PPB January 2021

PPPC COMMUNIQUÉ TOPS+ Virtual Set To Deliver Exceptional Interactive Experience N ext monthmarks the Promotional Product Professionals of Canada’s (PPPC) TOPS+ Virtual. Building off the success of Natcon Virtual in September 2020, TOPS+ will enhance your virtual experience, while delivering all the action of an in-person show. We aim to continue connecting professionals in the promotional products industry across Canada by providing a newway to experience TOPS+. This innovative and interactive event will be held February 2-3, 2021. All distributors nationwide are invited to attend for free—there are somany reasons to register and attend TOPS+ Virtual. Review the details, register to attend or purchase a booth at topsplus.pppc.ca. Typically, the Traveling Optimum Promotional Show (TOPS+) tours various cities across Canada to bring members together region by region. We hope that we can one day tour again, but for now, our goals, vision and values remain the same and are simply being demonstrated through a new avenue. TOPS+ Virtual will have all the aspects you are used to seeing at a PPPC trade show: our virtual trade-show floor, networking opportunities, on-demand and live professional development sessions and some fun along the way. The SAGE platform, designed specifically for our industry and used for Natcon Virtual, will again be used for TOPS+. Last year, Natcon attracted 800 attendees and over 200 supplier reps, with glowingly positive feedback about the event. Alisa Nickel, director of marketing at 3MPromotional Markets, attended the event and said she loved the platform. “It was so user-friendly, easy to connect with anyone, find products, explore and connect,” she says. “It was so amazing to see how the trade-showworld has transitioned so quickly. Adaptation is so important in the world we live in.” Distributors, Assemble! Our virtual trade shows are intended to provide an interactive experience tailored specifically to the needs of the Canadian promotional products industry. Our revolutionary virtual trade-showplatformenables distributors to visit virtual booths and to discover thousands of the top promotional products from their favorite industry suppliers. The ability to have one-on- one time with suppliers at the click of a mouse is invaluable. Distributors can also access product pavilions to explore the hottest product trends, Canadian-made products andmore. Networking lounges allow attendees tomingle, discuss hot topics and catch upwith one another. You can register to attend the show at topsplus.pppc.ca/distributor. Suppliers: Come One, Come All! Exhibitors can easily set up virtual booths, pulling product information directly from the SAGE database and customizing their booth inmany ways. There aremultiple booth size options, which enables suppliers to choose what best fits their business structure, goals or product lines. It’s not too late to get involved and exhibit a booth at TOPS+ Virtual. Get in touch with Sydney Shore (Sydney@pppc.ca) to purchase your TOPS+ booth today; you don’t want tomiss this show. New To TOPS+ In addition to all the goodies of a PPPC virtual trade show, we will also be presenting the awards for best suppliers, distributors andmulti- line reps of 2020. In January, PPPC members will vote to awardmembers with this great recognition. Awards will be presented via live streamon February 2 at 11 amET. Join us after Day One of TOPS+ for a fun afternoon with your favourites hosts and PPPCmembers. Learnmore about attending at topsplus.pppc.ca . We hope to see you there. TOPS+ Virtual is a place to build on connections and optimize your network. Rejoin the familiar faces of the Canadian promotional products industry virtually. PPPCwill continue to support and bring together this industry even when we are unable to hold in-person events. We hope that your team is just as excited for TOPS+ Virtual as we are. Jonathan Strauss is president and CEO of Promotional Product Professionals of Canada (PPPC). by Jonathan Strauss | JANUARY 2021 | 83 CONNECT