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expodaily.ppai.orgPPAI
EXPO DAILY
™
January 13, 2016
STEVE SLAGLE, CAE, HONORED WITH PPAI HALL OF FAME AWARD
By Jen Alexander
The PPAI Chairman’s Leadership
Dinner on Monday night at Mandalay
Bay Convention Center was a
lively evening filled with heartfelt
congratulations and a spirit of thanks
for the contributions of the evening’s
honorees. Among them was Steve
Slagle, CAE, former president of PPAI,
and the 2016 inductee into the PPAI
Hall of Fame.
Slagle took to the stage to share
his thanks and express gratitude for
the honor in the humble spirit that he
has embodied since the beginning of
his relationship with the promotional
products industry.
“I was both surprised and blessed
to have been hired as president
in 1995, and doubly blessed to
serve in the role for 16 years,” says
Slagle. “During those years I grew
professionally, made many, many
incredible friendships and I think—and
I hope—I was able to contribute to the
Association’s growth and success.”
Slagle pointed out that his legacy
rests in the collaborative efforts of
Association employees and industry
professionals. “Whatever I managed
to accomplish while with PPAI is a
result of a partnership with other
staff, volunteers, members and good
friends,” he says. “I’d like to think that
PPAI is better for my having served
[there]. I’m confident the Association
is in extremely capable hands today
and I salute the staff, the hundreds
of volunteers and the members who
continue to make this 113-year-old
organization an essential leader in this
great industry.”
Slagle is quick to admit that he was
hesitant to accept a nomination for the
Hall of Fame, believing such honors are
better placed among the professionals
who work in the industry, and whom
the Association serves.
“While I know there is precedent for
staff members to be inducted into the
Hall of Fame, I always felt the highest
Association awards should really
be reserved for the volunteers who
devote so much time and energy to
helping the Association be successful,”
he says. “So, while having some
reservations about being nominated,
I eventually said yes, and tonight I’m
very pleased I did.”
n
NEW PRODUCTS, DOOR PRIZES DRAW DISTRIBUTORS TO GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION
By Julie Richie
Thousands of distributors flocked
to the grand opening celebration at 8
am in the Product Pavilion on Tuesday
morning, and in addition to getting first
looks at products in the four Product
Pavilions and the
brand.
Pavilion, 32
lucky winners won door prizes donated
by suppliers and PPAI, including two
round-trip tickets on American Airlines.
As attendees made their way along
the Product Pavilion tables and then
through
brand.
, drawings for prize
items were being announced every
few minutes. John Oda, account
executive at Onyx, was thrilled to win
a Weber grill. “I’m really excited. That’s
a phenomenal way to start the show,”
he says.
Joe Chavarria, owner of New
Generation Graphics, enjoyed the
Grand Opening even though he didn’t
win a prize. “I’m here to see what we
can offer our customers in terms of
new products. We walk through here
and it’s kind of amazing to see how
many new products there are. For me
it’s exciting,” he says.
For some distributors, getting on
the floor early was a good way to get
the creative juices flowing. “If you
stand back and look
at everything as a
whole, you get better
ideas. I look for items
that I can combine
with screenprinting,”
says Rich Ringer,
president of
Boardwalk
Promotions.
He pointed to a
reversible sweatshirt
in the New Product
Pavilion. “This is a
perfect example.”
n
And The Grand Opening prize winners are...
Wayne Grothmann
Walter Kurt
David Laviguer
Chris Stumpf
Nick Cooper
Melanie Richards
Jody Ferrer
Johnathan Vasquez
Pete Aklestad
Paul Herzbrun
Sarah McTaggert
Jerry Hare
Brian Klayman
Joyce Sato
David Skolsky
Kathy Adameak
John Oda
Brian Beam
Brad Shuman
Yvonne Leung
Masayuki Sato
Sunny Fedorick
Cindy Gardner
Gordon Ballard
Randy Gallant
Janna Mundis
Ian Miller
Matt Gonzales
Gayle DeBord
Jean Sillman
Sherry Cousins
Chris Matsumoto
Winners who have not yet received their certificate should go to the
PPAI booth (Booth #2451) on the show floor and take the certificate to
the booth number listed on it to claim their prize.
above: Steve Slagle,
CAE, and nominator
Margie Price, MAS
below: Hall of Famers:
Bob Waldorf; Paul Lage,
MAS; Fran Ford, CAS;
Steve Slagle, CAE;
Wayne Greenberg, MAS;
Mark Gilman, CAS;
Paul Kiewiet, MAS+ ;
Jo-an Lantz, MAS; Kurt
Reckziegel; Bill Bywater,