PPB June 2020

Br ave Leade r s Hangin’ Tough With the coronavirus pandemic spurring wide-sweeping changes for promotional products businesses, three company leaders leapt into uncharted territories to keep their companies a oat. by Danielle Renda W hen reports of coronavirus first hit TV news stations and concerns grew about business and school closures, the spread of the disease and what it meant for the nation’s economy, the promotional products industry, along with many others, plunged into the unknown. Leaders were tasked, seemingly overnight, with guiding their employees through this extraordinary time—and to do so boldly and quickly while making some of the most difficult decisions of their careers. The last time the United States faced anything remotely comparable to the coronavirus outbreak was nearly 100 years ago with the Spanish flu in 1918—a virus that spread to infect 500 million people, or one-third of the world’s population. But despite the immense uncertainty that lies ahead, leaders are pressing on, making the hard decisions that are needed to continue supporting their staff, their businesses and the industry. Read on to learn how three leaders made game-changing decisions to retrofit manufacturing processes, adapt to the growing reliance on digital technology, provide thought-provoking education opportunities and continue to recognize employees’ achievements during this time. JOEL MOORE President and CEO, PromoCorner Middleboro, Massachusetts The coronavirus pandemic has caused a slew of event cancellations and postponements spanning all industries— many of them affecting promotional products businesses. When the stay-at-home orders were issued in March, people were no longer working together, socializing, attending events and conferences, or networking. Joel Moore, president and CEO of industry business services provider PromoCorner, immediately saw a way to bring the industry together during this time by creating PromoShow, an on-demand, videoconferencing platform that allows distributors and vendors to “meet” face-to-face, in a virtual space. 14 | JUNE 2020 | INNOVATE