PPB March 2020

commonsku Hosts Seventh Annual skucon Conference commonsku (PPAI 552077) hosted its seventh annual skucon conference on January 12 at the Frank Gehry-designed Keep Memory Alive Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, preceding The PPAI Expo. The business and sales software provider drew 325 attendees to the full-day event, which featured a wide range of speakers. skucon featured keynote speakers Brian Papé, founder of MiiR, and Memo Kahan of PromoShop, as well as a lineup that included Vicki Ostrom of SanMar; Darryl Griffin, MAS, of Accolades; Lucas Guariglia of Rowboat Creative; Stacy Anderson Carter and Justin Carter of Brand-On; Jenna Quaranta of DSG International; Brandon Mackay, MAS, of SnugZ USA; Kevin Felgate of Name Brand Promotions; Brenda Speirs of Buzztag; Kate Ivory of Gidi Promotions; Brian Gill of Thumbprint; Karie Cowden, MAS, of Connect the Dots, and Brandon Pecharich of PromoCorner. They covered a variety of topics from “trendspotting” and “building your brand ethos” to “how traditional companies revolutionize” and more. Sonic Promos Joins U.S. Chamber of Commerce Panel Seth Weiner, president of Gaithersburg, Maryland, distributor Sonic Promos, was featured on a panel of small-business owners from across the U.S. as part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce State of American Business. In the panel, U.S. Chamber President Suzanne Clark sat down with Steve Case, Revolution CEO and America Online co-founder, Weiner and three other small- business owners to examine the state of business in their industries and communities. Speaking on the panel, Weiner (second from right) highlighted some of the adaptations that the company has implemented in order to adjust to the ever-changing global climate, such as the impact of Chinese import tariffs on his business. Responding to a question by Clark, he spoke on the steps they took to buy inventory in advance of the tariffs going into effect, challenges in providing quotes and working with program buyers, and steps taken to mitigate the situation. He also discussed the secondary effect of trade policy on small businesses, noting that other industries’ struggles can affect his business as well. 118 | MARCH 2020 | CONNECT