PPB May 2020

the regional associations, some of which are rescheduling or cancelling spring events. To help, the PPAI Board of Directors will pay two hours of legal fees for each regional, as needed, as they address these issues. Certification And Pyramid Submission Fees Waived – Beginning April 1 through June 30, the TAS, CAS and MAS application fees are waived and pricing for Associates will be at a 50-percent discount. Find more information here: www.ppai.org/ members/certification/ certification-programs. Additionally, this year’s Pyramid Awards submission fees are being waived. This competition opened on April 27 and will close on May 29. Details can be found at https://www.ppai.org/ members/awards/ company-recognition. COVID-19 Podcast Featuring PPAI President and CEO Paul Bellantone, CAE And ASI President And CEO Tim Andrews – On April 1, Paul Bellantone joined Tim Andrews for a special industry Town Hall, “COVID-19 Crisis: The Industry’s Leaders On Where We Go From Here.” As leaders of the promotional products industry’s two largest member organizations, they discussed what each organization is doing now to assist members, the $2 trillion stimulus package, shared advice on what small businesses can do now to survive and even thrive throughout the crisis, and outlined action plans and forecasts for the coming months. Hear a recording of the conversation at www.ppai.org/ a-message-from-ppai-president- ceo-paul-bellantone-cae. Department Spotlight: PPAI Publications This is the 13th and final installment in a year-long series of department profiles to help readers learn more about the PPAI staff members who serve them. The Publications Department produces four of PPAI’s print and digital communications including its award-winning flagship monthly PPB magazine, the award-winning e-newsletter PPB Newslink , the popular daily e-blast Promotional Consultant Today and the new PromoTalks podcast. Follow us on Instagram @PPBMagazine and on Twitter @PPAIPubs. The department’s goal is to provide indispensable industry news, accurate information and thought- provoking content delivered through a variety of vehicles to help suppliers and distributors expand their skills as promotional professionals and operate growing, successful companies. Tina Berres Filipski Director of Publications/Editor “I enjoy almost every kind of music from rock, pop and country to jazz, blues, big band, classical and opera. When it’s performed live and outdoors, that’s even better.” James Khattak News Editor “I’d been to six of the seven continents before I was three years old. Unfortunately, I remember none of it.” Danielle Renda Associate Editor “I look forward to Halloween year-round. My favorite movie will forever be Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Xmas and my personal library is stocked with horrors, psychological thrillers and true crime novels. I’m planning to start taking an annual trip in the fall, where I visit a new location with a historical, “spooky” background every year. First stop— the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast Museum. (Suggestions welcome!)” Kristina Valdez Associate Editor “Coming home from my first PPAI Expo, I ran into and got a picture with the rapper Common at DFW International Airport!” 82 | MAY 2020 | CONNECT