PPAMidwest Messenger - February 2026 Edition

February 2026

JOIN OR RENEW YOUR PPAM MEMBERSHIP HERE!

A Message From Our PPAMidwest President......

PPAMidwest Members,

Happy February!

As we move further into 2026, I want to take a moment to thank you for your continued involvement and support of PPAMidwest. Our association continues to thrive because of the energy, professionalism, and collaboration of members like you.

This month, we’re especially excited about the upcoming Spring Product Premiere, taking place March 24–26 in Overland Park, Kansas and St. Charles, Missouri. This is one of our signature events and a fantastic opportunity for suppliers, distributors, and reps to reconnect, discover new products, and spark fresh ideas for the busy selling season ahead. Register here as an exhibitor or attendee.

Whether you plan to exhibit or attend, the Spring Product Premiere offers:

Valuable face-to-face networking
Access to the latest products and trends
Relationship-building opportunities that drive real business growth

These regional shows are designed with you in mind — convenient, focused, and impactful.

We are also actively planning additional events throughout the year, including Pints and Promos, Bowling, Fall Holiday Showcase and continued educational opportunities. Be sure to watch your inbox and our website for registration details and announcements.

If you haven’t recently explored all your member benefits, I encourage you to do so. From events and networking to professional development resources, your membership is designed to help you grow, connect, and succeed in our ever-evolving industry.

Thank you for being an important part of our PPAMidwest community. I look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming events!

Warm regards,

Aubrey Weaver

2026 PPAMidwest President

February 25, 2026 Wild Wednesday Webinar: “Peak Performance Selling: How to Train Your Nervous System for Daily Confidence, Clarity & Closing"

The promotional products world moves fast with tight deadlines, demanding clients, and constant multitasking are the norm. Over time, that pace doesn’t just drain energy; it quietly undermines confidence, focus, and follow-through at critical sales moments.

This session skips generic “stress management” and focuses on performance. Drawing from Sam’s experience in the promo industry and his work in Emotional Fitness, attendees will learn simple, science-backed techniques to train their nervous system to stay grounded, clear, and confident under pressure.

Participants will walk away with practical tools to reset focus in real time, prevent overwhelm from piling up, and create a sustainable performance rhythm that supports stronger client conversations, better decision-making, and more consistent closing ... without working longer hours.

Key Takeaways / Learning Outcomes

Maintain confidence and clarity during high-pressure sales conversations
Use fast Emotional Fitness resets to regain focus and energy in real time
Prevent overwhelm from stacking up so follow-through stays strong
Build a sustainable performance rhythm that supports consistent closing

Read more and register

2 Great Cities/2 Great Shows!

These end user friendly tabletop shows will once again be at two fun

and unique locations that you and your customers are sure to love!

Our annual Fall Holiday Showcase will be held in St. Louis on 10/20/26 and then in

Kansas City on 10/22/26. We will also be hosting our annual golf tournament between the shows in Kansas City on 10/21/26. Watch for more details to come!

^{PPAMidwest News}

American Solutions for Business Promotes Becky Thesing to Manger of Vendor Relations

Glenwood, MN - American Solutions for Business is pleased to announce the promotion of Becky Thesing to Manager of Vendor Relations.

In this role, Thesing will guide the Vendor Relations team while continuing to identify opportunities to strengthen communication, collaboration, and operational processes across home office teams, ASB associates, and vendor partners.

Thesing has supported key initiatives aimed at improving vendor engagement, strengthening internal processes, and expanding ASB’s network of vendor partners.

"After more than 20 years with ASB, including the last nine years in Vendor Relations, I’ve found that this team is truly where I want to be," said Thesing. "I’m excited to step into the Manager of Vendor Relations role and grateful for the opportunity to continue working with such a great team. I look forward to continued growth and collaboration with our home office teams and our valued supply partners.”

"Becky’s deep organizational knowledge and cross‑department experience has strengthened our team," said Ron Robinson, Director of Vendor Relations. "Her initiative, problem‑solving skills, and forward‑thinking approach continue to support both departmental and organizational goals. We are confident she will excel in this leadership role and further advance the growth and success of the Vendor Relations team."

PPAMidwest Members....You and your family members have access to a

$1,250 One Year Scholarship funded by special events and activities

brought to you by your PPAMidwest Board of Directors

PPAMidwest has partnered with PPEF to offer a one year, $1,250 scholarship to all staff of PPAMidwest member companies or their children who are high school seniors or college undergraduates. PPEF takes all of the applications, reviews, verifies, and makes a recommendation for a recipient.

Why PPEF? The Promotional Products Education Foundation is an industry-based educational, charitable, and nonprofit organization. PPEF awards college scholarships to students who have a parent working in the promotional products industry or who are working for a company in the industry.

Applications for the 2026 - 2027 academic school year are now available.

Deadline to submit is March 15, 2026.

Apply today at https://www.ppef.us/college-scholarships

Edwards Garment Increases Sales Team

Kalamazoo, MI - Edwards Garment has added two sales professionals to represent both Edwards stock apparel based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and EdwardsX full custom apparel based in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Elise Cochran is joining Edwards to represent the company in the Southeast United States (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina).

“We are thrilled to welcome Elise to the Edwards team,” says Chip Danby, vice president of sales – uniform and custom. “With her experience in sales and merchandising, she brings valuable expertise that supports our apparel program business, which remains at the core of Edwards. I’m excited to see Elise thrive in this role as she helps expand our presence in the Southeast.”

Representing Edwards in their home state of Michigan as well as in Indiana will be Jared Caron.

“We’re excited to welcome Jared to the Edwards team,” Danby says. “Jared brings a strong sales background along with extensive experience with industrial laundry and uniform programs. We look forward to his leadership as he takes over the Michigan and Indiana territory and continues building Edwards’ presence in the region.”

Koozie Group Welcomes Second Sponsored Litter With 4 Paws For Ability

Clearwater, FL - Koozie Group has welcomed a second sponsored litter of puppies with 4 Paws for Ability and demonstrated continued support through a $10,000 donation. This brings Koozie Group’s total contributions to more than $64,000 since 2022.

· The newest litter, The Promo Pups, was born on January 13.

· Eight puppies, two girls and six boys, are already in training: Marilyn, Kai, Viking, Olympus, Gary, Chiller, Champ, and Scout.

· Most of the puppies are named after Koozie Group products or services. Gary and Marilyn honor Garyline founder Gary Hellinger and his wife.

· Three dogs from the company’s first sponsored litter have graduated and are now making a meaningful difference in their partners’ lives.

“These eight puppies and our active service dog teams are living proof of what sustained commitment can accomplish,” says Pierre Montaubin, CEO of Koozie Group. “Knowing that graduates from our first sponsored litter are now changing lives makes this second sponsorship even more meaningful. We’re incredibly proud to be part of 4 Paws for Ability’s mission.”

^{Industry News}

2026 PPAI Regional Member Scholarship

PPAI Media

Apply Now for the PPAI Regional Member Scholarship

The PPAI 2026 Regional Member Scholarship awards up to $2,500 to support registration, hotel, and airfare costs for one of PPAI’s five 2026 conferences.

North American Leadership Conference (NALC), May 12 – May 14, San Diego, CA
International Leadership Summit (ILS), June 8 – June 10, Brussels, Belgium
Women’s Leadership Conference (WLC), June 22 – June 24, Milwaukee, WI
Responsibility Summit (Summit), September 14 – September 16, Denver, CO
Leadership Development Conference (LDC), October 27 – October 29, Ft. Worth, TX

Each of these conferences offers opportunities for professional development, leadership engagement, and intentional networking with industry peers.

An eligible candidate must:

Be an active member of a PPAI member regional association
Be a PPAI member
Submit a completed application by Friday, March 13, 2026, no later than 10:00pm CST

The application portal is open through Friday, March 13, 2026.

The recipient of the PPAI 2026 Regional Member Scholarship will be notified by Friday, April 3, 2026, no later than 5:00pm CST.

The direct link to the application portal is https://ppai.awardsplatform.com

Clicks Don't Matter Anymore - Here's How to Manipulate AI to Work for Your Business

Boris Dzhingarov • Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor • CEO of ESBO ltd

As AI-driven search cuts through the noise and answers basic questions, the companies that succeed will be the ones that build trust through clear, concrete evidence.

For the last two decades, the internet has operated on a fairly predictable exchange: businesses create content to capture attention, and search engines reward that volume with traffic. The goal was almost always discovery. If you could just get enough people to land on your blog post or landing page, a certain percentage would inevitably buy what you were selling. This incentivized a specific kind of marketing that was loud, promotional and focused on getting the click at all costs.

That era is ending.

The rise of Artificial Intelligence in search engines is fundamentally shifting user behavior from browsing to verifying. When a potential customer asks an AI tool a question, they aren’t looking for a list of ten blue links to explore; they are looking for a synthesized answer.

PPAI Sets Its 2026 Conference Schedule

PPAI Newslink

Explore The 2026 Conference Schedule

PPAI has announced the dates and locations for its key

2026 industry events following the success of The PPAI Expo 2026.

Highlights include:

Legislative Education and Action Day – Washington, D.C., April 20–21 (applications open through Feb. 15).
North American Leadership Conference (NALC) – May 12–14 in San Diego, CA, featuring sessions for senior leaders and a look at the PPAI 100 companies.
International Leadership Summit – June 8–10 in Brussels, Belgium, covering sustainability, digital transformation, and global business trends.
Women’s Leadership Conference (WLC) – June 22–24 in Milwaukee, WI, focused on connections, career growth, and industry insights for women.
Responsibility Summit – Sept. 14–16 in Denver, CO, addressing sustainability, compliance, and safety challenges.
Leadership Development Conference (LDC) – Oct. 27–29 in Fort Worth, TX, offering education and networking for rising industry professionals.

Registration for many of these events is now open or coming soon.