they sell and their products,” Felice says. “Their sales skills are phenomenal. The level of care they have for other members is huge. The industry, as a whole, is based on those relationships.” In 2020, Felice was on PPAI’s Regional Strategic Foresight Committee. Today, she is currently on PPAI’s Regional Relationship Committee. Felice says she is passionate about giving executive directors a voice in the industry. “All of the regionals experienced a dip in attendance for our shows. We are all working extra hard to come out of the pandemic,” she says. “As we grow inmomentum this year and in 2023, it’s really important to communicate withmembers with marketing to grow attendance numbers. We are all doing what we can, but it will take a few years to get to pre-pandemic levels.” For Felice, putting on a successful show is a team effort. “PPAChicago’s board, the committee showcase and I always set a high bar for the show,” she says. “It’s always a huge success because we have the whole board involved. It’s not only a success for us, but it’s also a success for the suppliers, distributors and the end users.” Felice also focuses on the attendees. “It’s all about the quality, and not always about the numbers. We found that out during COVID. Attendance had dropped down a little bit, but the quality of attendees was still there.” But each year, Felice makes sure to add something new. “Whether it’s signage, a new product area or a cool product that goes into the distributors’ bags, I try to build on the show andmake it bigger than it was,” she says. “So, it’s never the same every year. For example, we change the theme every show, and if we can, we’ll dress up, too. I put it onmyself to grow the show every year so that it’s something new and different for the members.” An end user event is also one of PPAChicago’s signature shows. Felice says, “We’ve always had our end user show from the start. Our distributors enjoy being able to bring their clients to the show and have an in-person showcase in a very centralized location. We strategically place our show right in the center of the Chicago area. “For the end users, it’s important to touch and feel the products. It really gets the end user excited and involved in future projects. Later, they’ll remember things they saw at the show and will tell their distributor. The in-person aspect is also top notch, especially for an industry built on relationships. Any time you can be in-person for any time of event brings out a higher level of commitment and engagement.” To get members excited about future shows, there’s one thing Felice will always do: personalize the invite. “We’ve gotten huge results from reaching out tomembers individually and personalizing that message,” she says. “It’s one thing to send out an email for show sign up, but it’s another thing when you have a relationship with that member and you can personally invite themwith a call or an email.” PPB spoke with Felice to learnmore about how she’s getting members excited for regional shows. A valuable lesson I learned in the past year was… to always remain in good communication with the members. I’m always afraid of a member saying, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that,’ when it’s my job as the executive director to ensure that all the members are in the know. This really rang true during the pandemic, because we were trying to connect with the members while also connecting distributors with suppliers and vice versa. The promotional products industry could better market itself by… marketing to the younger generation. I feel like the promotional products industry took a turn in the pandemic. A lot of distributors were retiring, and we were losing veterans with a lot of experience in the industry. We need to do internships and go into local colleges so we can let the newer generation know about this industry. The board and I feel really passionate about this. Especially for those interested in entrepreneurship, this is the perfect place to start. I am inspired by… my kids. When they smile, it just makes me happy inside. If they’re happy, I’m a happy mom. I get to watchmy daughter horseback ride competitively, and I’m inspired. She jumps three feet, and I’d be terrified to get on the horse. My son wrestles, and he made it to state his first year. It’s so cool to watch thembe so successful with what they’re passionate about. Valdez is an associate editor at PPAI. Event Spotlight: Leadership Development Workshop 2022 October 10-12, Grapevine, Texas This month marks the in-person return of PPAI’s premier conference for developing current and future regional association leaders and enhancing relationships between the regional nonprofit associations in the promotional products industry. This annual event provides regional association leaders with comprehensive training and networking opportunities, with the peer-to-peer interaction meant to foster and enhance relationships among all the regional associations. | OCTOBER 2022 | 91 CONNECT
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzU4OQ==