PPB February 2019

perspectives Brittany David, MAS PPAI Chair of The Board W hile we don’t have a crystal ball to tell us what lies ahead, there are a few things we know with certainty for 2019. Tariffs will impact our industry. There will be more mergers and acquisitions. In April, Game of Thrones will return with its final season and many of us will shed a tear as the series comes to an end. A new year allows us to press the proverbial reset button. It gives us a reason to step back and consider what we want to stop doing, keep doing and start doing. For some of us, that means making some changes. I saw a quote while browsing through Instagram the other day: “Don’t be afraid to change. You may lose something good, but you may gain something better.” I am not sure who said this, but there seems to be a lot of wisdom in those words. We must have the confidence to evolve. Change isn’t always easy, but we need to make decisions that will get us where we want to be tomorrow, not necessarily where we ended up yesterday. This year will bring us a new set of challenges—many that we might not have even seen coming. To help us prepare, for the first time PPAI will have two volunteer committees working on the critical issue of strategic foresight. The Board will also continue to be future-focused by considering how the decisions we make today will affect the Association, its members and the industry down the road. Whether it’s identifying and tracking emerging trends, seeking out opportunities, driving meaningful member value, advocating for the industry or leveraging strategic foresight, PPAI has an incredibly talented team of staff and volunteers helping to advance our industry in both advocacy and relevance. Today, I leave you with this invitation: Get involved. There are so many opportunities to add your voice, time and talents to benefit PPAI and our industry. • Passionate about advocacy for our marketing medium? Participate in Promotional Products Work! Week, PPAI Legislative Education Action Day (L.E.A.D.) or L.E.A.D. Local. • Have some knowledge or experience to share? Teach a class or lead a webinar. • Interested in making new connections or hearing from your colleagues and top-notch speakers? Attend a PPAI conference such as the Women’s Leadership Conference, North American Leadership Conference or SPARK. • Looking to volunteer alongside others? Join a PPAI Committee or consider throwing your name in for consideration on the PPAI Board of Directors. • Driven to make an impact closer to home? Reach out to your regional association for education, networking and volunteer opportunities. All in all, if you want to participate, there’s a place for you. I am excited to serve as your PPAI chair this year. After seeing so many of you at the PPAI Expo last month— connecting, re-connecting, listening, sharing and enjoying some quality time together—I am even more certain that 2019 is going to be an excellent year for all of us. Thanks for all you do to contribute to making our industry an incredible marketing force and one to be reckoned with. I hope to see you down the road later this year. Brittany David, MAS, is vice president of sales at SnugZ USA. Reach her at brittany@snugzusa.com. Get Involved And Lead The Changes You Want To See A new year allows us to press the proverbial reset button. It gives us a reason to step back and consider what we want to stop doing, keep doing and start doing. For some of us, that means making some changes. 4 | FEBRUARY 2019 |