be different each time. It can be the same product, but it can serve so many purposes.” Lateur gives back to the industry through volunteering with the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF), which provides college scholarships to promotional products industry employees and their children. This year he’s hosting the foundation’s first live concert series. The first event, held in June, raisedmore than $5,800. The next virtual concert, featuring performers fromwithin the industry, will be on Thursday, November 10. “I think what PPEF does is show young kids that people care,” Lateur says. “It’s not only about giving money, but it’s also about setting an example as a group that we can come together to helpmake your life better.” When Lateur was 19 and in college, he decided to leave his parents’ home and pursue his education in another state, supporting himself fully. “I had nomoney. I was completely on my own to take the next step inmy life. I just did it. I didn’t have a plan, but I knew I had to escape the idea of safety to grow and findmyself as a person.” He struggled for a while. “I got a job, and I was able to pay rent. But there was no room for personal growth, which is kind of important. That’s another reason why PPEF is important and scholarships are important. Paying for an education means themoney has to come from somewhere.” Lateur interacts with the industry in other ways, like transforming into his alter ego, NickyWonka. With HPG’s candy brand SugarSpot, Lateur has found his own sweet spot, combining his larger-thanlife personality with his love of candy. NickyWonka has made an appearance at a few industry shows, handing out treats. Lateur says, “If he’s not bingeing on candy in a back alley somewhere, he’s usually plotting his next appearance. There’s a good chance that NickyWonka will be found running around the show floor at The PPAI Expo.” While Lateur exercises his creativity constantly, his biggest source of inspiration is his 11-yearold daughter, Lily. “Taking her to school and watching her grow reminds me that there is always something new to learn,” he says. “I think life is kind of like school. She inspires me to think about how things can be done in a different way.” PPAI Media spoke with Lateur to hear how he hopes to see the industry grow. The promotional products industry can better market itself by… educating the public. Promotion is in our name, so you’d think it’d be natural for us tomarket ourselves. We are the foundation formodernmarketing. Signage andmerch is everywhere. If we are a farm, we are the people planting seeds and cultivating the plants. The public is eating the fruit of this labor. Whether it’s a supplier coming up with newproducts or a distributor figuring out how to harvest it, we are really important. People forget where their “food” comes from. Showing how marketing and advertising are born is a good start. In the next few years, I hope to see the industry evolve by… improving systems so we can focus on the creativity of people. PPAI recently elected two new board members and [PPAI President and CEO] Dale Denhamhas spoken about this, too. It can sometimes take seven touches froma purchase order to a product getting out the door of a factory – seven different people doing seven different things. If we can make workflow better, people can focus onmore creative endeavors to make the industry better. I think that will streamline our industry. It won’t remove the need for people, ever. But those people will get sharper, and they’ll be able to use that energy they spend on emails in other ways to grow our industry. Valdez is an associate editor at PPAI. Nicky Wonka’s Product Pick “Candy is the short answer,” says Nicky Wonka, Lateur’s alter ego. “We have this semi-custom gift box at SugarSpot. I like it for many reasons, but inside, there’s deco on the back when you remove the candy jars. There might even be a golden ticket campaign coming in Q1 next year. So, if you get one of the boxes, you might see Nicky Wonka’s face peeking from behind the jars. We can make this box a really fun and memorable experience.” HPG / PPAI 110772, S11 www.hpgbrands.com The first PPEF live concert series, held in June, raised more than $5,800. The next virtual concert, featuring performers fromwithin the industry, will be on Thursday, November 10. | NOVEMBER 2022 | 69 CONNECT
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