PPB March 2021

Kudos For The PPAI Expo D2U During the four days of the PPAI Expo Direct-2- You in January, more than 11,000 distributor attendees participated in the trade show, education programming, networking lounges and events. It was a first-time experience for everyone involved and proved to be a welcome and appreciated alternative when the in-person trade show wasn’t possible. See more comments about the show on p. 28. feedback Send feedback on articles in PPB or opinions on industry issues to JamesK@ppai.org . The online platform took a little time to figure out how it all worked, how to click through to things and find events, but I could tell that it had been professionally put together with a lot of thought and effort. It was great for strolling through exhibitors and not having aching feet at the end of the day. However, I sincerely hope this does not permanently take the place of in-person shows. I want to be able to see items in person, meet and talk to reps in person. Maybe I’m a product of my generation, but live events feel so much more engaging. LAURA SENCABAUGH Promotional Manager Diversified Companies Chattanooga, Tennessee PPAI 749203, D2 Words cannot express the gratitude we feel for your amazing efforts and commitment to developing and executing a phenomenal virtual Expo 2021. None of us would have imagined when we left Vegas last year that it would be impossible for us to gather in person just 12 months later. Expo D2U was immersive, engaging, informative and entertaining. This is the first time CE has been able to have our 20-plus teammembers participate in Expo. They loved the education, the entertainment, and the virtual booths and chats with vendors old and new. We have a deck of over 100 products selected by our team throughout the week to share with clients in our show follow-up. We are anxious to see everyone in person when it is safe, but we do feel that this opportunity may have given us foresight into a new, integrated approach that can touch even more promotional products professionals in the future. MARY JO TOMASINI, MAS+ CEO CE Competitive Edge Stevensville, Michigan PPAI 103776, D6 A Matter Of Trust A story in the January 14 issue of PPB Newslink reported how the public’s trust in institutions has been undermined—but business has emerged as the most trusted. Thank you for sharing what most of us thought might be the case. Unfortunately today, many are concerned about publicly speaking their mind if you should disagree with the party in power. This may have always been the case in third-world countries, but now we are experiencing it in the U.S. with the cancel culture movement. BOB HAFERTEPEN Vice President of Sales SKYE Solutions for Business Cincinnati, Ohio 8 | MARCH 2021 | INNOVATE