Polyconcept North America (PCNA), the leading supplier of promotional products, is proud to announce the launch of Givee Select. This all-in-one platform revolutionizes the gifting process, offering a seamless experience both for those giving and receiving.

Givee Select streamlines personalized gifting with its centralized online store platform, designed to simplify the gifting process for any occasion, such as conferences and corporate events. The platform empowers distributors to handpick from a curated collection of high-quality gifts and offers the option for unique personalization. This innovative approach ensures a rich variety of choices while minimizing waste.

With the ability to create a gifting storefront quickly and easily, coupled with the convenience of fast drop shipping for a single flat fee, Givee Select simplifies gifting from start to finish. The easy-to-use platform ensures transparent pricing without hidden fees, eliminates the need to store inventory, and is bolstered by the dependability and expertise of PCNA.

Key Features of the Givee Select Platform:

• User-Friendly Interface: An easy-to-use platform enabling distributors to build custom stores in under five minutes.
• Fulfillment With No Hidden Fees: Pay only for your store, product, and shipping for complete order fulfillment. No middlemen, aggregators, third parties, or hidden fees.
• Personalization Powered by Print-On-Demand: Provide a memorable and unique experience where guests can add their name to elevate gifting experience.
• Centralized Solution: Access a curated catalog with a wide range of products, control guest access, manage billing, and track shipments all in one place.
• Flat Rate Shipping: One price for fast, direct-to-recipient drop shipping for all gift orders.
• More Choice/Less Waste: Enabling guest choice without commitment to inventory delivers products guests will want and not leave behind. 
• No Inventory Commitment: No up-front inventory helps eliminate excess caused by overproduction.

"We're empowering our distributors to offer personalized, meaningful gifts with ease," states Neil Ringel, CEO of PCNA. "Our goal is to equip distributors with a sophisticated tool that facilitates appreciation, builds relationships, and leaves a lasting impression, all while upholding our commitment to sustainability."

How Givee Select Works:

• Create An Event Store: Quickly and easily create a storefront. Configure the look and feel with your customer’s brand colors, logos and more.
• Pick & Design Your Products: Select gifts from PCNA’s curated Givee catalog of high-quality products including products offering personalization.
• Launch Your Store: Once a store is live, invite guests to choose and personalize their gifts.

The platform provides complete fulfillment, empowering distributors to configure a store in minutes without wasting time on lengthy intake forms, complicated coding, or confusing digital technology. Once a store is launched, distributors can rest assured that they only pay for what is ordered by guests, eliminating overbuying and guesswork with the power of Givee Select.

“Our dedication to innovation shines with Givee Select,” said Holly Brown, Chief Revenue Officer of PCNA. “Listening to and understanding the needs and challenges ofdistributors is the inspiration for this solution. It is a time-saver innovation focused on the power of choice, and a total reinvention of the personalized gifting experience. By blending a diverse array of high-quality products with personalization, we're enabling our clients to focus on gifting without the worry of order logistics or any other fulfillment hurdle. Givee Select reinforces what really matters - creating gifts that are cherished and inspire pride.”

Explore the future of gifting at pcna.com/givee.

SAGE announces several exciting updates to its flagship service, SAGE Total Access, as well as SAGE Websites and SAGE Company Stores. These brand-new features will allow distributors to access more information about their customers at-a-glance, view in-depth sales reports, automatically track website inventory, easily build custom site pages, plus implement turnkey product collections and starter stores.

“Our development strategy continues to prioritize streamlining the cross-functionality of our services and building new, innovative solutions for our customers to help them stay ahead of trends and maximize their efficiency,” said Eric Natinsky, SAGE CEO. “This release is particularly exciting because we’ve introduced several new features that are going to really revolutionize the way our customers do business.”

In the latest release, a notable achievement is the introduction of a CRM Client Overview dashboard in SAGE Online and SAGE Web. This feature utilizes aggregate data from various SAGE Total Access modules, offering distributors high-level insights into each client's order volume rank, sales potential, and recent activity. It also provides a snapshot of interactions, like the number of quotes, presentations, or email campaigns within a specified date range.

Distributors can now create client logins for websites and online stores via the CRM module. The integration of CRM with SAGE Websites enables distributors to effortlessly establish and oversee client access in a centralized location. Additionally, to enhance workflow efficiency

through SAGE Total Access, carts from Websites and Company Stores are seamlessly integrated into Order Management.

In addition to the previously announced release of the new SAGE Company Store Standard in Q3 2023, SAGE has introduced even more developments in its Company Store suite. The newest updates incorporate advanced features like the ability to duplicate a store and a new in-depth reporting module to see sales over time, sales by product, showroom or promo code, and sales by client.

Another major update for Company Stores and Websites is the inclusion of inventory management. This new functionality allows distributors to monitor various product variations (size, color, etc.) with distinct inventory levels. Users can efficiently manage bulk inventory through spreadsheets, establish custom thresholds for each item, receive notifications for low stock levels, and enable automatic updates to deduct items during order fulfillment. Inventory management is accessible with SAGE Website Professional or SAGE Company Store Premium and higher tiers.

While a large portion of this latest release focuses on streamlining processes, SAGE has also announced three completely new additions to its Websites and Company Stores that distributors can utilize to drive more traffic to their sites and secure more business.

The introduction of Starter Stores as part of SAGE Company Stores allows users to present fully customizable theme-based stores at no additional charge. This serves as an effective way to illustrate the adaptability of company stores to clients or serves as a quick launchpad for setting up clients' stores.

SAGE Website Professional Plus now incorporates the all-new Curated Product Webpages, featuring theme-based webpages with curated content and products, enhancing SEO and driving website traffic.

And finally, SAGE introduced its revolutionary Page Builder module in SAGE Websites as a way to design pages visually using drag and drop functionality. The Page Builder allows distributors to quickly and easily custom-build a page from scratch with a tailored column layout and widgets such as text blocks and product groups that incorporate featured product selections.

All updates are available now. To learn more about SAGE Total Access, SAGE Websites, or SAGE Company Stores, visit www.sageworld.com or contact your Account Advisor today.

Orbus Visual Communications® invests in market-leading, state-of-the-art print equipment to ensure display graphics are the best in the industry. Orbus is North America’s largest producer and manufacturer of visual communications solutions for tradeshows and events, retail environments and workplace interiors.

Newly acquired dye-sublimation and UV print equipment marks a significant improvement in capacity and helps Orbus ensure consistent color and output across facilities.

New equipment increased Orbus’ dye-sub printing capacity by 10%, a remarkable jump from 15,400 sq. ft. per hour to 23,000 sq. ft. per hour. This enhancement is the result of the adoption of four Durst P5 TEX iSub printers, bringing the total count of dye-sub printers from seven to nine.

Orbus increased its UV print capacity by 60% with the addition of a Digitech TruFire UV LT/X2 printer and an EFI VuTek Q5R Ultradrop printer with inline cutting capability. This pushes the hourly output from 9,500 sq. ft. to 15,000 sq. ft. and further distinguishes Orbus from its competitors.

Continued investments in state-of-the-art print and finishing equipment emphasize Orbus’ commitment to providing the highest print quality that exceeds industry standards. Orbus’ print capabilities can be reviewed here: https://www.orbus.com/services/graphic-services/print-capabilities

“The advancements in our printing capabilities reaffirm our dedication to excellence and position Orbus as the place to go superior displays graphics,” said Jaime Herand, Vice President of Graphic Operations at Orbus. “We are grateful for the opportunity to invest in the latest technologies that enable us to offer the best solutions to our clients.”

SAGE – the official technology partner of PPAI – has announced a new development in the capabilities of Promo Data eXchange (PDX), the formula behind PPAI’s mission to eliminate unnecessary phone calls and emails.

Already integrated into the systems of suppliers using PDX, real-time updates on inventory levels and order status are now able to be integrated into the backend systems for:

• Distributors
• PPAI business service members

This allows distributors and member service providers to perform a single integration to access data from every participating PDX vendor.

PPAI President and CEO Dale Denham, MAS+, notes that this accessibility of crucial data is a step forward in eliminating industry friction.

“This enhancement is particularly valuable for order status, as many firms rely on order status in their back-end system, and we have many software companies in the industry providing those back-end systems to distributors,” Denham says. “PDX continues to be a free benefit for PPAI members in conjunction with our official technology partner SAGE.”

PDX’s Path To Industry Efficiency

PPAI continues to focus on improving the industry’s efficiency as part of its commitment to driving digital transformation, and PDX is a core component of the effort.

• The program can eliminate thousands of unnecessary phone calls and emails every day as 45,000 SAGE users have access to inventory levels and order status. 
• PDX is free to PPAI members, and the PPAI Technology Committee is playing a significant role in improving the PDX standard.   
  
  

“In the journey towards industry efficiency, the collaboration between PPAI and SAGE in advancing PDX represents a significant stride,” says CW Karstens, PPAI’s director of digital transformation. “By providing real-time updates on inventory levels and order status, PDX, in conjunction with SAGE Connect, streamlines operations for distributors and business service providers.”

This new development, which incorporates business service providers into the integration process, is possible through SAGE Connect, which many suppliers have seen the benefit of integrating with in order to broaden the distributors they can work with as well as save time for all parties.

 

“SAGE Connect has seen a lot of growth over the past six months from suppliers integrating their backend systems,” says Dana Porter, MAS, vice president of information services at SAGE. “Adding the ability for distributors to integrate this information into their backend systems with a single integration is huge for the industry and our ongoing path towards digital transformation by increasing distributors efficiency even more.”

For more information on how to get connected visit https://www.sageworld.com/connect.php or contact your SAGE Account Advisor or PPAI Digital Transformation Manager Nick DiNicola (Nickd@ppai.org).

Written by Jonny Auping

Published with Permission from PPAI

Storm Creek (ASI #89879/ PPAI #438091), a leading supplier of sustainable lifestyle apparel, welcomes Stephanie Maday as Director of Sales and Customer Experience. With over 20 years of invaluable experience in the promotional products industry, Stephanie brings a wealth of knowledge and supplier experience to her role at Storm Creek.

Stephanie started her career in Promotional Products with 3M Promotional Markets in 2000. During her 20 years there, she worked her way up to National Sales Manager. Prior to joining Storm Creek, Stephanie served as the Executive Vice President of [Wholesale] Sales at industry supplier, Crystal D. She played a pivotal role in driving sales growth and fostering lasting client relationships. Her extensive experience in the promotional products sector has equipped her with a deep understanding of marketing trends, customer needs, and effective sales strategies.

Maday’s onboarding comes at a strategic time for Storm Creek as the company continues to expand its presence in the promotional products market as a leading sustainable apparel supplier. Storm Creek is confident that Maday’s leadership and industry insight will contribute significantly to the company’s continued growth and success.

“We are thrilled to welcome Stephanie to the Storm Creek family as our new Director of Sales,” said Teresa Fudenberg, CEO. “Stephanie’s passion for growth, industry knowledge, and desire for customer excellence makes her the perfect fit for this role. We are excited to work together to take Storm Creek to the next level!”

In her new role, Stephanie will lead the sales team, driving business development and fostering partnerships with clients. Her focus will be on expanding Storm Creek’s market presence, identifying new business opportunities, and ensuring the delivery of exceptional products and services to clients at every step in the customer journey.

“I am honored to join the Storm Creek team! The company's core values align strongly with my own. I am excited to marry my passions for relationship building, sales development, and customer service with their incredible product and brand story.”

SAGE continues to revolutionize exhibitor lead retrieval with the launch of SAGE ShowLink 8.0, a cutting-edge application built exclusively for the promotional products industry. Using an iOS or Android device, suppliers can scan badges or business cards at industry tradeshows to collect leads and schedule follow-ups.

The latest release, version 8.0, introduces new functionality for associating photos with individual leads. Suppliers can conveniently capture photos of products within SAGE ShowLink that pique a lead's interest and seamlessly link them to the respective lead, facilitating a more efficient process for booth management and post-event follow-up tasks.

"SAGE ShowLink 8.0 is a testament to our commitment to providing state-of-the-art solutions for the promotional products industry. These enhancements, added just in time for The PPAI Expo in Vegas, mean our supplier customers can go into any show confidently knowing they are equipped with the lead retrieval they need to stay on top of their leads.” said Blake Bozeman, MAS, VP of Sales at SAGE.

Further enhancing the app’s functionality, SAGE ShowLink 8.0 incorporates the latest business card scanning technology. In cases where show badges are not scannable, exhibitors can scan a business card to automatically fill in the lead fields. Furthermore, business cards can be scanned offline and will update the lead information once a connection is re-established, allowing for seamless lead capture even in the absence of an internet connection.

Finally, an updated and revitalized interface, along with a redesigned lead list, prioritizes userfriendly navigation. This encompasses additional sorting options and the ability to easily identify hot prospects effortlessly. Following a user-centric design philosophy, suppliers can now promptly retrieve their show statistics and reports directly from the primary lead page.

SAGE ShowLink 8.0 is available in the Apple app store and Google Play store. Look for the refreshed app icon to experience the future of efficient lead retrieval.

For more information about SAGE ShowLink, please visit https://www.sageworld.com/showlink.php or contact your Account Advisor today.

Ever felt misunderstood? Have you experienced being unfairly judged? Has someone’s perception overshadowed who you truly are and what you offer?

During an education session at PPAI’s Leadership Development Workshop, “Characteristics of Successful Leaders,” these questions flooded my mind. It made me wonder, how do successful leaders handle situations where perception conflicts with reality? The issue weighed on me so much that I asked the session’s moderators for their perspectives. Their response resonated with me, as they illustrated that many people are dealing with this same challenge.

It can be tough when colleagues have a different perception of you than who you truly are. In my view there are no fail-safe methods to permanently overcome this sort of misconception. However, here are five tips I personally use to navigate these situations and potentially win over people.

1. Seek constructive feedback.

Ask for honest feedback from people you trust. They can help you identify if there’s any truth to what others think about you. Don’t just assume “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”

Trustworthy colleagues can provide insights into how you are perceived versus who you are. Their constructive criticism can help you understand any discrepancies and work on them. This can be an opportunity for growth.

2. Be clear.

Misunderstandings often occur due to a lack of communication. Encourage feedback and actively listen to understand how others see you. Express your thoughts and intentions in a way that resonates with your true self. By expressing yourself clearly you provide others with a better understanding of your nature and what you’re trying to get across. Constructive conversations can correct misinterpretations and bring perception closer to reality.

3. Begin by understanding.

This is an ePromos core value that has never failed me professionally or personally. Understanding is key! Try to understand why they see you in a certain way. Empathy can help you see things from their perspective. It allows you to form some common ground. Sometimes, people’s perceptions are based on their own experiences and biases. Understanding this can help navigate misunderstanding and bridge the gap.

4. Don’t talk about it, be about it.

Actions speak louder than words and they are more persuasive. Show individuals who you are rather than telling them. ‘Step and repeat’ – it’s an oldie but a goodie. Repeat the actions and behaviors that show the real you, not what people perceive.

Remember, most things do not happen overnight. Over time, this consistency will foster trust and credibility. You will reshape others’ perceptions and show the reality of who you are.

       READ MORE: Latisha Marshall: My Best Advice For Any New Manager

5. Accept that you can’t please everyone.

You just might not be everyone’s cup of tea. How others see you isn’t entirely within your control. Despite your efforts, people may continue to view you differently from how you see yourself. Make a choice to filter the external noise and focus on what you can control.

While moments like these can seem defeatist, lean into them. Discomfort creates profound things. Embrace that fact that not everyone will perceive you accurately, and that’s okay as long as you stay genuine to who you are. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of authenticity. Or as Joshua White – head of strategy and general counsel at distributor BAMKO and member of the PPAI Board of Directors – so eloquently said “Just be Normal.” Authenticity shines through and helps align perceptions with reality over time.

***

By practicing these tips, you can work toward bridging the gap between how people perceive you and the reality of who you truly are. Over time, this can lead to a more accurate understanding of your character and intentions by those around you. Or maybe not, and you may have to learn to be OK with that as well.

How do you combat perception versus reality scenarios?

Marshall is the vice president of operations at distributor ePromos Promotional Products (PPAI 212648, S11). The No. 19 distributor on the 2023 PPAI 100, ePromos was also named one of promo’s Greatest Companies To Work For in 2023 by PPAI Magazine. A self-described “operations fanatic,” Marshall originally joined the company as a pre-production coordinator in 2004.

Written by: Latisha Marshall

Published with Permission from PPAI

iPROMOTEu – ranked the No. 13 distributor in the inaugural PPAI 100 – is soon to have a new leader for the first time.

Ross Silverstein, president and CEO of the Wayland, Massachusetts-based firm, is retiring effective January 31, 2024. Lori Bauer, senior vice president of affiliate sales and support at iPROMOTEu, will be taking over as CEO.

Launching iPROMOTEu in 1999, Silverstein has been at the helm for nearly a quarter century. 

“iPROMOTEu started as nothing but an idea, and it has evolved into one of the largest and most successful distributor organizations in the industry,” Silverstein says. “Presently, iPROMOTEu is in the strongest and best condition in its 24-year history. This is a melancholy moment for me, but the time is right to make this transition, for me and for the company.”

New Era For iPROMOTEu

“Ross has led iPROMOTEu through remarkable growth and he will be greatly missed,” Bauer says. “The extraordinary iPROMOTEu community is a testament to his vision, work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit. Ross is a great leader who has always been invested in setting up his team and iPROMOTEu’s Affiliates for tremendous success. I sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence he has in me to lead iPROMOTEu into the future.”

Bauer, who has been appointed to a two-year, at-large director position on the PPAI Board of Directors beginning in January 2024, joined iPROMOTEu in 2021. 

Previously, she spent 23 years at Koozie Group, where she was an integral part of the supplier’s success with responsibilities spanning across sales and marketing. Named a PPB Rising Star in 2010 and honored with the PPAI RAC Volunteer of the Year Award in 2015, she has long been a supporter of PPAI’s Women’s Leadership Conference, serving on the WLC Advisory Group for multiple years.

• Bauer has also served as president of the Promotional Products Association of Florida (PPAF) and as board chair of the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF).

Distributor Network

iPROMOTEu is a network of more than 1,100 independent distributor affiliates and salespeople across the United States and Canada.

• The company provides extensive support to its affiliates, from back office support and secure tech tools to ongoing education and suggestions on how to reduce environmental impact.
• The company and its affiliates have earned PPAI Pyramid Awards annually since 2010, and in 2023, iPROMOTEu ranked among PPAI’s #Online18 for its posts full of useful stats, resources and story links.
• Since 2008, the company also brings the industry together online each March with DunkFest, a friendly competition open to anyone working in the promotional products industry.

 

“With iPROMOTEu’s stature in the industry, its incredible staff that is committed to the company’s core values, and its outstanding Affiliate network that is second to none, iPROMOTEu is poised for continued excellence and success,” said Bauer. “The future is bright at iPROMOTEu, and I look forward to continuing our mission to provide the best economic and lifestyle opportunity for promotional products distributors and salespeople.”

Written by: John Corrigan

Published with Permission from PPAI

Pantone continues a warming trend with its 2024 Color of the Year, Peach Fuzz (PANTONE 13-1023), a “velvety gentle peach tone whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and soul,” the company announced.

“In seeking a hue that echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection, we chose a color radiant with warmth and modern elegance. A shade that resonates with compassion, offers a tactile embrace, and effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.

PPAI members receive discounts on color solutions from Pantone, a PPAI Affinity Partner.

The pastel hue, nestled between pink and orange, echoes the earth tones that have been surging in popularity in the past year as people emerge from the pandemic looking for warmth, connection and optimism. Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, says that, given the turmoil of the past few years, Pantone sought a warm, inviting color that would evoke community and togetherness.

She describes Peach Fuzz as “a heartfelt peach hue bringing a feeling of kindness and tenderness, communicating a message of caring and sharing, community and collaboration. A warm and cozy shade highlighting our desire for togetherness with others or for enjoying a moment of stillness and the feeling of sanctuary this creates.”

Pressman adds that Peach Fuzz also suggests nurturing, calm, comfort and peace, yet “evokes a new modernity” as “a quietly sophisticated and contemporary peach with depth.” Pantone has also released five palettes of complementary colors dubbed “color harmonies for mind, body and soul.”

IMAGE: Pantone

Each year, the Pantone Color Institute carefully selects a hue that reflects worldwide trends in design, fashion, current events and more.

• This year’s announcement marks the 25th anniversary of the Pantone Color of the Year program, created in 1999 to spark conversation around color and culture.
• The Color of the Year for 2023 was Viva Magenta, a “brave and fearless” animated red “expressive of a new signal of strength.”
  
  

“It is our hope that we have inspired you to look at color in a different way – that color and its connection to emotion and the expression of human feelings will take on a new significance, causing your eye to linger a little longer throughout the day on the tints and tones that surround you, as history unfolds from moment to moment,” says Pressman.

The promo industry keeps a close eye on color trends, including the annual Color of the Year announcement, as suppliers and distributors apply those ideas to future product and marketing plans.

Attendees at The PPAI Expo 2024, January 15-18 in Las Vegas, will receive Pantone 2024 Color of the Year bags produced by Promo PSI (S4, 256002) when they purchase products at the Pantone booth. The white non-woven shopping totes will be decorated with a design reflecting the warmth and togetherness that the Peach Fuzz hue suggests – carefully matched to Pantone standards. 

Written by Rachel Zoch

Published with Permission by PPAI

In late October, PPAI brought together a hand-picked group of young industry talent for the first ever Emerging Leaders Conference, held in conjunction with the annual Leadership Development Workshop.

Among the attendees of ELC 2023 were this year’s PPAI Rising Stars, who were selected from a record field of 170 deserving nominees. While the professional development content for the Rising Stars was distinct from the content for LDW, holding the two events in parallel was more than purposeful, and LDW attendees – mostly regional association executive directors and board members – were challenged to tap these young leaders and others like them to help steer the industry toward its brightest future.

This year’s 12 honorees, selected for their accomplishments, leadership and service, join nearly 200 industry Rising Stars named through the program since its beginning in 2010. Many past recipients have gone on to claim C-suite roles in their companies and serve the industry as key volunteers.No doubt, this year’s Rising Stars will continue to make the promotional products industry stronger.

Quinn Bui, 35
Owner/Multi-line Rep
n9ner Marketing
Riverside, California

Get To Know Quinn

 

Emily Codner, 40
Director, Affiliate Services
iPROMOTEu
Millbury, Massachusetts

Get To Know Emily

 

  

Mykayla Goodwin, 33
Vice President of Strategy
OrderMyGear
Dallas

Get To Know Mykayla

 

  

Katie Grimes, 31
Account Executive
Red Promotions
Temecula,California

Get To Know Katie

 

  

Maddie Hardy, 30
Senior Account Manager
Whitestone Branding
San Diego

Get To Know Maddie

 

Simi Kasakwe-Welsch, 29
Public Relations Specialist
American Solutions for Business
Starbuck, Minnesota

Get To Know Simi

 

  

Alex Paschal, 27
President
Warwick Publishing
St. Charles, Illinois

Get To Know Alex

 

 

Kathryn Peach, 28
Senior Account Manager
Promotional Source
Toronto

Get To Know Kathryn

 

  

Nadav Raviv, 40
Senior National Account Executive
GBS
Nashville, Tennessee

Get To Know Nadav

 

 

Tori Thomas, 32
Director of Marketing
BELLA+CANVAS
Costa Mesa, California

Get To Know Tori

 

Katie Whitehead, 39
Director of Marketing
HALO
Sterling, Illinois

Get To Know Katie

 

Chelsea Williams, 32
Owner & CEO
Spark Branded Solutions
Nashville, Tennessee

Get To Know Chelsea