More proof of Garver’s people-first culture — Summit 2024

Garver employees who’ve dreamt of catching a pass in the end zone at AT&T Stadium got their chance at the 14th annual Garver Summit, held this year in Arlington, Texas. With almost 1,100 employees attending, from nearly 60 offices around the country, it was the biggest firm gathering yet and will no doubt be one of the most memorable.

Every full-time employee at Garver is invited to Summit, a multi-day event designed to connect and celebrate the firm’s most valuable asset: its people. Summit includes team meetings, a themed awards show, Wellness and GarverGives events, and - this year - featured the return of team competitions.

Summit 2024’s professional sports draft day theme was a perfect fit for the location: the Loews Arlington, within walking distance of iconic AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field, landmarks for NFL and MLB fans.

The first night of Summit, employees nominated for the Spirit of Garver Award and those who’ve won the honor in years past attended a dinner at Globe Life Field. In addition to receiving special recognition, they got to practice their swing in the batting cages, play catch in the field, and tour the stadium.

The next day, all employees donned the Garver football jerseys they’d received at check-in and boarded tour buses that drove them directly into AT&T Stadium. When they disembarked, they had the option of running or walking through the tunnel and out onto the turf to the roar of cheers from the firm’s Office of the Year finalists.

Employees didn’t have to be Dallas Cowboys’ fans to appreciate the Garver logo on the jumbotron and screens encircling the stadium, the drumline, self-guided tours of the players’ and cheerleaders’ locker rooms, the chance to try and kick a field goal or catch a touchdown pass, and the delicious lunch. Team competitions were held on the field, and featured a relay that included skipping, three-legged racing, potato sack hopping, and more. The competition was fierce and good spirited.

That night, employees dressed smartly in “draft day drip,” or what they would wear if they were being drafted into a professional sports league. The draft day themed awards show, the Garvys, honored individuals, teams, and offices for their hard work and success over the past year in true draft day style, echoing the sports world’s annual event to humorous and entertaining effect.

The next morning, employees chose to participate in a 2.5 mile run or hour-long yoga session as part of Garver’s award-winning Wellness Program. Others attended a STEM kit packing event led by Garver's corporate giving program, GarverGives, benefiting students at Pearcy STEM Academy in the Arlington School District. Then they attended lunch sessions with their teams that included additional awards and recognitions before heading home.

Past Garver Summits have taken employees to the underground walkways of Oklahoma City and on a white-water rafting course and zip line over the Oklahoma River, to Arrowhead Stadium and Kansas City’s historic Midland Theatre, to Toyota Music Factory and the Gaylord Texan - just to name a few places. And though the event continues to grow, its purpose remains the same.

A unique and bold investment in employees, Summit is an illustration of Garver’s people-first culture and living proof of its philosophy of investing in employees to drive successful, innovative client service and promote company growth.