PPB December 2018

by James Khattak PPAI and the Regional Association Council (RAC) brought together nearly 150 attendees representing promotional products industry’s 27 regional associations and the Promotional Products Professionals of Canada (PPPC) in October at the DFW Hilton in Grapevine, Texas. The event included three days of education, idea sharing, networking and new connections. “LDW is so important to the regional community because it is a time to learn together and inspire each other as we prepare for the year ahead,” says Lindsey Davis, MAS, RAC president. “When I attended this event as a regional board member, I took so much knowledge away from the breakout sessions, but some of my best ideas came from conversations in between the sessions with my fellow attendees.” Bill Petrie, RAC vice president, adds, “LDW is the foundation of grass-roots volunteerism in the industry and where professionals across the country assemble, share best practices and leave with a clear knowledge of how to best serve their regional communities. LDW 2018 should truly stand out with a fantastic mix of specific education and tremendous networking opportunities. As a long-time attendee of this event, it’s wonderful to see it evolve to better provide the guidance each regional board needs to succeed.” Jess Ekstrom, founder and CEO of Headbands of Hope, delivered LDW’s keynote presentation and shared a moving message of hope and inspiration with her audience. Ekstrom challenged listeners to look at their work and decide who they want to serve, and how they can serve them better. “It doesn’t have to be a battle between passion and profit; you don’t have to choose between making a living and making a difference.” LDW’s schedule, running October 15-17, featured an executive directors’ symposium with training designed for their specific needs, and an extensive curriculum intended to provide regional association board members and leadership with numerous learning opportunities through general sessions, breakout discussions and idea-sharing activities. With 28 education sessions to choose from through a series of breakout sessions, and with speakers and panelists presented by PPAI staff and experts from within and outside the promotional products industry, attendees could tailor their experiences to their needs and the needs of their association. “While I am new to the PPAS [Promotional Products Association Southwest] board I am not new to the industry, but regardless I really learned a lot this week,” says Sarah Thomas, PPAS board member and first-time attendee. “Through the LDW sessions I heard a lot of good ideas about how we can do a better job of involving our membership and how we could potentially bring more value to them. We are a people industry and the more we can bring our local communities together, the better off our regional associations will be. Fellow first-time attendee Quinn Bui, Rocky Mountain Region Promotional Products Association board member, was also struck by LDW’s collaborative atmosphere. He says, “LDW brought all these regionals together but everyone was very LDWSteps Up For Regional Association Leaders Leaders from all 27 industry regional associations came together for education, idea sharing and networking. Jess Ekstrom, founder and CEO of Headbands of Hope, presents an inspirational keynote session to open LDW. 92 | DECEMBER 2018 | CONNECT