Gold Coast News
September 2017
Executive Director's Report
Mike Schenker, MAS
Greetings!

Now that I’ve had time to catch my breath, I want to sit back and marvel at what the GCPPA Board accomplished back in August. Lead by association president Jean Kalinsky, show chairs Steven Lazarus and Marsha Miller produced one of our best trade shows in recent memory. One supplier went so far as to tell me that, as a result of the success of our show, he knows that more exhibitors are going to be lining up to participate in our events.

Speaking of shows: stay tuned. There’s a lot on the horizon that we’re not quite ready to share, but trust me…you’re gonna like what you see!

Be sure to join us on Tuesday, October 3rd, for a lunch-time webinar with Joel Schaffer, MAS. His session on 4 th quarter sales and marketing will open a lot of eyes and minds, and will help make the end of your selling year more successful. Read more below, or click here to register.

I know that there’s a press release somewhere else in this newsletter about this, but I want to personally welcome Gloria Lafont to the Board of Directors, where she will be filling the seat vacated by Chelsea Heller.
Mark your calendars now for Monday, December 18 th , when Paul Bellantone, CAE, CEO and President of PPAI, will be joining us for our annual dinner. This event will feature the installation of our 2018 Board of Directors, under the presidency of Steven Lazarus, MAS. The location is pretty much a done-deal, but we are awaiting final contracts before announcing the plans. Watch our website and Facebook page for details, but mark your calendars now !
Many member companies are still in recovery mode from Hurricane Irma. We at GCPPA have been working with several relief organizations to determine how we can best assist victims…those within our industry and those who aren’t. PPAI and SAGE have been working together to help; click here for information on their efforts.

This devastating event affected all of us in some way, as well as members of PPAF in northern Florida. Please watch for emails, and our Facebook page , for further information about you can assist.
Cheers to our Volunteers
Our August showcase was a tremendous success, thanks in no small part to the efforts of many dedicated volunteers. Lead by our volunteer coordinator Tanesha Anderson , we want to acknowledge:

  • Our newest Board member Gloria Lafont
  • Past President Ofelia Minagorri
  • Robert Nolan
  • Stephen Monahan
  • Sue Hand
  • Gil Ackerman
…as well as anyone else who helped produce our best trade show in years!  THANKS!
ByLaws Update
We recently asked our membership to vote on two bylaw amendments, and you passed each overwhelmingly. Effective immediately, when any new company joins GCPPA, its membership will be good for one year starting that month, as opposed to starting on January 1 st . You also approved having a smaller Board of Directors, beginning at the next election and taking effect January 1 st , 2018. A reduction in size, from eleven members to nine, has been approved.

Thank you for your participation in this process, as we continue to improve and add value daily.
Education
Grab some lunch, and join us on October 3rd (12:30 – 1:30 PM ET), when Joel Schaffer, MAS, presents his webinar 60 Days to Make Your Fortune – How to Go to Market This Holiday Season

The fourth quarter accounts for 35% of the average distributor’s volume. It is disproportionately heavy due to Christmas. Add to that market awards, Spring apparel and budget cleaning, it is a potential windfall for all.

This session focuses on Christmas gifts, calendar and greeting card sales. It offers marketing ideas and sharpens presentation skills. It touches on award selling and budget clearing.

Take-aways include:

• How to prepare a gift presentation
• How to find leads
• How to steal award business
• Marketing concepts for budget clearance

Webinar access is free to members; $15 each for non-members. So, heat up the leftovers, sit down at the computer, and learn!
Joel D. Schaffer, MAS is CEO and Founder of Soundline, LLC, the pioneering supplier to the promotional products industry of audio products. Joel has 50 years of promotional product industry experience and proudly heralds “I was a distributor”. 
 
Joel was inducted into the PPAI Hall of Fame in January of 2017. He is the only person to have received both the ASI’s Marvin Spike Industry Lifetime Achievement Award (2002) and PPAI’s Distinguished Service Award (2011). He is a past director of PPAI, past Chair of the SAAGNY Foundation, Past President of SAAGNY and a SAAGNY Hall of Fame member. He was cited by ASI as one of the 50 most influential people in the industry.
SPECIAL WEBINAR BONUS:
Attendees will be entered to win a holiday prize valued at more than $100. 3 Winners will have a choice of any downloaded greeting card - 50 per winner. Names will be drawn at the end of the session. Must be present to win.
In Memoriam
It saddens us to share the news of the passing of several people close to the GCPPA family.

John Pagano was known to many expatriate north-easterners as one of the most popular and certainly best dressed multi-line reps in the industry. He was a friend and mentor to many in the business, and his larger-than-life personality will be greatly missed.

Irene Kogutt , co-founder of Dart Manufacturing Company, passed away on September 4. She was 88. Kogutt and her husband Sam founded the supplier company together and owned it for 42 years. During her time in the promotional products industry, she was an active industry volunteer. She served on the PPAI Board of Directors from 1994 to 1998, and won the PPAI Distinguished Service Award in 1999. Kogutt was also a passionate volunteer and fundraiser for the Promotional Products Education Foundation, serving on its board from 1996 to 2000, and as chair in 1998.

Phil Carollo , president of Lion Circle Corp. died on September 8. He was 77. He began his career in the promotional products industry in 1963 with Lion Match Corporation of America. He worked his way through the company ranks, from shipping clerk, to sales representative, to sales manager, to COO, to vice president. Carollo bought the company in 1975 when the owner retired.

Stan Peppler, father of Todd Peppler of Sanford, passed away in August. Our condolences extend to his entire family.
New Members
Member News

Welcome to new member Discount Mugs!
Congratulations to Shelley Bednarski on her appointment as Outside Sales Rep for Sweda. Her territory is Puerto Rico and Florida. She can be reached at  sbednarski@swedaUSA.com ; phone number is  352-428-9730 .
Welcome New Board Member
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Gloria Lafont to the Board of Directors. Gloria has taken the place of Chelsea Heller of Windbrella, who resigned her position due to time and travel constraints. 

Gloria is a small business marketing consultant with 30 years of experience in branding and direct response, and also an early adopter of online marketing. She is the president of Action Marketing Co ., a Plantation, Florida based agency that offers branding and promotional merchandise to select organizations, as well as comprehensive marketing services to promotional products distributors, so they can attract new clients by using the right online and offline marketing strategies.

“We are very excited to have Gloria join our Board”, said GCPPA President Jean Kalinsky. “She brings a new and unique voice to our organization, and I’m personally looking forward to working closely with her. We’re sorry to say goodbye to Chelsea, but she’s assured us that she’s going to continue to be a volunteer”.
New Member Profile
New Member Profile is a regular feature - a benefit of membership.
SWFL Marketing Group
Martin Pahnke, MAS
 
How did you get into the promotional products industry?   My wife, Karen, and I own the business. We got into the industry in 2008 when we bought accounts from a small distributor who started in Bloomington IN and had a personal office in Ft. Myers. I have been self-employed since 1983 and most of my working life was in residential real estate sales in Toronto Canada. We moved to southwest Florida in 2004 as a change of life and got into business brokerage with partners. When the partnership broke up and the economy was tough, we got into this new, fun industry. 
 
What would you like other members to know about you…aside from what you do in our industry?    When we are not working, we like getting away on short trips and boating and fishing in our area.  We have one dependent, a 10 year old Manchester terrier who hangs out with us at home and work and, when he can, on trips. 
 
Can you share an industry highlight?    For the most part, our experience in our industry has been fun. Even though we started in 2008 during a low period, it has been positive - as every year has been better than the year before.  One of our best experiences came several years ago from a supplier introduction that has turned into one of our best clients.  It was a call from them directly to our Bullet/Leeds rep who turned it over to us and one order turned into a very good customer. 

Any closing comments?    I am fortunate to be able to work with my wife and have it turn out to be a positive experience over the long run while living in the area we now call home.
 
Martin Pahnke, MAS
Cell 239-316-9367 Office 239-437-4370
Corporate office/showroom- 4300 Ford St. Ext. #100B, Fort Myers, FL 33916
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