PPB July 2018

PPAI’s McLean Attends IAEE Board Meeting, IMEX Show In Frankfurt PPAI Executive Vice President Bob McLean traveled to Frankfurt, Germany in May for an International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) board meeting. The IAEE is an organization representing the interests of trade show and exposition managers. While in Germany, McLean also attended the IMEX show, serving the incentive travel, meeting and events industries, held at the Messe Frankfurt exhibition center. At the show, he partnered with Cathy Breden, IAEE executive vice president and chief operating officer and president of the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, on a presentation of insights, innovations and inspiration for growing event attendance. SAAGNY’S Summer Showcase Draws Record Crowds The Specialty Advertising Association of Greater New York (SAAGNY) held its sixth annual Summer Showcase for promotional products distributors and their clients in May. The association reported a record number of exhibitors, distributors and end- user clients at this year’s event. Bob Lilly Promotions Keeps Employees Up To Date On Product Safety Anne Stone, PPAI’s director of public affairs, presented a product responsibility training session for employees at Garland, Texas-based distributor Bob Lilly Promotions in May. Her session covered the Consumer Product Safety Information Act, regulations for each of the top 10 product categories, and the recent changes to California Proposition 65, which go into effect on August 30. Seven of the Bob Lilly Promotions’ team members participated in Anne Stone’s session along with several other employees outside the Dallas area who participated remotely. The company says it takes its responsibility for sourcing and selling safe products seriously; this is the second on-site training program Stone has provided to the distributor. McLean (back row, second from right) has been on the IAEE’s board of directors since 2015 and is serving his second term. “Working with the IAEE Board allows me to interact not only with trade show executives, but also with other association executives,” he says. “Being able to learn what other associations and trade shows are doing to keep up with trends has been invaluable.” The 2018 Summer Showcase saw end-user attendance up nearly 15 percent from 2017, and more than double that of when the show began. Distributor attendance increased 15 percent from 2017, with over 650 attendees at the show in total. The show floor was slightly reconfigured this year to accommodate additional exhibitors, and the event sold out with more than 80 supplier and multi-line representative companies occupying over 140 booths, up from 115 tables in 2016 and 120 tables last year. More than 220 distributor salespeople representing over 80 companies brought clients to the show, which included a “Best In Show” display featuring favorite items from exhibiting suppliers; a gourmet lunch for attendees; an ice cream cart for a sweet afternoon treat, and gift bags for end users filled with promotional products from more than 10 exhibiting suppliers. 90 | JULY 2018 | CONNECT