November 2020
PPAMidwest wishes you and your family a
Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving
Join your friends at PPAMidwest for an end of year recap and celebration.

2020 has been a looooooooong year for everyone. Let’s celebrate the coming of 2021 by mixing some fun holiday drinks, introducing the 2021 Board Members as well as toasting to the New Year!

This virtual holiday social will be hosted on Zoom. There is no cost to attend but registration is required to obtain the meeting link and password. RSVP HERE
Distributors are invited to join us on November 19th at 9:00 am for Breakfast with Clothpromotions Plus
Presenters: Brad Adolph, Clothpromotions Plus and Doug Mercer, Mercer Enterprises
Grab your breakfast and join Brad and Doug as they discuss all things related to Clothpromotions Plus. They will cover the benefits of your partnership as well as introduce you to some great new items!
Make Sure to Visit the PPAMidwest Website Regularly for Upcoming Events!
PPAMidwest News
American Solutions for Business Raises $3000
for the CDC Foundation in Virtual 19k Event
  
Glenwood, MN - American Solutions for Business facilitated a virtual event called the American COVID-19k Walk/Run attracting over 260 active contributors. 
Participants were encouraged to run or walk a self-monitored 19 kilometers over the course of 19 days (October 1-19). Registration was open to the public to include sales associates, home office team, vendor partners, friends and family. Proceeds are donated to the CDC Foundation, which has been committed to COVID research and supporting communities in need during the pandemic.
"ASB has always had a strong give-back culture," explains Dana Zezzo, ASB's VP of Marketing, Vendor Relations & Events. "It's important that we uphold these values regardless of a pandemic. Plus, it's a fun way to keep everyone active and engaged in a time when it's easy to feel isolated."
 
Participants stayed connected with each other by sharing updates in the established Facebook event page. Many posted photos, videos and screenshots of their mileage and action shots with their families and pets along the way.
Calling all PPAMidwest Suppliers!

As a supplier in our industry, you are invited to participate in two separate Regional Association Digital Coupon programs for 2021. 

These are no-charge opportunities for you to gain exposure and earn more business from thousands of distributors across the country through our separate partnerships with ZOOMcatalog and PromoHunt. To participate, please click HERE

"Grow Sales with Digital Catalogs & Flyers"
Tuesday, November 17, 2020 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM CST
Featuring Bryony Zasman, Co-Founder & Head of Product, ZOOMcatalog

Browse, search, share, and customize the Promotional Product supplier catalogs and flyers with the free ZOOMcatalog tools. In this webinar, we show you how to use supplier digital catalogs and flyers in sales and marketing to engage with prospects and clients.


Learning Lab attendees will learn:
  • Browse, search and share supplier catalogs and flyers
  • Customize and share marketing materials as your own
  • Easily add supplier catalogs to your website
  • Quickly share via social media, email campaigns, and more
  • Expand your online presence and engage with prospects and clients

 1 CAS Credit when you submit your PPAI Pin Number with your survey.
Wild Wednesday Webinars - Lunch and Learn at your desk!
 
“The Disruption is Here: Are You Ready for the Future of Work?"
Wed, November 18, 2020 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM CST

Instantly, work, and the world as we knew it, changed. In one massive upheaval, our work, the world, and the economy shifted on its axis. For years, many of us in this industry feared a massive disruption: disruption from Amazon, disruptions from suppliers selling direct, or disruption from buyers choosing to purchase only online. None of us predicted a disruption quite like this, but it is still the disruption to our industry that we feared, a disruption that will forever change everything about the way we work. When a once-in-a-lifetime global event such as what we’re experiencing right now, shakes our foundation, the world cannot simply retract to the way it was before. In this session, we'll focus on the three areas that require a dramatic change to the way you and I will work in the future, you'll learn:

Learning Outcomes:
  • The four demands the client of the future wants from you now
  • Your outdated selling skills and how to fix them
  • 3 habits that were shattered by the new, virtual workforce and how to optimize your culture for growth

 1 CAS Credit when you submit your PPAI Pin Number with your survey.
Do you have news or information that you would like to share with the PPAMidwest Community?

Would you like to have a profile published? Got an amusing or interesting industry story to share? Do you have a proven success story with a particular product that you would like to share with our members?
Send it to: admin@ppam.org
Contact Ben Haynes, Corporate Program Manager, at ben.haynes@qti.com or
call 214.560.4551 to take advantage of this PPAMidwest member benefit
Industry News
Promo Connect
Online Community Award
Promo Connect Wins Most Successful Online Community Award 
PPAI's Promo Connect, a knowledge community platform for the promotional products industry, has won Higher Logic's Super Forum Floyd Award for the most successful online community. Higher Logic is an online community and communications software provider, and its Floyd Awards-presented at its annual Super Forum,and running virtually this week and next-recognize online communities for their design, marketing and other accomplishments.        Read more here
Does Your Business Need a Digital Transformation?
Tanner Simkins  Entrepreneur Leadership Network VIP Founder and CEO of Complete SET Agency

Many businesses are lagging behind or missing opportunities when it comes to digital technology.

As technology constantly and rapidly changes, many businesses find themselves unable to keep up with the advances. The reality is that digitalization promises to change the way that businesses operate, and a 2019 McKinsey Digital Quotient survey found that 93 percent of executives believe that taking advantage of digital technology is essential for accomplishing strategic goals. Digitization brings new opportunities, improves processes, expands production and many other benefits. Leaders need to work to develop the right systems, structures, and expertise to welcome digitization with open arms. 

What is digital transformation?

Digital transformation is defined as "cultural, organizational, and operation change of an organization, industry, or ecosystem through the smart integration of digital technologies, processes, and competencies." When thinking about this in terms of your business, don't focus on the coolest new tools or systems, but instead focus on how the right technology can benefit your customers and team and add value to your business.   Read More
PPAI Expo
From PPAI President and CEO Paul Bellantone, CAS
paul bellantone
A Message from PPAI President & CEO 
Paul Bellantone, CAS

Experience Expo: In A Virtual World


Hello from PPAI HQ. As always, I hope this email finds you staying safe, healthy and productive. We at PPAI are doing what we can to do the same. In fact, under the heading of being productive, in addition to countless efforts in the areas of research, professional development, buyer outreach and planning for 2021, today we announce the grand opening of registration for PPAI Expo Direct-2-You.

For years The PPAI Expo has been the standard by which all other promotional products tradeshows are judged. It is the industry's annual gathering place, kicking off the start of each promising new year and bringing together our community's best and brightest. This event features industry leaders, top salespeople, extraordinary products, unmatched educational opportunities and countless entrepreneurial startups. And while circumstances dictate we transition to a live, virtual event in 2021, my promise to you is that we will deliver a one-of-a-kind experience, even in this new virtual world.

If you've been to The PPAI Expo, you know it is an experience like no other. Creative ideas and new approaches have fueled this event, allowing us to reinvent The PPAI Expo year after year, making it stand out in even grander fashion. Those same creative processes are being used to drive the planning for PPAI Expo Direct-2-You set for January 11-14, 2021.

We know you've come to expect more from our in-person Expo. And I assure you, you can do the same with PPAI Expo Direct-2-You. Think pop-ups, gamification, unique lounges, live Q&A, and a live master of ceremonies sharing highlights and high points throughout the event. As you'd expect, PPAI Expo Direct 2-You will certainly be the biggest and most valuable virtual industry trade show you've ever attended. 
 
I encourage you to kick off 2021 in the best way possible by being part of PPAI Expo Direct-2-You. Registration is open now, so plan to bring your entire team to this one-of-a-kind experience. 

As always, I'm available for questions and suggestions at PaulB@ppai.org

Stay safe. Stay strong. Stay productive.