PPAI

Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) has announced Mike Schenker, MAS, regional sales manager for Dard Products Inc., as the 2014 PPAI Distinguished Service Award honoree during PPAI's North American Leadership Conference in Chicago. The PPAI Distinguished Service Award recognizes PPAI members who consistently contribute their skills and expertise toward the betterment of the association through volunteer service and leadership. The award presentation will take place at The PPAI Expo in Las Vegas, January 13-to-17, 2014, during the chairman's leadership dinner.

You're not still asking why or whether you need to have a social media presence, are you? You need a social media presence because that's where your new customers are and it's how they will find you, trust you and try you.

A month or two from now, many of us will be delivering orders for this year's back-to-school programs. As we're selling those programs, we need to keep that feeling of what it's like to be the new kid on the block in the back of our minds.

The deadline for entry into SAAC's $12,500 Great Giveaway is this Friday, July 26. The drawing is open to those who attend both the 2013 SAAC show and its education events. A $5,000-in-value grand prize will be given away, as will

Joe M. Cook, founder of print and promotional products company Eagle Business Products of Louisiana, passed away in his home with his family at his side after a long battle with cancer on July 3, 2013. He was 71.

Irving, Texas-based Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) recently published its 2012 annual report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012. The digital print-on-demand report highlights the association’s membership, expositions and promotional products industry advocacy and awareness in 2012, and is organized to address topics of interest to association members and industry stakeholders.

PPAI released its 2012 industry sales summary this week. Inside, we take a look at the numbers and compare them with stats from past years.

PPAI has released its annual sales volume study for 2012, reporting U.S. promotional products industry revenues of $18.5 billion, up from $17.7 billion in 2011, an increase of 4.38 percent. Last year saw increases in revenue for both large and small distributor companies.

Proforma, the Top 50 Distributor based in Cleveland, announced an exciting line-up of featured guest speakers scheduled to appear at the Proforma Convention and Family Reunion in Las Vegas, July 21 to 24, 2012 at Caesars Palace Hotel & Casino.

All across the country, PPEF scholars are receiving letters of congratulations and notice of scholarship awards. Scholarships of $100,000 were awarded to 97 outstanding promotional products industry employees or their children, 68 new and 29 renewals, who displayed remarkable academic achievement, extracurricular participation and community service.