sure that line isn’t crossed over. Please be assured that we’re not looking to introduce anything that would break that channel. We all recognize how valuable that is. That’s really what our purpose is, to further the community. Violating that would be the complete opposite of our mission.” As end buyers have become more aware of issues such as sustainability, DEI and product safety when making buying decisions, Olds says the industry can position itself as a guide. “PPW gives the Association an opportunity to support members by demonstrating our industry’s commitment and proficiency in these topics,” she says. “As we have learned from our industry-wide collaboration on product safety and in our government advocacy programs, there are some topics or initiatives that we cannot take on as individuals and are far stronger when we stand together. Educating end buyers about the value, power and trustworthiness of our industry is one of them.” Olds says end-buyer facing events have always been and will continue to be important to the promo industry. “Many distributors, including my own, have successfully held end buyer events for many years. It is a terrific way to trigger conversations about the buyer’s upcoming events and remind the buyer how powerful our medium is,” she says. Paul Zafarana, MAS, is one of these distributors. As founder of Michigan-based distributor Pica Marketing Group, Zafarana recently partnered with Cliff Quicksell, MAS+, as a consulting client to hold a buyers’ event in 2021. “We invited 90 people to this end-user event, and 100% showed up and stayed the entire time,” says Quicksell. “The revenue he generated was over $270,000 from just that hour and a half.” Zafarana says he decided to put on this event to bring value to his clients. “If I could do more of them, I would,” he says. “It gives us distributors a chance to showcase our value. I think these events bring some polish to the industry.” As an engagement piece, Zafarana created a kit filled with products from presenting suppliers. This creative component was sent to each attending client and was tied to the diner-themed experience. Quicksell says end-buyer events showcase strong supplier relationships. “The suppliers will make or break your event,” he says. “Having strong supplier presentations was critical. We set an expectation with our vendors on how their presentation should be. We told our suppliers that their rep should be someone with high energy. We spent a lot of time reviewing presentations to make sure they weren’t just reading the catalog.” For a successful event, Quicksell says there must be a post-show action plan. “At the end of a show, you only have seven days to connect with attendees before you’re forgotten. How do you complete the circle? There has to be built-in key performance indicators (KPIs) so distributors can measure their effectiveness and make plans for long-term engagement.” With more end-buyer shows, clients will better understand the best ways to use promotional products and likely increase their purchases through distributors. Denham says, “Clients will recognize how promotional products can be extremely targeted both to the recipient as well as where they want to be reached. You can target the recipient in their office, car, kitchen or other places in their home, as well as at events and many other places. “No other medium gives more opportunity to remain visible when you choose the right product for the right recipient. As PPAI helps to elevate and reinforce the value of promotional products to buyers, we will remain top of mind to take a bigger portion of the marketing spend.” Valdez is an associate editor at PPAI. To learn more about the virtual event and PPAI's new buyer outreach program, visit PromotionalProductsWork.org. PPW Expo | FEATURE | APRIL 2022 | 17
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