The 2023 PPAI Product Responsibility Summit is underway in Alexandria, Virginia, and already the event, which has drawn sourcing and compliance professionals from across the industry for more than a decade, is making an impact.

“Hearing some of the case studies and the stories has been very helpful,” says first-time attendee Michelle Sheldon, owner of Chicago-based distributor Eco Promotional Products. “I also feel that learning more about nearshoring in Mexico was helpful, because it’s scary, and having the ability to turn custom products around in a shorter time frame but still find accountability and transparency, and that the employees are being treated fairly and being taken care of is important. To be able to do that closer by was something that I wanted to learn more about.”

First-time attendee Chris Crowe, compliance manager with Tennessee-based Gold Bond, the No. 22 PPAI 100 supplier, especially enjoyed the networking and learning from industry peers. “It’s good to know … I’m not the only person out there that’s dealing with these areas when it comes to compliance,” he says.

Will Crider, compliance supply chain specialist with platinum event sponsor Wisconsin-based 4imprint, the PPAI 100 No. 1 distributor, says, “I actually work in compliance, so it’s interesting to actually put faces to names and actually get to interface with people. … It’s nice to meet people and also get on the same page with items like PFAS and all the hot-button issues.”

Scott Denny, VP of marketing and sales with New York-based Garyline, the No. 30 PPAI 100 supplier, says he came to get a broader understanding of the issues. “There’s more to it than just safety. You hear how people are doing business,” he says. “I’m not really a compliance guy – it’s half my role – but just listening to the way people think is really helpful for me.”

Kayla Lindy, ESG specialist with S&S Activewear, the PPAI 100 No. 2 supplier, came to learn directly from expert speakers what’s new with compliance and regulations. “They’re just constantly changing, and it never hurts to be up to date.”

Tena Frank, VP of operations for St. Louis-based distributor MyBrandPromo and a first-time attendee, says she had already learned “a ton” by the first day and a half. “It’s great,” she says. “I’m like a sponge.”

Teresa Fang, vice president of supply chain/procurement at alphabroder, the No. 3 PPAI 100 supplier,  has attended almost every Summit since 2013 and says the event is “always a wealth of information.” She particularly appreciated the sourcing session.

“I live it, but I feel like a lot of the distributors may not particularly understand all that goes into the sourcing journey for supplier, and I think it’s important for everybody to understand that,” says Fang. “I also thought it was great … to highlight that all these difficulties are not just abroad, that we have some substantial issues also domestically and that these issues are … everywhere, and we have to understand that before we can solve for it.”

First-time attendee Adrianna Almonte, a quality assurance and compliance documentation specialist with The Gem Group, was pleased to hear all the emphasis on documentation. “What they had to say was really accurate and true,” she says. “A lot of people are going to need the facts, so we need to have them on file in order to share.”

Denise Taschereau, co-founder and CEO of Fairware Promotional Products and a PPAI board member, says she came to the event expecting some sessions to be less pertinent to her business but learned important information from each one. “I wasn’t expecting to be as engaged during the FDA session as I was, but as a distributor who is kitting food, those regulations are critical,” she says. “They emphasized the importance of vetting vendors and only working with ones that have the right qualifications and practices in place.”

Summit, which began on October 8, concludes on October 11 with an optional tour of a municipal materials recycling facility.