that Cybergroup would rank highest among them. It’s a nice new angle for telling the story of PPAI 100 in Year 2, and a good reason for me to visit Lyon. And I’m glad to finally be there. Fifteen hours after passing through security at DFW, a bamboo keycard clicks my hotel room unlocked and I walk in, drop my stuff by the door and flip the light switch on. Nothing. I do the off-onoff-on thing a few times before finally realizing something’s up. Oh. This is one of those places that makes you put the keycard in the little slot so you don’t waste electricity. There are no water bottles in the room, either. A card left on the desk encourages guests to refill using a hallway fountain. And this is when it hits me that when people in our business give the common line that Europe is five or 10 years ahead of the U.S. on sustainability, they’re not just talking about the promotional products industry, but everything and everybody. In the tiny, fuel-efficient cab on the way to the expo hall before the trade show opens, I receive a disappointing email: Dear Josh Due to strikes in Germany my flight back from Lyon is cancelled and I will not make it to Lyon. I’m super sorry. Have fun in Lyon. Steven I’ve crossed an ocean for this interview. But in a story that is really about the intersection of globalization and our industry’s sustainability imperative, it’s a sacrifice that seems fitting. *** The trip to Lyon had a second life, as it were. I did have fun. And I held some other important meetings on upcoming projects. Over the next few weeks, I sat at my dining room table for two lengthy Teams calls with Baumgaertner. We had met before, at The PPAI Expo 2024. During a dinner I organized for about 20 C-level leaders, he sat at the end of a long table, mostly listening to his American counterparts. When the conversation turned to a distributor’s responsibility to guide end buyers toward more sustainable products, he spoke with conviction. Cybergroup International keeps its U.S. headquarters, just one of its worldwide offices, near Miami. Must Read | Distributors What makes PPAI 100 distributors so strong? media.ppai.org/ ppai-100 54 • JUNE 2024 • PPAI
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