ROGERS, Ark. — On Friday, June 2, Walmart held its annual Associates Celebration. The company uses the event to thank employees for their work in the past year, as well as make announcements.
Kevin Hart was the surprise host for this year's event, instantly filling the stadium with laughter as he kicked off the celebration.
Held at the Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, the appreciation event usually brings thousands to Northwest Arkansas.
There are currently 2.1 million Walmart associates across 20 countries worldwide, according to Hart. Of those, 4,000 Walmart employees, 1,000 Sam's Club employees and 1,200 international employees were in attendance.
“I love it! Every day, every day you’re out there and you’re in the front line bringing Walmart’s purpose to life. You guys are really helping people save money so that they can live better and guys we’re grateful. We’re grateful for each and every single one of you,” said Hart.
The event included performances from some of the entertainment industry's biggest names like Shania Twain, John Legend, Snoop Dogg, Pitbull and Chris Hemsworth.
Celebrities at Walmart Associates event
In 2022, James Corden returned to Northwest Arkansas to host the Walmart Shareholders meeting for the second time. He had previously hosted the event in 2016.
During past celebrations, employees from across the country to CEOs and even celebrities like Sofia Vergara, Matthew McConaughey and Elton John took time to share their thanks to Walmart associates.
Lior Suchard, an Israeli mentalist, took the stage last year to perform for the shareholders, while musician and songwriter Jon Batiste performed at the meeting later in the morning. The Jonas Brothers were the surprise act at the end of last year's meeting in Fayetteville.
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