PPB March 2016

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68 • PPB • MARCH 2016 THINK
PRODUCT RESPONSIBILITY
• No one has time for that.
• It all sounds good, but in the
end it’s still all about price.
• It does not produce revenue.
• I see value but do not know
where to start.
• What are the real chances of
getting caught if I do not do it?
• It’s just another example of
government destroying small
businesses.
As a former distributor, I
understand where many are
coming from with these points
of view, and I would be lying if
I did not admit that, at some
point, I either thought or dared
to utter a couple of these senti-
ments myself. As time pro-
gressed, and as I let the gravity
of it all settle in, I realized that
complaining or being resistant
would only delay the inevitable.
So I rolled up my sleeves, began
to educate myself on the regula-
tions, slowly started to imple-
ment some best practices and
before I knew it I was comfort-
able with the lingo, knew where
to go for answers and helped
my company differentiate itself
from the pack, which resulted
in more business from larger
clients.
Exciting? No! Important? Yes!
Let’s face it, reading compli-
ance documents and getting up
to speed on laws and regulations
is not exactly light reading, and if
I’m being completely honest,
learning about this subject puts
watching paint dry on a Saturday
night up there with an all-day
fast pass at the amusement park.
Film critic Roger Ebert once
said, “Nothing could be more
boring than an absolutely accu-
rate movie about the law.”
That being said, nothing
could be more important to your
business than the subject of
responsible sourcing. Whether
you buy in or not, over time
there will be an impact on you
and your company’s success or
failure as it relates to responsible
sourcing. This will be based
purely on the decisions you chose
to make regarding your role
related to placing safe products
on the market.
Tools To Make You Look Good
While our industry hasn’t
been exactly what I would call a
trailblazer in compliance, it does
have a trade association—
PPAI—that is considered a
trailblazer in responsible sourc-
ing education and training. I
know the effectiveness of this
training because I am a graduate
of the program. Let me say it
another way. As I mentioned
earlier, I came to PPAI from
within the industry. When I was
learning how to make sense of
all of this compliance stuff I
PRODUCT SAFETY BASICS
9-10:30 am
Presented by Tim Brown, MAS, and Andrew Farhat
This course introduces promotional products professionals to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement
Act (CPSIA), specific regulations concerning promotional products and other mandatory and voluntary
standards.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW TO STAY ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF REGULATIONS WHEN
DECORATING APPAREL?
1:30-2:30 pm
Presented by Tim Brown, MAS, Sue DeRagon and Mary Poissant
Find out what your obligations are and who is responsible for ensuring CPSIA compliance when a distribu-
tor enlists the services of a third-party decorator to embellish youth apparel. A similar presentation, Focus
On Apparel Decoration, is available as an on-demand webinar.
PROP 65 AND STATE REGULATIONS
3-4 pm
Presented by Tim Brown, MAS, and Andrew Farhat
This session is a must for navigating your interstate deals, not just by knowing the rules, but having strate-
gies in place to manage them.
PRODUCT RESPONSIBILITY BEST PRACTICES BY PRODUCT CATEGORY
4:30-5:30 pm
Join us as we review the top compliance issues you must consider when sourcing or selling key product
categories including apparel, electronics and more. Find this and more webinars at
corporateresponsibility.
Expo East Product Safety Workshops
PLAN TO ATTEND THESE SESSIONS offered at Expo East on March 16 at the Atlantic City
Convention Center in Room 408. They are free to show registrants; request a ticket when you register
for the show at .