A Message From Our PPAMidwest President......
PPAMidwest Members,
We are MARCHing forward into Spring already! March is all about member engagement for the board of PPAMidwest. Author and former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahitir Mohamad, said eloquently, “Membership of an organization is a good thing, as long as you can make yourself heard.” Many of you have already received direct calls from our board and volunteers during our engagement phone bank. Thanks to some great and lengthy discussions so far, we haven’t completed the list of calls yet and are continuing to contact you. Please keep answering for us and providing honest feedback and suggestions. You can also engage in just a few short weeks at our Spring Showcase. I am hopeful that those of you in the Kansas City area will love the new venue and we are excited to bring our St. Louis area members back to the Foundry Art Centre. Registrations are still open on our website. You will love the exhibitor list! We have added several new and returning suppliers to engage with our distributor members.
Don’t forget all the other exciting opportunities that we have for you this year as well:
- Our golf committee has selected a new venue and set the date for our annual golf tournament. Plan to come out to Ironhorse Golf Club in Leawood, KS on Thursday June 22nd. More details and registration information soon to come.
- The social committee is actively planning the inaugural “Bombard the Board” paintball social! Keep watching your emails and follow our FB page to stay up to date on those details.
- Our Fall Showcase October 3rd and 4th in Kansas City and St. Louis respectively
This year is flying by so quickly, but I make every effort to pause each day and reflect on the future of our association. Doing so allows me to appreciate each and every member and I continue to be deeply honored to serve as your President. Please reach out directly to me with your comments, questions, or just to chat. I can be reached via email at at dennis.oglesby@go2partners.com.
Yours in Service,
Dennis Oglesby, MAS
2023 PPAMidwest President
|
|
March 14, 2023 Tuesday Learning Lab:
"Marketing Tactics for Certain Growth in Uncertain Times"
Join us as Kirby Hasseman delivers his proven tactics for growing your sales in uncertain time. There are tried and true initiatives you can take to make sure your sales continue to grow even in challenging times. Don’t let the fear of a recession paralyze you into doing nothing. Marketing your company is more important than ever now!
Learning Outcomes:
- Marketing Tactics to use now
- Positioning your company to weather challenging economic times
- Communicating your value to clients in uncertain times
|
|
Register today to attend our upcoming Spring Product Premiere!
Not Just Another Traveling Rep Show!!
This show is the COMPLETE promotional products experience featuring
the most professional Suppliers and Distributors in the industry.
The PPAMidwest Spring Product Premiere is one of the best opportunities
to connect with top Suppliers and Multi-line Reps. Designed for industry
veterans and newcomers alike, this show delivers quality and more of what
you are looking for to boost your business as we enter the 2nd quarter.
|
|
March 29, 2023 Wild Wednesday Webinar: "Own the Brand to Own the Business"
The buyers of promotional merchandise have evolved and changed which means that it’s no longer good enough to simply sell them products with logos on them. In this session, Bill Petrie will explain how to fully own every aspect of your client’s branding and marketing efforts making you an indispensable resource for years to come.
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the importance of thinking larger than promotional merchandise and how doing so will separate you from the competition
- Discover the four parts of the client brand experience that are critical to master for success
- Master the six questions you need to ask to truly own your client's brand to grow their business - and yours!
|
|
American Solutions for Business Raises $23,000
through charity events at National Sales Conference
|
|
Glenwood, MN - American Solutions for Business hosted two charity efforts at their National Sales Conference, raising a total of $23,000. The first charity effort was the American Memorial Walk honoring late ASB Sales Associate, Frank Quinlan. This all-abilities walk happened the morning of Sunday, February 5th, and all registration fees and donations were presented to St. Christopher’s Hospital, a hospital that was personally connected to Frank and his family.
“My family and I are honored, humbled, and extremely grateful that Larry and the American family chose to memorialize our father by supporting a charity that was near and dear to his heart,” expressed Frank’s son, Keith Quinlan.
Frank was a sales associate with American for 13 years and was inducted into ASB’s Hall of Fame during last year’s conference. The event raised $8,000 through registration and donations.
In the weeks leading up to the National Sales Conference, attendees and non-attendees alike had the opportunity to donate to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Donators were able to purchase as many $30 vinal record floor decals as they wanted, which were then displayed in the event space throughout the weekend. A check for $15,000 was presented during the last day of the conference.
“The memorial walks are not just a great way to raise money for charity, but also to remind us how meaningful our time together is,” expressed Justin Zavadil, President of ASB. “Both charities were chosen for the impact they have on millions of lives. We’re grateful to be a small part of that.”
|
|
Time is Running Out to apply for a PPEF Scholarship!
Don't Delay as March 15th Is The Deadline to Apply!
This year, Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF) is awarding
scholarships totaling $320,500. We want to make sure you or your child
get shot at this scholarship money so don't delay.....apply today!
|
|
Maple Ridge Farms Adds a 23rd PPAI Supplier Star Award to Its Collection
Mosinee, WI – The Promotional Products Association International has awarded Maple Ridge Farms the 2023 Supplier Star Silver Pyramid Award. It is one of the highest honors for any supplier to achieve. Maple Ridge Farms has won more Supplier Star Awards than any other food gift company in the history of the industry.
The Supplier Star Pyramid Award is the result of a competition in which promotional products distributors vote for their favorite, most dependable suppliers. Maple Ridge Farms and its team provide that rare combination of excellence in service and extremely high-quality, gourmet products.
In receiving this award, company founder, Tom Riordan, remarked; “It is gratifying to know that the efforts of all our team members are being recognized in such a major way. Our bottom line has always been that distributors should be completely confident when they send an order to our team; they can rest assured that recipients will experience the freshest, most delicious food gifts. Our thanks go out to our loyal customers and dedicated team members who made winning this award possible.”
|
|
Want to earn points and join in on the fun?
for the activities you participate in. For live events and activities, your attendance will automatically be recorded and points assigned, provided you are an active member of PPAMidwest. For recorded webinars, referrals and completion of PPAI Certifications or renewals, simply complete the easy request form to have your points credited.
It is that simple! (click on above image for more information).
|
|
Are you receiving your 10% discount on SAGE products and services? |
|
Are you taking advantage of the 2022 Coupon Book which is hot off the press? |
|
Are you taking advantage of the 20-25% discount with
Constant Contact?
|
|
Are you taking advantage of your free ZOOMcatalog account &up to a 50% discount for an upgraded account? |
|
Are you taking advantage of your free app where you may view fresh ideas and business knowledge daily? |
|
PPAI Magazine Greatest Companies to Work for Contest |
|
Nominations Open For PPAI Magazine
Greatest Companies To Work For Contest
2022 was a resurgent, record year for the promotional products industry, bringing out the best in so many companies. Now through March 23, PPAI members can nominate their company to be considered for PPAI Magazine’s Greatest Companies To Work For.
Last year, 47 industry companies of all types and sizes were represented through the competition, which began in 2011.
- All PPAI member companies that meet the requirements may be nominated, even those who have been honored with this recognition in the past. Only one nomination per company is necessary.
- Once a company is nominated and qualified, PPAI must receive an Excel spreadsheet with email addresses for all full-time employees. Those employees will be sent a link to the survey to rate their company in five areas: benefits, resources, culture, leadership and direction. The survey is available in English, French and Spanish.
- The scoring from those survey results will determine this year's list of the Greatest Companies To Work For.
- The selected companies will be featured in PPAI Magazine's July issue.
The nomination deadline is Thursday, March 23 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.
|
|
5 Tactical Tips to Grow Your Brand and Create a Successful Marketing Structure
Jamie Calon • Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor • CEO & Founder of Rebulator Inc.
Using the analogy of a bullwhip, let's discuss how a business's functional groups should interact to create a successful marketing structure.
Anyone obsessed with bullwhips as a kid? Who wouldn't want to be Indiana Jones? While a bullwhip might not be the best toy for kids, it is the perfect analogy for how your business structure and its functional groups should interact.
Let's dig into the mechanics of the whip
Whips generate force using the momentum (energy) of a loop traveling along a tapered strip of leather. As it travels, the energy is focused on an ever-narrowing structure. This amplifies the energy to drive the tip to over 30x faster than the initial motion in the handle. That telltale "crack" of the whip is a small sonic boom. Isn't it crazy that 2,000 years ago, man was able to break the sound barrier with just a strip of leather? Over 1,900 years passed before scientists could mechanically reproduce it! Read More
|
|
PPAI North American Leadership Conference |
|
Washington, D.C. ~ June 4 - 7 |
|
PPAI 2023 North American Leadership Conference
PPAI North American Leadership Conference's (NALC) delves into the most relevant, top-of-mind business issues and ideas impacting the promotional products industry with an emphasis on networking events, leadership development, strategic foresight, emerging business issues, trends and best practices.
Each year, industry leaders come together for educational sessions, keynote speakers and the opportunity to connect with each other face-to-face. This year's conference will be held from June 4 - 7, 2023 at Hotel Washington in Washington, D.C. This year's featured speakers include:
- Isaac Stone Fish, Founder & CEO at Strategy Risks
- Jim Thomsen, VP of Customer Success at Showdown Displays
- Kate Daniels, Industry Partnerships Director at Oracle NetSuite
- Kevin Walsh, CAS, President at Showdown Displays
- Tom Goos, MAS, President at Image Source
For information on the above speakers as well
as event information and registration links, click here
|
|
Connect with us on Facebook! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
