WLC 2016 Makes Its Mark

The 2016 PPAI Women’s Leadership Conference (WLC) brought nearly 160 attendees to Atlanta, Georgia, June 27-29 for two and a half days of learning, listening, conversing, connecting and sharing experiences, ideas and knowledge.

Thank you for all the hard work on WLC this year. What you accomplished was amazing and it all seemed so effortless. (Although I know otherwise!) Many of the ladies remarked that they were definitely in for next year. A refrain that I kept hearing was that their plan had been to take a year off but it’s been so good that they don’t want to miss out on what’s next!

Kate Plummer

Sales Manager

Clearmount Plastics Limited

Toronto, Ontario

UPIC: CLRMNT

I always come away feeling educated and motivated! I have been in contact with the four newbies I was mentoring and they are “high as a kite” on WLC! I think it exceeded many of their expectations. I even had one that said she would be coming back next year and she wants to bring at least two of their people with her! That says a lot! As someone who has served on countless boards and helped with many events, I truly know the time, effort and dedication necessary for a successful event. Thank you; it was a home run for sure!

Nancy Jolly

Vice President of Sales

In Stepp Marketing

Madisonville, Texas

UPIC: InStepp

PPAI’s Distributor Sales Volume Report Highlights Industry Trends

PPB’s July issue featured the results of the 2015 PPAI Distributor Sales Volume Report. Most notable among the industry trends and developments its findings highlighted was that 2015’s sales growth was largely due to the significant gains in revenue achieved by the industry’s large distributor companies.

We believe aggressive consolidation will continue for the next couple years. If you factor in the online sales of the companies that are not counted in these numbers—VistaPrint, CafePress, Custom Ink, Zazzle, Discount Mugs, etc.—the reality of online sales approaching 25 percent market share is very real. By 2024 we believe the landscape will be forever changed.

Jim Franklyn

Vice President and Partner

Inkhead, Inc.

Winder, Georgia

UPIC: InkHead

The power of scale and technology can’t be understated. Main Street fell to big box retailers and now big box is falling to ecommerce. I think we’ll see the smaller suppliers become experts in one or two niche product lines while protecting their distributor sales channel. I think larger suppliers will be tempted to go direct to earn higher margins while larger distributors will begin to manufacture more of their high-volume product lines. It’s a great time to be an entrepreneur!

John Reiner

Principle

LogicalPromotions

Waltham, Massachusetts

UPIC: P596353

PPAI Webinars Deliver High Quality, Convenient Education

Throughout the year, PPAI hosts a series of webinars for industry professionals looking for the latest trends, ideas and best practices to grow their businesses and their careers. The webinars are also valuable steps on the path to industry certifications. Participants can join the webinars live or take advantage of one of PPAI’s extensive catalog of on-demand webinars. Learn more at www.ppai.org, Education, e-Learning.

I attended the first webinar of this summer series from the convenience of my office. Sixty informative minutes were spent while enjoying lunch and earning CEUs toward my recertification. It doesn’t get any more convenient than this! Thanks, PPAI.

John M. Hudicka

President

PromotionUltraSource.com

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

UPIC: jmhpromo