At the Northwestern Mutual conference, many agents wore strings of colorful ribbons. What do they mean?

The annual Northwestern Mutual conference held at Henry Maier Festival Park drew thousands of employees, many sporting a string of multicolored ribbons.

Attached to lanyards, some strings of ribbons were so long they trailed the ground as people walked around. Here's what they signify, and why agents are proud to wear them.

Annual gathering a tradition for Northwestern Mutual employees

Northwestern Mutual offers financial, insurance and investment services. It is headquartered in Milwaukee and holds its annual conference here. Usually the event is held at Fiserv Forum, but because of the RNC presence there last week, this year's conference was held on Summerfest grounds.

From Saturday through Tuesday, agents from across the country gathered to network, learn and have fun. Eric Church was scheduled to perform, and the conference is no stranger to country stars . Last year, Kenny Chesney took the stage, and the year before that Florida Georgia Line made an appearance.

So, what's the deal with these ribbons and what do they mean?

Agents wore lanyards around their necks, and attached were square colorful ribbons that draped down vertically. Some were of short length, while others were very long.

Each ribbon means something different. Some recognize accomplishments or goals met within the company. This can be an impact an agent has had, how many policies they've sold, or how many investments they've opened. Other ribbons represent a cause or a charity.

Ribbons celebrate accomplishments, participation in events

The "Roots Wings" ribbon correlates with the annual charity race the company does for cancer. An interactive and meaningful way to spread awareness, the last race was held Sunday.

The "Growth Award" is about recruiting more team members to impact more people.

The "Life Impact Award" relates to death benefit coverage and how much protection is put in place for people and their families.

"Best Year Ever" is pretty self-explanatory.

These are just a few of the many ribbons worn during the event.

Agents tell us about their favorite ribbon

For some, collecting the ribbons took a long time, while for others only a year was needed. Such was the case for Paul Montello of Kansas City.

He said that there is a universal sense of "respect and appreciation" tied to these ribbons. He is especially proud of his green "Disability Income Premium" one.

"Northwestern has made 43 disability claims to my clients that became sick or injured and aren't able to work anymore," Montello said. "To be a part of that and be able to connect people that sort of solution. ... That means the most to me, because I've seen first-hand how it plays out."

Financial adviser Martim Cohen flew in from Charleston, S.C., to attend the conference, and described the ribbons as "accolades."

His favorite? The "Growth Award," which correlates to how many people an agent has recruited. This one is meaningful to Cohen because he recruited his best friend Joe to Northwestern Mutual. During Joe's first year at the company, he brought in 134 clients. To bring in so many clients is commendable, and Cohen said he is happy to be recognized for his role in the process.

Chad Frank from Albuquerque, N.M., referred to the ribbons as his "achievements."

When asked which ribbon he is most proud of, he couldn't pick a favorite. To Frank, they are an integral part of the company's culture. He emphasized their diversity, saying, "You'll see people who have these extremely long ones; all of them are meant for something different."

Immediate conversation starters, making networking easier

Sometimes it can get difficult to initiate conversations with new people, especially when there are 12,000 in attendance. That's why these ribbons are handy — they're easily recognizable, they do a great job of facilitating discussions between agents.

"What's cool about Northwestern is that they're really big on the growth of their advisers. So, when you get to walk around and see other people wearing these, it's a very direct inclination to go talk to them," said Cohen.

"This is a really good way to learn from other advisers and get recognized."

Katherine Loren is a business intern for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be reached at kloren@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: At the Northwestern Mutual conference, many agents wore strings of colorful ribbons. What do they mean?