PPB March 2018

FEATURE | Best Of Expo WHY EXPO GETS A THUMBS UP “ is was my rst PPAI show and I really enjoyed it. I appreciate PPAI for all the great publications, the annual show and for being such a great resource for industry information. anks for everything!” —Eden McClellan, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, president/COO, Icon Blue, LLC, Los Angeles, California Left and below left: Thousands of new and reimagined products were introduced this year, showcasing the most innovative trends across all product categories, especially in the ever-popular segments of writing instruments and drinkware. Below: The show drew the highest number of distributors since 2008, with attendees from 4,500 companies onsite. Observations And Opinions AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE “I think the Expo is stunning in an epic way. It’s everything that marketers want in a customer experience.” —Russ Klein, president and CEO of the American Marketing Association, Chicago, Illinois AN EXHIBITOR’S POINT OF VIEW “ is year’s PPAI show was the best trade show experience we have ever had. e PPAI sta helped us engage with tools like the New Products Showcase and email marketing that connected us with prospects. e quality of business leads fromPPAI is unsurpassed. We saw clients and old friends who brought new people to our booth to see ideas and success stories. We couldn’t be happier. Sign us up for 2019!” –Diane Katzman, owner, Diane Katzman Design, St. Louis, Missouri Klein teamed with PPAI President and CEO Paul Bellantone, CAE, during an Association Update luncheon to discuss new benefits for PPAI members. WHY HE’LL BE BACK: “Vegas was my rst PPAI show. I seriously can’t tell you how impressed I was at the show— from the booths to the speakers to the sta to literally everything. I’ll be back next year.” —David Sears, founder and CEO, PrintResource, Westborough, Massachusetts FROM A FIRST-TIME ATTENDEE “We got to meet a lot of vendors that we’ve only been able to talk to on the phone. I really loved connecting with them; being able to see each other was one of the biggest things for me.” —Zehra Sayani, owner, Sayani’s Business Services, Surrey, British Columbia 30 | MARCH 2018 |