Regional News: NWPMA President Reflects On Successful Fall Showcase


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Regional News: NWPMA President Reflects On Successful Fall Showcase

Issue: 2009sep

The success of Northwest Promotional Marketing Association’s (NWPMA) Fall Showcase, held September 10-11, is being attributed to collaboration between regional leaders and PPAI staff.

NWPMA President Lori Dollar, CAS, says the goals for the show to create productive networking opportunities that would enhance members’ professionalism and individual success, and working together with regional members and Association staff, helped facilitate the desired result.

The show’s production came in the midst of structural changes to regional association leadership. In the months leading up to the show, NWPMA departed from its longtime association management firm, Melby, Cameron & Anderson, while also experiencing changes within the board.

“The greatest challenge during this process was ensuring the continuity of services and a seamless transition, which was accomplished with help from Thea Bruce, our Fall Showcase coordinator,” says Dollar.

To help ensure a successful event, PPAI staff members offered their services as well. Jackie McGinnis helped secure exhibitors, Tol Kinkaid and Kim Dierks provided on-site assistance and Paul Bellantone, CAE; Michele Packard-Milam, CAE; and Laura McKinney provided help from a variety of standpoints.

“NWPMA worked closely with PPAI staff at many levels in order to produce a successful Fall Showcase. I always felt I had someone I could call to help me,” says Dollar. “I can’t praise PPAI enough for their support to our association over the past 90 days.”

Dollar adds that several regional members stepped up wth contributions or assistance that facilitated the show’s success. “Each member of the board of directors made in-person contacts with suppliers and distributors to encourage participation and attendance,” she says.

Dollar gives kudos to member Sarabeth Anderson of Senator Promotional Group for sharing personal airline miles to fly one of the show’s professional development speakers to the event.

“And our speakers—Ted Davies, The Promotions Coach, and Charles Duggan II, MAS, of Magna Tel—contributed their time and expertise at no direct cost to the association, to provide a truly outstanding professional development opportunity to our members, complete with CAS and MAS credits for attendees,” she says.

“The one truly outstanding thing to come out of the Fall Showcase is the teamwork between PPAI and NWPMA leadership, as well as among all the volunteer NWPMA members who served to pull together this showcase under difficult circumstances,” says Dollar. “Their combined efforts made an absolutely vital difference in ensuring the survival of NWPMA during this time of transition and economic difficulty.”

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