he still enjoys leading MiPPA and even fewer would claim he couldn’t still do the work – the man climbs mountains, plays pickleball, runs marathon and paddle boards in Lake Michigan. He’s seen many changes in the promo world, and he’s smart enough to see many more coming. “This is a totally relationship business, but we’ve seen investment and venture capitalist enter it, which is changing much of the personality of the industry,” Kiewiet says. “Massive change and massive opportunity are all coming together at the same time, but it’s going to be scary for those who are unwilling to look to the future.” He has taken MiPPA too far to let his own pride hold it back from here. “I’ll be 72 in January,” Kiewiet says. “There are some skills I don’t have that are going to be necessary for the future, and you need to be looking for those skills.” His experience on the PPAI Board, which convinced him to become the MiPPA executive director in the first place, has also been his model for vouching for a succession plan. He has been preparing MiPPA’s board for this moment for five years. The association has chosen a new executive director, which will be announced later this year. Kiewiet will help with the transition through December. “You don’t replace Paul,” Shereda says. “You find a new executive director. There is nobody with his industry knowledge, his networking and his ability to pick up the phone and call the CEO of PCNA or Gemline.” “Bringing this event to Ford Field was not only good for MiPPA but good for the city. It’s great to have all our clients out here and show them what we can do in Detroit.” –Jake Wylonis For his part, Kiewiet won’t hear anything of big shoes to fill. “I took the association from bankruptcy to one of the leading regionals, and the question to ask is ‘where do we take it from here?’” Kiewiet says. As he takes a rest at the hospitality suite, having been putting out fires with a friendly face for the past 72 hours, he’s willing to reflect on the emotion of walking away. “This industry’s a huge part of my life,” Kiewiet says. “It’s my social life. It’s my friends. It’s my acquaintances. But I’ll have to work at building new social connections and new friendships.” But as the event winds down, he’s still a bit miffed at the headache caused by a malfunction in the event’s app, and he knows that the show doesn’t really end when it ends if you’re in charge; he’ll be cleaning up for the next few days. For months, he’s been ambiguous to anyone who has asked “what’s next?” But in this moment of fatigue, he’s achieved some clarity. “Today, I’ve been answering, ‘I’m going to do whatever I want.’ And that’s the right answer.” Auping is a news editor at PPAI. Paul Kiewiet | Must Read PPAI • DECEMBER 2024 • 57
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