Bee Book

The Basket Bee In 1981, Dave Longaberger asked his sales team to boost sales. They invited Consultants to Dresden and The Bee was born! Dave was the one who gave the Bee its name; he said that when ladies come together to quilt, they call it a Quilting Bee, so it makes sense to call a gathering to discuss baskets, a “Basket Bee!”

bonds of friendship and family are all valued traditions that we continue today. As we move forward and create new memories, we invite you to join us in taking a look back at the special times we’ve shared through the years.

The first Bee was held at Jefferson Elementary School on Main Street in Dresden on Saturday, June 13, 1981. There were approximately 150 Sales Consultants in attendance, and it only lasted four hours. Anita Rector and Sherry Colling helped plan everything. Grandma Bonnie, Tami, and Rachel worked the registration table, and Marge Shipley, who was company Sales Manager, presented the General Session (though we didn’t actually call it that back then). Distributors, now known as Sales Directors, were given silver trays for their sales participation - we didn’t have the categories we now have today. Sales Consultants were invited to bring the craft items to sell, thus the first vendors’ fair came to be. Punch and cookies were served throughout the afternoon. It was terribly hot and humid and we ran out of punch, so Marge, Anita, and Sherry filled 7-Up bottles with water and poured them into the punch bowls. Attendees didn’t care, they just appreciated something cold! Later in the afternoon, tornados hit several areas surrounding Dresden, but the Bee was missed and the day finished in success. Now, over three decades later, many aspects of the Bee have changed but our roots remain deeply ingrained at the core of our gatherings. Celebration, inspiration, and the

“With our roots feeding on our trees, our future will grow together strong.“ -Dave Longaberger

1981

Fun Fact: At this very first Bee, there was no built-in stage to use, so Tami’s waterbed frame was used as the main stage instead!

When: June 13th, 1981 Where: Jefferson Elementary Dresden, Ohio

1986 The winner of the 1986 Miss Ohio Pageant, Mary Zilba, was a guest speaker at Bee. 1986.

Fun Fact: This year’s Bee was the first to require a reigstration for the workshops.

Top Seller: Maria Matheos Top Recruiter: Linda Rogers & Mary Pilchak

Top Seller: Darla Tarmann Top Recruiter: Denise Swyers

1991

Fun Fact: Bee-goers in 1991 enjoyed a private concert by Kenny Rogers and a surprise visit from Raquel Welch!

1996 Top Seller: Cheryl Benoodt Top Recruiter: Susan Kantor Spirit of Longaberger: Dianne Koehler, Sue Kuehl, & Phyllis Hairston

Fun Fact: This was the first year that three separate Bees were hosted back-to-back, which meant that Bee activities ended up lasting a whopping 11 days!

2001 Top Seller: Susie Evans Top Recruiter: Christine Hendershot Spirit of Longaberger: Gail Duckwitz, Billie Anderson, & Eric McPate

Fun Fact: By 2001, there were so many attendees at The Bee that the Columbus Convention Center could no longer hold everyone at the same time, so for the first time, General Session took place in Nationwide Arena instead.

2006 Top Seller: Susie Evans Top Recruiter: Patti Daugherty Spirit of Longaberger: Charleen Cuckovich LuAnn Kuyper Jean Rinehart Fun Fact: The Lifetime Achievement Awards of the 1 Million Dollar Club and 100 Recruits were awarded for the first time at Bee 2006.

2011 Top Seller: Benno Landfair Top Recruiter: Lynette Call

Fun Fact: During this Bee, both the General Session and the Recognition Gala were streamed live for everyone that couldn’t be at The Bee in person.

Spirit of Longaberger: John Lovejoy

Best Dressed

People wear crazy costumes at Bee to show their enthusiasm and love of Longaberger here are some of the best!

The Bee has brought a wide range of entertainment to its attendees through the years to help make Bee a blast!

Showstoppers

Babies at BEE

What’s cuter than a baby? BayBEES!

Class Clowns

With all of the excitement and energy at Bee, we can’t help but BEE a little bit silly at times!

Bee Boys

Bee just wouldn’t be the same without everyone’s favorite insects!

No Bee would be complete without its fair share of baskets!

Baskets

That’s all for now, folks!

See you at BEE!!