From PPAI Danny Rosin, CAS PPAI Board Chair 05.26 Like any good investment, appreciation itself appreciates. The more you put in, the more you get in return. Appreciation For Suppliers & Service Providers I don’t know about you, but I’m sensing positive momentum as we navigate through the second quarter of 2026. I’m doing my best version of the worm, the chicken dance and even the sprinkler. Why? I’m still ecstatic about how this year kicked off at The PPAI Expo. The new and innovative products. The interactive experiences on the show floor. The beautiful, engaging booths. I had a serious case of drop jaw, and months later, I’m still trying to pick it up off the floor. In a world filled with digital everything, I love the H2H (human-to-human) connections we get to make in Las Vegas or at PPAI’s spring and summer gatherings, from LEAD, to NALC, WLC, and even now the International Leadership Summit and beyond. These events always remind me why I love our industry, but this year just feels a little different. As a distributor leader, I am always excited about the strategic branded merch opportunities I find out about at PPAI events. But years of hindsight tell me that it is our suppliers who make the most significant investments. To each supplier who sponsors, underwrites and invests in the distributor experience, thank you. It’s making a difference! The last year was tough for many of us. The uncertainty and whiplash have not been fun. It’s been exhausting, but I’ve witnessed how our suppliers really step up. They’ve remained resilient and steadfast. They’ve often taken it on the chin so distributors can keep going. They’ve stayed committed to fighting the good fight, even though 2025 and the early parts of 2026 have been a kick in the pants for most of us. So, here’s to the supplier (insert clapping emojis)! The unsung hero. You are the ones who pay for the booth spaces so we can have shows, pay for advertisements so we can receive pubs like the one you are reading, sponsor our local and national events and indulge us with wonderful hospitality. All of this enhances the distributor experience and makes us more successful. Suppliers, thank you for investing in R&D and sourcing innovative products and refreshed classics. Thank you for assuming inventory risk. Thank you for traveling far and wide to meet with us, often with bulky, expensive booths that are a pain to set up. Thank you for helping out with our nonprofit activities. For market testing. For earning sustainability certifications. For the trends reports. For the case studies, samples and virtuals that help us close deals. For investing in our favorite professional nonprofit, PPAI. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And while I am on this “appreciation tour,” let’s insert more clapping emojis plus a fist bump emoji and recognize our service providers. Here’s a shout-out to you all for providing the tech platforms, automation, scalability, fulfillment and shipping services, outsourced work, integrations, payment processing, art services, consulting, education, certifications, business planning, standardization, AI tools, lead gen services, credit services, and compliance reporting. Whew! Y’all are what Tina Turner calls, “Simply the Best!” (You are welcome for the earworm.) As we move deeper into 2026, let’s remember to show a little grace when things go south or get spicy. Let’s remember to be a little more “open source” minded and to operate in the spirit of collaboration. Let’s remember to be appreciative of the partnerships we often take for granted. Like any good investment, appreciation itself appreciates. The more you put in, the more you get in return. We’re not even to the halfway point on the calendar. There’s still so much time to make 2026 your, your company’s, and our industry’s best year ever! 4 • MAY 2026 • PPAI
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