
International trade
Alan Dranow, senior director of Walmart Heritage Group, would agree. He says one of the greatest things about pin trading is that it goes beyond language. He recalls a special moment from one Shareholders Meeting, where he spotted an associate from China approach another associate from a Massmart in Africa.
“He takes off one of his pins and holds it up, and the associate from Massmart takes off one of his pins, and they traded them. They put them on their lanyards. Without a word!” Alan exclaims. “Without a word! That's what I thought was so cool.”
Making memories and friends
Andrew Okoniewski was also in Bentonville for the 2012 Associates Week. “I was so excited to meet new people and to be able to trade with them that by the end of the meeting I'm sure I had close to a hundred different pins and a lot of new friends!”
“I then created a shadow box of all my favorite pins and handed out some of what I collected to my fellow associates to spread the joy that the pins gave me. I think the shadow box that I made has some of my favorite pins because the experience was so incredible and meaningful to me.
Heidi Pickwall is an academy coach in Minnesota. She started collecting pins when she joined Walmart 12 years ago. But, she shares, “it wasn't until I went to the 2018 Shareholders Meeting where I really became a fanatic of collecting those pins!”
“Our market manager at the time had sent us all with 25 pins to trade and then my academy lead sent me with an additional 50 pins. That was where my collection just exploded!”
Are you hoping to “explode” your pin collection at this year’s Associates Week? Share pictures of your trades on Workplace or on social with the tag #WMT2024.
