Growing direct-selling conglomerate Youngevity® Essential Life Sciences reports that approximately 1,000 independent business owners and customers from around the world gathered in Orlando, Florida, on March 29-31 at the company?s Annual Global Convention. Youngevity is a wholly owned subsidiary of AL International, a global direct marketer of lifestyle and nutritional products and services and gourmet coffee.
The event marked Youngevity?s 15th anniversary and was its first Annual Global Convention as a publicly traded company. The company became publicly traded following its August 2011 merger with Javalution Coffee Company, and now offers over 400 nutritional products and lifestyle-related services in addition to specialized fortified coffee products. The company currently has more than 70,000 active distributors and customers and fulfills approximately 36,000 orders on a monthly basis.
Attendees at the event traveled from all 50 states and countries as distant as Japan and the Philippines to hear AL International executives Steve Wallach, CEO; William Andreoli, President; Dave Briskie, Vice President of Commercial Development; and featured speakers Dr. Joel D. Wallach, BS, DVM, ND, the nutritional research pioneer who founded Youngevity in 1997; and Theo Ratliff, former NBA All-Star.
The event adds to the momentum from the recent ?90 for Life? and ?Get Skinny? campaigns that have significantly increased distributorship and recently added 25,000 new customers. Following the event, the company plans to announce new campaigns featuring wellness-based products and services to support a healthy lifestyle.
Convention Highlights Included:
-- Presentations on a variety of topics, including direct sales and marketing techniques, challenges for independent business owners, leadership development, women in business, ?90 for Life? nutrition, and anti-aging/mineral makeup/natural skincare.
-- The full integration with Financial Destination, Inc., the lifestyle services company that joined Youngevity in August 2011, was announced. All Youngevity customers and distributors now have access to the full range of FDI services.
-- The introduction of a stock option plan for Youngevity?s network of distributors. AL International is looking to expand its shareholder base and incentivize its employees to drive revenue and become shareholders.
-- Attendance by the founders and key distributors of True2Life. True2Life, with distribution in the United States, Mexico and the Philippines, is the newest brand to join with Youngevity.
-- Former NBA All-Star Theo Ratliff awarded the Theo Ratliff Rebound Award to Vice Presidential Marketing Director Vivian Wayman of Draper, Utah.
-- Richard Renton, a member of Youngevity?s Scientific and Athletic Advisory Boards, received the Presidential Award of Excellence. Mr. Renton is also a member of AL International?s Board of Directors.
-- A spotlight on the milestone that Youngevity is now entering its 16th year of business.
?This year?s Annual Global Convention marked a milestone in our company?s history, and it was our biggest event to date,? said Steve Wallach, CEO. ?Not only was it our first major event as a public company, it also came at a time when we?re surging toward our goal of becoming a global force in the direct selling industry.?
In March, the company announced robust growth on the strength of more than 25,000 new customer and distributor enrollments that have taken place over the last four months. ?We reported revenue of $40 million for fiscal 2011 and we are confident that we will significantly increase that number this year,? Wallach added. ?As the number of distributors that are in our network continues to grow, so will AL International, and I look forward to updating our shareholders as we press forward,? he said.
