Snapshots (15)

55th Annual PSI Show Wraps With Record Attendance, New Opportunities

The 55th annual PSI Show drew a strong mix of exhibitors and attendees to Düsseldorf, Germany, January 10-12, attracting members of the promotional products industry from Germany, across Europe and around the world.

Reed Exhibitions, the PSI Show’s organizers, report a six-percent increase in exhibitors compared to last year and a nearly eight-percent increase in attendees. The 2017 event featured 988 exhibitors, up from 932 in 2016, and 18,094 attendees, compared to 16,810 last year.

The PSI Show’s exhibition floor featured a number of special areas focusing on product categories and specific interests. Among them was the Textile Area, which included manufacturers, wholesalers and finishers, and professional models on a catwalk showing off the latest promotional products.

The 2017 show was the first PSI Show to allow distributors to invite clients to join them. Industry Customer Day, held on the last day of the show, drew more than 1,700 customers of promotional products distributors.

HALO Awards Gala Recognizes 2016 Supplier And Supplier Representative Of The Year, Account Executives’ Achievements

At its annual awards gala held at the Four Seasons Las Vegas Hotel in conjunction with The PPAI Expo 2017, HALO Branded Solutions recognized alphabroder as its 2016 Supplier of the Year and Patty Ceranski, major accounts representative for Gemline, as its 2016 Supplier Representative of the Year. The Sterling, Illinois, distributor also honored the achievements of more than 250 of its top account executives, bestowing its Star Awards to more than 50 individuals for sales increases in excess of 20 percent over the prior year, and MVP Awards to 44 account executives for exceptional profit performance.

Bob Southard (center left) was recognized as HALO’s top sales performer, recording more than $7 million in sales. He poses on stage with (from left) HALO CEO Marc Simon, Senior Vice President of Sales Dale Limes and Jim Stutz, executive vice president of sales and business development.

Leigh Joseph, strategic director, alphabroder (center), holds the company’s Supplier of the Year award, with (from left) Natalie Ehredt, supplier relations, HALO; Marc Simon, CEO, HALO; Joe DeVault, senior vice president of strategic accounts, alphabroder; Terry McGuire, senior vice president of marketing and supplier relations, HALO; Amanda Schreck, supplier relations, HALO; and Dan Pantano, president, alphabroder.

Patty Ceranski, Gemline major accounts representative (center), stands with her Supplier Representative Of The Year award and (from left) Natalie Ehredt, supplier relations, HALO; Marc Simon, CEO, HALO; Terry McGuire, senior vice president of marketing and supplier relations, HALO; and Amanda Schreck, supplier relations, HALO.

Reciprocity Road Supports PPEF With $7,500 Donation

Reciprocity Road, an industry buying group that celebrated its one-year anniversary at The PPAI Expo 2017, made a $7,500 donation to the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF) at a breakfast meeting it held during the show. The donation was supported through contributions from two supplier partners, Hit Promotional Products and SanMar, and will benefit PPEF’s mission of providing college scholarships to the children of industry practitioners.

Reciprocity Road’s Rod Brown, MAS, CFO of MadeToOrder (left), and Jeremy Lott, president of SanMar, present a check for PPEF to Sara Besly, PPEF Foundation manager, and Pat Dugan, MAS, PPEF chair, during The PPAI Expo.

SuccessFit4Life! At Expo Draws Runners, Raises Funds

On January 9, industry members at The PPAI Expo came out early to put some miles under their running shoes, spend time with industry colleagues and raise funds in support of industry member Tee Hamilton, who is fighting cancer. SuccessFit4Life!, hosted by e-publication FreePromoTips.com, was introduced at The PPAI Expo 2015 as an ongoing program that presents information on how fitness affects personal lives and business success. Suppliers that provided products for the event include Craft Sportswear, Imagen Brands, Fields Manufacturing and Prime Line.

SuccessFit4Life!’s 2017 Fun Run/Walk drew more than 20 participants.

Sealing The Deal On The Expo Trade-Show Floor

This year, the Expo’s show floor was the site of more than just the latest products and innovative industry companies. ADG Promo National Sales Manager Tom Donlin got down on one knee in his company’s booth and proposed to girlfriend Lee Jahns, president and owner of Davenport, Iowa, distributor Creative Marketing. The two have known each other for more than 30 years, meeting when Donlin, then a multi-line rep, called on Jahns, who was working in outside sales. While they kept in touch on social media, after Donlin’s role in the industry changed, years went by before they reconnected last July at an industry show.

Donlin drops to one knee in ADG Promo’s Expo booth to present Jahns with a pen asking “Will you marry me?” Jahns says, “I had no idea Tom was going to propose at the PPAI show. When he got down on one knee and proposed to me with the words, ‘Will you marry me?’ on his ADG promotion light-up pen, I was speechless. I thought it was the most romantic thing that has ever happened to me. Tom lights up my life every day. How appropriate he proposed with a light-up pen.”

The proposal pen carries the message.