become an annual event in the fall to help clients plan for holiday gifting and their promo budgeting in 2023. By sharing ways to leverage promotional products, these virtual shows give distributors a way to remain top of mind for clients. While some distributors wonder about the potential industry impact of clients interfacing with suppliers, others expressed excitement about facilitating meaningful conversations that lead to sales. PPAI President and CEO Dale Denham, MAS+, says, “Clients rarely, if ever, have the opportunity to learn about the many different ways promotional products can be used to inspire, attract or reward their audience. Distributors are often asked for what’s new, and while that is important and helpful, the PPW Expo will give them the opportunity to get inspired by successful campaigns and new trends in utilizing promotional products. “In addition to inspiring education, clients will have the chance to hear and interact with suppliers who know their product lines the best, all while protecting and reinforcing the value of the distributor.” Denham assured members that the virtual platform—the same used for PPAI Expo Direct-2-You—will be customizable, so that the program feels like it’s the distributor’s own event, just under the umbrella of Promotional Products Work. “We’re hoping by the fall show to have specific rooms for you that are unique to you, but there will be no ability for [clients] to interact with any other distributors,” Denham says. “Someday, we hope to allow pre-set appointments so clients can choose the places to go on a schedule.” PPAI Board Chair Dawn Olds, MAS, says the Promotional Products Work Expo will support the existing supply line between clients, distributors and suppliers. Olds says, “During our strategy plan development sessions, the PPAI Board of Directors was very excited about the possibility of extending a D2U-like experience to end buyers. “We know that the pandemic made it more difficult for industry salespeople to physically connect with their buyers, who are often working from home now. We saw this as a way to create reconnection opportunities and to showcase some of the best products and ideas in the industry at the same time.” PPW Expo won’t be a disrupter. “From a distributor's perspective, you have all kinds of representation on the Board, from large firms and mid-sized firms, and then also there is representation from independent distributors,” says Olds, SVP of operations at distributor HALO. “We’re going to make “In addition to inspiring education, clients will have the chance to hear and interact with suppliers who know their product lines the best all while protecting and reinforcing the value of the distributor.” Dale Denham, MAS+, PPAI President and CEO FEATURE | PPW Expo 16 | APRIL 2022 |
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