PPB December 2019

to very productive collaboration with the other board members and the leaders at PPAI. PPB What would you like to accomplish during your board term? Muzzillo I hope that our board will continue to raise the professional level of the industry through further analytics, education and training. It is my belief that the industry will remain in a state of transition through increased acquisitions, consolidations and mergers; and it is critical that our industry members feel empowered and supported during this challenging time. PPB Are there any industry challenges or issues that you’d like to see renewed focus on? Muzzillo Compliance, product safety and sustainability should have a renewed focus as I believe that more and more buyers will demand that these issues are addressed and taken seriously. Regional Leaders Come Together For Successful LDW The Leadership Development Workshop (LDW), hosted in October by PPAI and the Regional Association Council (RAC), reached an auspicious milestone by celebrating the 20th iteration of this annual event. This year’s event, held at the DFW Hilton in Grapevine, Texas, drew approximately 150 attendees representing the promotional products industry’s 27 regional associations and the Promotional Products Professionals of Canada (PPPC) for three days of education and networking, sharing ideas and forging new connections. “This was my 10th LDW,” says Dana Geiger, PPAI regional relations manager. “For eight, I was an attendee, and this is my second as PPAI staff coordinating the event. This year was special, although truthfully, they have all felt special in different ways. Our focus this year was to curate content to fuel each attendee in a holistic way. To inspire their spirit, we provided knowledge that would feed their professional lives, and of course provided space for meaningful connections and collaborations with a community of like-minded do-gooders. There are always places to improve but all in all, I think we managed to do all these things. Plus, we had armadillo races and karaoke, so really, what more could anyone want?” LDW kicked off with a reception and dinner for regional association executive directors, followed by an executive director symposium on Monday and a welcome reception and dinner Monday evening honoring this year’s PPAI/RAC Regional Volunteer of the Year Tom Carpenter, MAS (pictured near left). The two-day education programming for all regional leaders featured an extensive curriculum designed to provide numerous learning opportunities through general sessions, breakout discussions and idea-sharing activities. “For me, this has been the LDW with the most impact so far,” says Silvia González, CAS, past president and director, Caribbean Advertising Specialties Association (CASA). “Having attended for the past seven years, every year I get back to Puerto Rico with my head full of ideas to implement, or at least try, but this year was really relevant to the fast changes the industry is going through.” LDW drew 56 first-time attendees this year. Alan Rice, a multi-line rep from the Pacific Northwest and a member of the NWPMA board, was one of them. He says, “The NWPMA has gone through some 108 | DECEMBER 2019 | CONNECT