HawkSoft founders Paul Hawkins, Sean Hawkins, and Jason Hansen celebrate 30 years of HawkSoft during the HUG at SEA cruise.
Our first-of-its-kind 2025 HUG at Sea National Conference was held this month onboard the Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas, during a five-day cruise from Orlando to the Bahamas! This unique HawkSoft User Group (HUG) event was a huge success, with the majority of attendees saying they enjoyed having the conference onboard a cruise in the post-event survey!
Check out our summary of this year’s incredible conference, with photos and quotes from attendees.
In this article:
- On-land event & reception
- General sessions
- Breakout sessions
- HUG Lab and dedicated lab group sessions
- Roundtables and peer group think tanks
- Exhibitors
- Networking & fun
- Future HUG events
"As always, the planning committee has outdone themselves! This HUG event was truly an amazing experience and I couldn't be more grateful to have had the opportunity to attend and present. It'll be hard to top this!”
- Event attendee
On-land event & reception
The day before the cruise began, there was an on-land event at the Marriott Orlando Airport Lakeside hotel. This event was not only for cruise attendees, but for additional guests and exhibitors who were able to attend for that day only.
The day included an open HawkSoft lab, dedicated labs for small groups, peer group think tanks, an exhibit hall with 26 exhibitors, and a welcome reception in the evening. We loved having the chance to meet the cruise group, plus local agents and more exhibitors!
Click the arrow on the right side of the photo to scroll through more pictures!
General sessions
Several general sessions were held throughout the cruise for the entire audience, including the keynote address on day 1, a session on Tasks and Activity Tags on day 2, and a final session on the evolution of HawkSoft on day 4. A special thanks to HUG board member George Patterson and HawkSoft employee Matt Brauer for being the MCs for these sessions!
Keynote: Making self-care your superpower (day 1)
We had the opportunity to hear from Dr. Elia Gourgouris for the keynote session this year, who some may recognize from his appearance at HUG National Conference in 2023. Known as America’s Happiness Doctor and author of 7 Paths to Lasting Happiness, Dr. Elia shared practical, bite-sized strategies for being happier, cultivating a strong mindset, and forming positive habits.
Dr. Elia offered tips on helping us keep our personal batteries charged by engaging in small acts of self-care each day. He suggested we work to change our mindset from asking why challenges are happening TO us, to why challenges are happening FOR us, and helped us understand how cultivating gratitude and kindness are essential to finding happiness. We were lucky to hear from Dr. Elia in several other breakout sessions and team talks over the course of the cruise as well!
Tasks and activity tags: streamlining workflows and tracking activity (day 2)
This general session, held on day 2 of the cruise, was led by Sean Hawkins (co-founder and Chief Product Officer) and a panel of agents. Sean demonstrated how Tasks in HawkSoft 6 can be used for both basic and complex needs, explained the differences from the past Suspenses feature, and showed how agencies can configure Tasks using templates and categories. He also went over Activity Tags and how they can be used to track the types of work being completed by staff members, as well as how they can be reported on using Activity Reports.
The rest of the session featured a Q&A with the panel of agents, where attendees could ask questions about the different ways agencies are utilizing Tasks and Activity Tags in their workflows.
“This was my second HUG conference, and I have to hand it to the HUG team and all of HawkSoft, you all did a tremendous job! Absolutely fantastic! I'm already looking forward to learning more next year!”
- Event attendee
Closing session: Your voice, our innovation (day 4)
The final general session was held on the last day of the cruise, led by HawkSoft executives Sean and Paul Hawkins, Rushang Shah (Chief Marketing Officer), and Javier Torres (Senior Product Manager). This session provided helpful insight about the rapid acceleration of software development innovation in recent years, and how it has affected HawkSoft’s own development process. Sean enlisted audience members to help with a hands-on demonstration of all the pieces of the development pipeline and how they’ve changed over the years.
Next, the presenters discussed the importance of agent feedback and how it shapes HawkSoft’s product roadmap. They gave an overview of the many channels through which HawkSoft receives feedback, and the internal processes in place to review and implement fixes and enhancements.
They also talked about the HawkSoft Community, where agents can submit and vote on product suggestions, and discussed why it’s the best place to collect, organize, and act on agent feedback. Attendees loved getting a peek behind the curtain at HawkSoft’s processes, and getting a better understanding of the most constructive ways to make their voices heard.
Breakout sessions
Breakout sessions are always a favorite part of HUG National Conference, and this year was no exception. There were over 40 sessions led by agents and HawkSoft employees on new HawkSoft 6 features, agency workflows, and industry topics. Attendees had the chance to attend sessions in areas across the ship, and even got to try out the ship’s “silent disco” setup when multiple sessions were held in the same area, allowing attendees to listen to their chosen presenter via headsets!
On day 4, Owner Talks and Team Talks were held, each featuring four fifteen-minute presentations on topics for owners and teams. The Owner Talks discussed navigating conflict, engaging your team, cultivating leaders, and servant leadership. Team Talks presented on finding joy and motivation, leading when you’re not in charge, phone and email etiquette, and navigating conflict.
“I think that Hawksoft does a great job teaching not only technology, but personal and professional development as well as explaining your own culture, which all resonates so much with me. You also listen to the users and work really hard to make changes to the items that we view as pain points to help us be more efficient.”
- Event attendee
HUG Lab and dedicated lab group sessions
One of the best parts of any HUG National Conference is the HUG Lab that’s available throughout the event. Attendees can come to the lab to ask questions about HawkSoft and get hands-on training or demos from HawkSoft employees on how to use features or configure workflows for their agency.
This year, there were also dedicated lab sessions available for small groups. These quick 30-minute sessions zeroed in on individual features like downloads, commissions, reporting, HawkLink, certificates, and more. Attendees enjoyed the chance to get quick demos and tips on specific topics they wanted to learn more about.
Roundtables and peer group think tanks
HUG at SEA also featured a number of other ways to network and learn in topic-focused groups outside of general and breakout sessions. Roundtables were held on a number of topics, where agents, HawkSoft employees, and exhibitors gave brief presentations and answered questions or facilitated group discussions.
Peer group think tanks were freeform discussion groups where attendees could collaborate on topics of interest and get ideas from other agents. HawkSoft employees and leaders also joined in to listen and get feedback from agents on their pain points and suggestions.
Attendees appreciated having so many different ways to learn, discuss problems, and share solutions at this year’s conference.
“This was my first HUG Conference and I really did get a lot of information and help out of it. Really appreciated the open lab times, as I received a lot of help there.
The sessions provided some valuable information, and hearing what other agents were doing helped me to think outside the box on some of my processes. I definitely will be attending next year’s HUG Conference!”
- Event attendee
Exhibitors
We had 26 exhibitors at the on-land event before the cruise, and the 15 that joined us on the cruise participated in the tradeshow hours held on days 1, 2, and 3. Agents had the opportunity to talk to existing technology partners and learn about new technology solutions for their business. Exhibitors also had the opportunity to present roundtables on their areas of expertise.
HawkSoft and HUG are grateful to all our fantastic partners who attended both on land and at sea, contributing to the atmosphere of education and collaboration at the conference. We especially want to thank the exhibitors who took the time away from their business to join us on the cruise, which gave attendees and exhibitors a chance to interact on an even deeper level than in previous years. You can take a look at all HUG partners here.
“I challenged myself to get involved at the conference, and I met so many incredible people along the way. On Coco Cay’s Perfect Day, I created a Whova meetup, and the awesome folks from Elevate (VA Company) joined our group. We currently use Elevate, and now they’re helping us secure a commercial VA, a HUGE WIN!”
- Event attendee
Networking & fun
Having the conference aboard a cruise to the Bahamas meant attendees had the chance to enjoy an extra helping of fun alongside the education of the conference!
Receptions & dining
Attendees were welcomed on the first evening of the cruise with a reception in the scenic solarium of the ship. Each night the HUG group enjoyed dining together at the dining hall, where table assignments allowed groups of attendees, HawkSoft employees, and exhibitors to enjoy delicious food and interact with people they might not otherwise meet. On the last evening of the cruise, a farewell party was held at the cruise ship’s silent disco and toga party!
Cruise ship entertainment
The Utopia of the Seas offered a huge range of fun activities in the evenings and outside of conference hours. Groups of attendees met up to enjoy the restaurants, bars, pools and waterslides, spa, shopping, and many more activities. Not to mention the dance, ice, and water shows put on by the ship each evening!
Excursions to Nassau and Coco Cay
While there was lots to enjoy on the ship, attendees also had chances to go on excursions when the ship made port. On day 2, the ship docked in Nassau, where attendees could disembark to enjoy tours of the island, visit the famous Straw Market, see landmarks like the Queen’s Staircase and Fort Charlotte, or try local delicacies like rum cake.
On day 4, the ship stopped in Coco Cay, Royal Carribbean’s island resort. Attendees had a great time swimming and snorkeling, riding slides at the waterpark, and enjoying the beach!
“Wow, where do I even begin with the praise and gratitude? I’ve attended many conferences and conventions over the past 20+ years, but this was hands-down the best experience yet. Being on the unforgettable Utopia of the Seas certainly didn’t hurt!
From start to finish, your passion, effort, and attention to detail were felt and appreciated. Simply put: beyond well done.”
- Event attendee
Join us at future HUG events!
HawkSoft is honored to contribute to and participate in HUG events like this year’s one-of-a-kind HUG at Sea National Conference. We’re especially grateful to HUG Executive Director Amelia Jach, Project Manager Jennifer Thompson, and Marketing and Events Coordinator Summer Rand for managing this year's very special conference. We also want to thank the whole 2025 HUG National Planning Committee, the HUG Board, and all the HUG members and HawkSoft employees who helped make the event happen!
Whether or not you attended this year, we hope you’ll join us at these future HUG events!
- 2025 Owner’s Retreat (registration opening soon)
October 2-4 | Vail, CO - 2025 Fall Regional Meetings (registration opening soon)
- Ohio - Thursday, September 4th
- Washington - Thursday, September 11th
- New York - Thursday, September 18th
- Wisconsin - Thursday, September 25th
- Texas - Thursday, October 16th
- North Carolina - Tuesday, October 23th
- California - Thursday, November 6th
- 2026 HUG National Conference (register now)
April 8-10 | Arlington, TX
If you haven’t attended a HUG event yet, please join us! Membership in the HawkSoft User Group is free (register here), and you’ll get access to tons of great resources like a template library and monthly webinars about HawkSoft. HUG is a great way to learn from and interact with other agents who use HawkSoft!
Learn more about HUGRegister to be a HawkSoft User Group member and take advantages of great resources like webinars, templates, events, and more!
|
