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Positive Power
By: Staff
Issue: 2010mar
The PPAI Expo Kicks Off 2010 With Confidence
The level of show-floor activity at the PPAI Expo in Las Vegas, January 11-15, 2010, was proof that distributors are indeed optimistic about their businesses. It was vibrant. It was alive. It almost hummed.
“Early January is always premature to make predictions about sales for the year,” says PPAI President and CEO Steve Slagle, CAE. “However, in numerous conversations I had with our members, I noted a determination that poor sales later in the year will not be because of a lack of effort. Our members are committed to work hard and do more than ever to increase sales. The spirit was positive and most everyone said good riddance to 2009.”
Despite coming off of one of the toughest economic years in recent history, distributor attendance totaled 10,500. The large number of engaged distributors attending the show indicates 2010 will likely be a better year than 2009. Additionally, the ratio of distributors to exhibitors was better than it’s been since 2007 and education sessions were at peak attendance.
The number of distributor companies compared to exhibitor companies was better than in the past three years, says Darel Cook, PPAI director of expositions and meetings. “For the supplier, that’s a benefit. They see more distributors in their booths. For distributors, it meant more time to spend with each supplier,” he says.
PPAI Immediate Past Chair Sherri Lennarson, MAS, says she received excellent feedback from members. “The PPAI Expo was the place to be to start 2010,” she says. “Suppliers were elated that distributors were coming to their booths with specific product requests.”
Laura Lee Pullara, director of new business development for Woodside, New York-based supplier Bulova (UPIC: BULO0001), says, “This is probably the best show we’ve been to in quite a while. Attendance in the booth was up and there was serious intent with distributors of product-specific needs.”
Luke Campbell, president of Versailles, Missouri-based distributor CDI Screen Printing (UPIC: LUJ09427), says he was amazed at the energy of the show.
“With the economic downturn, I was afraid the tradeshow would be smaller and fewer people would be attending,” he says. “But it was business as usual.”
Sessions Helped Attendees Find Their [X] Factor
Attendance at PPAI’s professional development sessions was also at a record high this year with more than 15,000 attendees registered to attend one or more education sessions. More than 90 education sessions totaling 145 hours of education were held throughout the week including paid and free workshops, general sessions and luncheon speakers, book club meetings and technology chats. Starting on Monday morning and ending on Friday morning, the PPAI Professional Development department offered a variety of programs color-coded and organized within these categories: Business Management, CAS Required, Incentive Marketing, Industry Essentials, Marketing & Advertising, Professional Development, Sales & Service, Strategic Business Issues and Technology.
“Record attendance was a result of the rich and varied curriculum offered that was highly targeted to address key business issues our industry is facing today,” says Melissa Hendrick, PPAI director of professional development and business media.
Product Pavilions Offered A Surplus Of Ideas
It’s one of the biggest reasons distributors flock to the Expo every year: new products. The New Product Pavilion (NPP) was back this year, boasting 550 items new for 2010. Show-goers were also treated to two additional new-product destinations: the Green Pavilion, which was stocked with 106 organic, recyclable or reusable products, and the Made in the USA Pavilion, which featured 50 American-produced items.
“These pavilions were all very valuable and user-friendly,” says David J. Hawes, MAS, a Minnetonka, Minnesota-based brand architect for distributor Geiger (UPIC: geiger). To avoid getting overwhelmed by the sea of new products, Hawes brings a list of current projects so he can stay focused on client needs and jot down notes.
Hillary Feder, MAS, president of Hopkins, Minnsota-based distributor Hillarys (UPIC: HILLARYS), also arrives prepared to check out the products. “I bring a notebook and mini stapler to make notes on products and attach business cards of the company representative,” she says.
Hawes likes to scout out the most innovative products to feature in a video he films during the Expo, and he says he was pleased with this year’s event. “[PPAI] made some significant improvements including the new logo and vertical floor-level directional signs,” he says. “This was the best Expo I’ve attended. It was a value-packed experience.”
Adjacent Specialized Showcases Added A New Dimension
It was a banner year for brand., PPAI’s incentive products showcase. Up 15 percent from last year—its second year as part of the PPAI Expo—brand. featured 124 booths representing 58 companies. brand. adds another dimension for distributors, while giving branded member companies a focused venue for showcasing their products.
Even more popular than last year, the showcase attracted thousands of distributors to the Mandalay Bay ballroom to peruse the latest in premiums, incentives and branded goods.
And, in addition to networking with top sales professionals from some of the most sought-after brands, attendees visiting the brand. pavilion’s retail-style space were able to use helpful workstations offering educational information on subjects such as how to increase business by integrating in-demand incentives into current product and service offerings.
In addition to brand., the Mandalay Bay ballroom was home to three high-traffic showcases, the New Product Pavilion, and the newest exhibits, Made In The USA and Green Products.
Marketing partners for brand. include Incentive Marketing Association (IMA) and Incentive Manufacturers and Representatives Alliance (IMRA).
DECORATE: A Promotional Equipment Show, is PPAI’s new textile-decorating equipment show, which made its debut in Las Vegas. Industry professionals had a chance to check out the latest in screen printing, embroidery and digital design equipment.
Billed as a show within a show, DECORATE was located through a separate entrance on Level 1, next to the PPAI exhibit hall. Much like the NNEP show, which was co-located with the PPAI Expo 2008, DECORATE brought a new market of potential buyers to exhibiting suppliers. Qualified decorating resellers attracted to the opportunity to visit both an equipment show and a promotional products show took advantage of this one-of-a-kind opportunity.
DECORATE is part of an overall strategy to engage the decorator marketplace and embrace the emergence of thousands of individuals wanting to access the promotional products industry in a broader way.
“Our goal was to provide a better event for our members,” says Darel Cook, PPAI director of expositions and meetings. “Decorating is the largest growth segment in the apparel industry, and we felt it was important to bring these two groups together under one roof—a one-stop shop—something that we haven’t been able to accomplish in the past.”
Awards Presentation Delivered Anticipation, Good Times
On Wednesday night, show-goers transitioned from the hustle and bustle of the show floor to an evening of glamorous recognition at the PPAI Awards Presentation & Dinner. A new presentation format, in which the top three nominees in each awards category were named and one winner was honored on stage, added drama and excitement to the event.
PPAI honored its 2010 Hall of Fame inductees, Wingfield “Wing” Hughes, MAS, and Kurt Reckziegel, and also announced winners of the PPAI Pyramid Award, PPAI Suppliers Achievement Award, PPAI Supplier Star Award, PPAI Supplier and Distributor Web Award and PPAI Best of the Best Award.
For full coverage of the PPAI Hall of Fame inductees, awards winners and nominees, plus the Distinguished Service Award winners (who were honored during Tuesday’s General Session), check out the January and February issues of PPB, or read them online at www.ppbmag.com.
“We liked the format. It separated nine to three, then finally to one. I would keep it this way for the future,” says Jeff Brown, chief marketing officer for Polyconcept North America. His company, New Kensington, Pennsylvania-based supplier Leed’s (UPIC: LEEDS), won a PPAI Supplier Star Award and a PPAI Web Award.
Michael Stoeck, director of sales and marketing for New Century, Kansas-based supplier Stouse, Inc. (UPIC: STOUSE), also enjoyed the presentation format. “Stouse was honored to receive a PPAI Suppliers Achievement Award,” he says. “We thought it was well-organized and there was a great deal of excitement in the ballroom during the presentation. There were some great-looking products submitted in the competition. We are honored to be the only company selected to win in our category.”
Scott Anderson, national sales manager for Polyconcept North America, says the awards have a long-lasting impact. “These awards mean so much to the entire workforce at Leed’s. It validates their commitment to excellence and drives them to do even better,” he says.
Attendees Powered Up At The Resource Center And Internet Café
Once again the PPAI Resource Center gave attendees a place to connect with what’s new in the industry and stock up on must-have reference materials for the new year. “Customers could find the latest business bestsellers, see the PPAI Board of Directors’ recommended reading as well as many promotional-product specific offerings,” says Mary Harris-Dieter, PPAI’s manager of certification and curriculum development.
“We were pleased to offer once again fantastic specials on Pantone products,” says Dieter. “Expo has become the perfect time for industry professionals to update their Pantone formula guides and chip books to ensure color validity with their own customers and suppliers.”
The internet café, sponsored by www.promotioncorner.com and situated next to the PPAI Resource Center, gave computer users a place to catch up on what was happening outside the convention center.
Music Fans Spun ’Round And ’Round At ONE
Toes were tapping and hips were swinging at ONE, the Expo’s closing night party, as two tribute bands brought some of the greatest rock and pop songs to life on the stage at House of Blues.
Zoo Station, a U2 tribute band from San Francisco, primed the audience with songs such as “Vertigo” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” Audience participation was encouraged during the opening act’s performance, and the lead singer, “Bono,” even ventured into the crowd carrying a spotlight.
The main event was eighties cover band the Molly Ringwalds, a Sheffield, England, quintet whose hair, make-up and ’80s playlist knew no limits. They opened with “You Spin Me Round Like A Record” by Dead or Alive and followed with other classics such as Madonna’s “Material Girl,” “Come On Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
“It was fantastic,” says Kathy Vichakchon, national sales manager for Parker, Colorado-based Leashables by Oralabs, Inc. (UPIC: oralabs), whose personal standout was “Shot Through The Heart” by Bon Jovi. “I would actually go see that band if they came touring in my town.”
Things Get Personal At rumjungle
Expo attendees got a taste of the exotic at “A Night At rumjungle,” which featured a 22-foot wall of fire, waterfalls, aerialists, dancers and, of course, rums from around the world.
For Bryony Zasman, marketing director for Lafayette, Colorado-based ZOOMcatalog (UPIC: Zoom-cat), the best part of her night at rumjungle was meeting face to face with business partners she’d previously known only online. “I work a lot with social media,” she says, “and it was great to see all the people in person and really get to know them—not only on a professional level but to socialize with them. It’s good to be friends with the people you work with.”
“A Night At rumjungle” was sponsored by Promo35.
Keynote Review: James Carville
Whether you agree or disagree with James Carville, just about everyone at the January 13 General Session would concur that the man is indeed fascinating.
Judging from the nearly full ballroom of PPAI Expo attendees who got out of bed before dawn to hear his presentation at 7:30 am, Carville’s reputation for razor-sharp assessments and straight-talking common sense brought hundreds who sought to hear his candid, off-the-cuff comments—and they got plenty.
Carville talked for about 45 minutes on Washington, America and the government, infusing his unscripted observations with sharp one-liners. (“If you break down ‘politics’ it’s ‘poly’ which means ‘many’ and ‘ticks,’ which are blood-sucking animals,” he said as the audience hooted.)
Pacing the stage like a college professor (he lectures at Tulane University), he said today’s leaders need to take time to explain to the American people what they are going to do.
His passion, it seems, is not just America but America’s youth. And he has high hopes for the future of the country in their hands. Carville’s talk was not just riveting, it was optimistic as he said more than once that he believes the nation will emerge from its current economic woes as a stronger and better nation. “The only way we’re going to come out of this is together—and we will.” --Tina Berres Filipski
Keynote Review: Scott McKain
What will your company do differently in 2010? Scott McKain, author of Collapse of Distinction and keynote speaker at the packed Opening General Session on January 12, challenged his audience to create an experience so compelling that their clients can’t afford to go anywhere else.
Using humor, multimedia and personal stories, McKain emphasized the importance of creating a distinction about your company that ensures your clients buy from you. He used the examples of Apple Computers, Starbucks and Evian. “While Apple has only seven percent of the total computer market, it has 90 percent of the laptop market over $1,000,” he said. “It is a category of one!”
McKain also used the example of his hometown, which used to be different from a neighboring town—different restaurants, different shops. “Now it looks the same as the other town. The McDonald’s is the same, the Wal-Mart is the same. Why does everything have to be the same?” he lamented.
McKain calls the tendency for companies to blend into a beige blur of sameness copycat competition. “If I perceive you have an edge, I seek to imitate you or improve just slightly upon what you are doing,” he explained. “Companies are looking too closely to what their competition is doing. Being a copycat doesn’t get us where we want to go.” He lists copycat competition as one of the three destroyers of business.
The second destroyer is that more and tougher competition from the internet is bringing new competitors and causing businesses to get caught in a death spiral. “We cut back to save costs, to be more competitive and our competition does too,” he says. “This action essentially drives customers away.”
Third, familiarity breeds complacency—meaning customers are more likely to take you for granted. Collectively, these three create a collapse of distinction.
What customers really want is not reduced prices, it’s a compelling experience, reciprocal loyalty, differentiation, coordination, innovation and a personal focus. The critical focus should be on the person and his or her needs, not on the product being sold.
One way to create the ultimate distinction is to understand the three levels of processing, service and experience. Processing is simply the transaction—such as the typical airline flight that gets you from Point A to Point B. That experience could be increased to the next level—service—if the flight attendant had offered a hot cup of coffee. To get to the “experience” level, the airline would have to add the critical elements of personalization and emotion. “That’s where net new business is generated,” he said. –Tina Berres Filipski
Download McKain’s presentation and the audio version of his book, Collapse of Distinction, through April 15 at http://ppai.scottmckain.com.
Thank You, Sponsors
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Norwood Promotional Products
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