by Jonathan N. Strauss PPPCCOMMUNIQUÉ After such a long time apart, the second half of 2021 provided opportunities for Canadian industry colleagues to be together once again, and the response has been great. This is, after all, a highly social industry. We kicked-off our return to in-person events in September with aManitoba Chapter golf event inwhich 34members got together inWinnipeg for nine holes of golf and a barbeque that followed. The weather was beautiful, and the excitement of reuniting was even better. Local members provided some great prizes, and one supplier made their first business trip fromToronto toWinnipeg to attend. October 20 was a big day for the Canadian industry. PPPC joined PPAI in celebrating Promotional Products Work! Day across North America and our celebrations included our first in-person trade show in 20 months. Thirty-nine suppliers exhibited at this small but mighty show held in Toronto. The 225 distributors who attended were thrilled to see their favourite suppliers again and to find some great new companies to work with. For some, this was their very first industry gathering of any size in a very long time. It was a great opportunity for suppliers to reconnect withmulti-line reps they hadn’t seen in person since 2020 and for distributors tomeet up with friends, colleagues and even competitors. A highlight from that day was Ontario Premier Doug Ford attending the showwith some of his cabinet colleagues. The Premier took the time tomeet manymembers and pose for countless selfies. Following the show, we received a lot of very positive feedback andmore than a few comments along the lines of “working a booth is harder than I remember!” This event was a good way to ease back into the world of trade shows. Following the show, two dozen suppliers and a few board members enjoyed cocktails and appetizers while catching-up on the day’s events. October also brought our board of directors back together in person for the first meeting with new board chair, Sandra Harssar, presiding. A significant amount of time was spent during themeeting discussing strategies for our 2022 in-person events. Engagingmembers, including at events, is a key priority for PPPC. We all left the boardmeeting energized for what we knowwill be a great year ahead. November was our first opportunity to bring together local members in British Columbia. I was pleased to be able to connect with a group of members at a local brewpub in the Vancouver area. Like our other events this fall, this was the first time most of thesemembers had been face to face. The evening ended with a discussion on the need to bring the industry together, in person andmore often in the year ahead. All these fall events containedmany pandemic-era firsts for those attending. They also demonstrated the industry desire to be back together in person, in a safe way. I want to thank all those who attended our events and all themember companies who sponsored and exhibited at the events. The first months of 2022 have us back on the road again for The PPAI Expo and our five-city TOPS+ tour. I amexcited to play a role in connecting our industry leaders, in person. See you soon! Jonathan Strauss is president and CEO of Promotional Product Professionals of Canada (PPPC). PPPC Members Together Again The first in-person event in 2021 was the Manitoba Chapter golf event. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, center, was a special guest at the Holiday Showcase Toronto. BC Member Night was held in a local pub. 80 | JANUARY 2022 | CONNECT
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