FAYETTEVILLE — Walmart’s 41st annual meeting was a technological marvel of audio visual presentation, emceed by actor Will Smith and featuring music by R&B diva and actress Alicia Keys and the groovy, techno-hip hop sound of the Black Eyed Peas.
The capacity crowd was on its feet for the three-song set the Black Eyed Peas performed to close the show.
Vocalist Fergie — Stacy Ferguson — gave Walmart a shout-out for its commitment to continue selling albums, rather than just singles.
“Thank you so much for supporting the music world,” Fergie told the capacity crowd of associates representing 15 countries.
Walton Arena exploded when Keys came to stage and performed two soulful numbers at the piano.
Smith joked throughout with Rob Walton, suggesting the Walmart chairman should adopt him, that the name of the store should be changed to “Will-mart,” and tossing out a new name for associates, “Walmartians.” Smith has a new “Men in Black” movie coming out this summer.
Recent American Idol winner Scotty McCreery brought a two-song country set, including his debut single “I Love You This Big,” and The Canadian Tenors, a vocal quartet, entertained the packed house with their pop-classical sound.
The event was part entertainment, part business and part pep rally interspersed with multimedia presentations showing how Walmart associates made a difference in the lives of people in their communities.
Store manager Andy Martin, for example, made advanced contingency plans in case of a tornado after a devastating twister hit Tuscaloosa, Ala., earlier this year. When an EF5 tornado hit Joplin, Mo., last month, employees put Martin’s plan into action, saving the lives of more than 200 people. Martin and employees of the Joplin store were on hand and received a standing ovation.
A store manager in Japan rode 10 hours on a bicycle, normally a short car drive or two-hour bike ride, through debris-covered streets to reach his store after the deadly earthquake and tsunami earlier this year. When he arrived, the manager immediately began distributing food, water and supplies to victims free of charge.