Events

Want to know what's going on in the Promotional Products Industry? You can use the PPAI Industry Calendar to track upcoming promotional products industry trade shows and events. 

Thursday, April 9, 2020  | 11:00am-Noon (central)

Grab some lunch and pull up a chair to your computer for our New Orleans Promo Lunch. We’ve invited the suppliers and multi-line reps who typically join us for this event to be a part of a special online Promo Lunch. They’ll be sharing information on how their companies and factories are dealing with the current pandemic, suggestions of products that would be relevant right now, examples of how they’re seeing distributors find some success during this time, and their take on what will be in demand when we come out of this.

There’s no charge for distributors to attend, but space is limited.

Participating Suppliers and Reps:

Jason Beeker, Hit Promotional Products

Vince Deissroth, APPI

Mack Gaskins, Corporate Identity & Apparel & Swag

Steve May, Reisack Sales & Marketing

Jim Maddox, The Maddox Company

Amy Norwood, SanMar

Michelle Sherwin, Vantage Apparel

We need to stop chasing what we can’t control and focus on what we CAN control!  How will business be different in eight to ten weeks? What will change, how will we adapt?  Will your business be ahead of the curve? As we all know, we will get beyond this, but will YOU be prepared.  What lessons can be learned from this and how will you change your mindset for the coming changes?

This 45 minute educational session will get you prepared for the next positive phase of “What’s Next!”

1 CAS Credit when you submit your PPAI Pin Number with your survey.

About the Speaker:

Cliff Quicksell Jr., MAS+, MASI has been involved in the promotional products and sportswear industries for the past thirty-six years. For more than 30+ years he has been speaking, training and consulting internationally to associations and national business groups on more effective ways to market themselves and their products and services. Cliff has been recognized by PPAI & PSDA for creativity, received PPAI’s Ambassador Speaker Service Award and been named one of the top six industry speakers and trainers. He’s also been recognized by Counselor Magazine as one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in the Promotional Products Industry. Currently Cliff is President and CEO, Cliff Quicksell & Associates, and is VP of Affiliate Marketing at Industry Top 10 Distributor, iPROMOTEu.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020  | 11:30am-12:30pm (central)

In the blink of an eye our world has changed. With over 80 million people moved to working from home in just one week, the landscape of how we conduct business is ever changing. Working remotely has its benefits and drawbacks. Learn how to navigate the new normal by using key platforms and technology. Jenny will use her years of experience working and hosting virtual training to help you excel at home. She will show you programs like Asana, Slack, Zoom, Facebook Groups, 15Five, Google Sheets, and more. Jenny will also share best practices when working with video conferencing and ways to stay connected with your clients.

Learning Outcomes:

• Become aware of key online platforms that help you manage working from home.

• Learn how to stay connected to your teammates and customers.

• Hear best practices on how to engage people while on a video conference call.

1 CAS Credit when you submit your PPAI Number with your survey.

About the Speaker:

Jenny Taylor is a certified facilitator of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®, a facilitation method that maximizes the full potential, insight, confidence and commitment of every person on the team. Jenny is the President of Journey Creatively, LLC, a consulting agency providing leadership development training, team facilitation, company strategic planning. She has served as the Executive Director for PPAF for over 2 years and through her leadership their profitability increased 25%. She also serves as the Executive Director for The Partnering Group, a national buying group in the promotional products industry. She has worked in association management for 12 years and before that worked for non-profit organizations.  Her passion is helping individuals and organizations become better in leadership, sustainability, team dynamics and more. She earned her B.A. from Anderson University and her M.A. in Global Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary and was certified as a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator in March of 2017.

Wednesday, April 22, 2020  | 11:30am-12:30pm (central)

The current world COVID-19 pandemic and the rippling effect throughout our economy seems to bring bad news followed by more bad news. It’s not like life is handing us lemons, it’s like it’s raining lemons and where the heck is the lemonade?  We each have our stories, in this presentation, Paul will share lessons he learned when circumstances seemed to crash every aspect of his life — personal, professional, financial, emotional, spiritual and mental.

Learn coping skills and strategies to learn how to accept new realities, let go of anger and find constructive attitudes that allow you to find peace and success.

Attendees Will Learn:

• How to Love What Is

• To Let Go of Negativity

• To Find Your Way to Peace & Success

1 CAS Credit when you submit your PPAI Pin Number with your survey.

About the Speaker:

Paul is the executive director of MiPPA, an industry speaker, writer, consultant and coach. He has been inducted into the PPAI Hall of Fame and the MiPPA Hall of Fame. He served as the chairman of the board of PPAI in 2007, founded a sales promotion agency, was a multimillion dollar sales person serving some of America’s best known brands.  He loves adventure travel, has summited Mt Kilimanjaro, climbed Mt Ararat, walked the length of the state of Michigan from Indiana to Canada and is in a constant search for his next adventure.

The world has changed. . . again.  With every change comes opportunity and challenges and it is up to each of us to understand the talents we possess and the new reality in front of us and how we can support our clients to help them achieve their goals.  This talk will be about creativity, conversation and connection. My goal is to spend as much time answering your questions as anything else, I want this to be engaging and leave people with ideas of how to move forward successfully.

Attendees will learn:

• How to move from being a commodity to a conversation enabler

• How to build trust

• How to help your clients succeed

• How to communicate effectively during this crisis for long term benefit

1 CAS Credit when you submit your PPAI Pin Number with your survey.

About the Speaker:

Ben Baker is an international speaker and an author, contributing both to magazines and other people’s books over the last number of years. His book “Powerful Personal Brands: a hands-on guide to understanding yours” was released August 1, 2018. You can download a free chapter at www.PowerfulPersonalBrands.com.  He believes in giving back to his community and is a dedicated volunteer. Whether it is for his congregation, festivals in the area where he lives, or through mentoring youth at the University level, he believes that he may not be able to change the world, but can influence his corner of it. In short. . . he helps brands tell engaging stories that compel their customers to take action. STOP being a commodity! INSTEAD, be a brand worth loving!

May 20, 2020

Rescheduled for May 20, 2020

PROMO + LUNCH + TRADESHOW

Spend your lunch break meeting with local reps, learning about new and hot products, and gaining valuable sales tips from from some of our industry's top professionals.

It may be the smallest tradeshow you attend this year, but we promise it will pack a mighty punch! You won't be rushed - you can enjoy a delicious lunch and spend plenty of quality one-on-one time with your favorite reps.


Location:

Athelstan Club
170 St. Francis Street
Mobile, AL 36602

Wednesday, May 27, 2020  | 11:30 am -12:30 pm (central)

Speaker: Charity Gipson, Peerless Umbrella

More information coming soon!

June 22, 2020

More information coming soon!

June 24, 2020

Rescheduled 6/24/2020

PROMO + LUNCH + TRADESHOW

Spend your evening with local reps, learning about new and hot products, and gaining valuable sales tips from from some of our industry's top professionals.

It may be the smallest tradeshow you attend this year, but we promise it will pack a mighty punch! You won't be rushed - you can enjoy a delicious lunch and spend plenty of quality one-on-one time with your favorite reps.


Location: 

Avondale Brewing Co.
291 41 St S.
Birmingham, AL 35222

Wednesday, June 24, 2020  | 11:30 am -12:30 pm (central)

Speaker: Gloria Lafont, Action Marketing Co.

More information coming soon!

July 15, 2020

More information coming soon!

Wednesday, July 29, 2020  | 11:30 am -12:30 pm (central)

Speaker: Kirby Hasseman, Hasseman Marketing

More information coming soon!

Montgomery, AL

August 5, 2020

More information coming soon!

Wednesday, August 25, 2020  | 11:30 am -12:30 pm (central)

Speaker: Bill Petrie, PromoCorner

More information coming soon!

September 9, 2020 - Alabama Fall Showcase (Birmingham, AL)

September 10, 2020 - Mississippi Fall Showcase (Jackson, MS)

September 11, 2020 - Louisiana Fall Showcase (New Orleans, LA)

Wednesday, September 30, 2020  | 11:30 am -12:30 pm (central)

Speaker: Bruce Bolger, Enterprise Engagement Alliance

More information coming soon!

October 22, 2020

Wednesday, October 28, 2020  | 11:30 am -12:30 pm (central)

Speaker: Brett Garan, Edwards Garment

More information coming soon!

Wednesday, November 18, 2020  | 11:30 am -12:30 pm (central)

Speaker: Bobby Lehew, commonsku

More information coming soon!

Wednesday, December 16, 2020  | 11:30 am -12:30 pm (central)

Speaker: Roger Burnett, Social Good Promotions

More information coming soon!