We have all heard that what happens in Vegas should stay in the lauded resort city, but when it comes to the PPAI Expo, keeping quiet about the proceedings is akin to being a gazillionaire and not sharing a penny. Simply put, the gathering has so many enriching experiences that “mum” is definitely not the word. Day Two of the Nevada-situated celebration yielded many interesting interactions with industry presences, with the following seven being magnificent sources of camaraderie and creativity.
A Jute-iful Experience With Southern Plus (Booth 3077)
The team at Southern Plus knows that in order to excel, companies need to work hard to differentiate themselves from their herds of competitors. For president Grethe Adams, that has meant adopting more of a retail look for its bags and totes, a move that has granted the goodies a higher perceived value.
Thanks to her entity’s emphasis on supplying consumers with items that they will “use, care for and appreciate,” she and her hires have begun using a more refined form of jute for their holders, granting them a softer finish and a higher-end look. Connect with the Georgia-based company to sample a bit of southern hospitality and to enjoy a jute-iful experience.
LAT Apparel’s Toddler Cape (Booth 2011)
Like singer Bonnie Tyler, many of us are holding out for some sort of hero. Thanks to the Toddler Cape by LAT Apparel, another Georgia-headquartered business, nearly the youngest among us can swoop in to save the day.
As a part of LAT’s Rabbit Skins brand, the 100-percent polyester cape will encourage children to tackle the monsters under their bed and in their closets and will surely encourage their parents and guardians to face their fears, too. LAT feels hospitals, resorts and schools are the perfect target markets for the colorful and unique product, so be brave and give it a chance to shine in those locations and more!
Ins’tent Industries’ Quick-N-Fit Tension Display (Booth 3163)
‘Tis a gift to be simple, and this tension display from Ins’tent Industries can vouch for that sentiment. The California-based supplier has proven a pioneer in the tent industry for more than two decades, and in the last 10 years, it has noticed an increasing demand from distributors to pair them with products that will help end-users to enjoy stress-free occasions.
While it is definitely a blessing not to be complicated, it is also pretty rewarding to be multi-functional, and this item has that distinction through its ability to transform into various other goods, including the depicted counter. The wrinkle-free fabric also reinforces the belief that this tension display will make any tension surrounding a big event drift away.
KTI Promo’s Tech Offerings (Booth 5355)
You can definitely “tech” our word for it—KTI Promo’s hires are wired amazingly well to hawk their employer’s goods, particularly wireless wonders. The Houston-situated workers had much to tout at PPAI, with marketing manager Joshua Pospisil especially glowing when addressing the company’s mobile solutions options.
Holding that those products and others keep KTI ahead of the game, he deemed a floating globe speaker an out-of-this-world buy (Good pun there, monsieur!) and a USB notebook that can hold up to 32 GB an item that everyone will want to write home about (Yes, there goes another one.). Regardless of whether end-users and distributors are equally opportunistic wordsmiths, they will definitely appreciate the ingenuity that the aforementioned pieces and their companions, including a host of chargers, have signaled KTI to hype.
StoneyCreek’s Recognition Products (Booth 5871)
As the national and regional sales managers for StoneyCreek, Eddy Miller and BJ Adams made for a pleasant and passionate duo in representing their Iowa company. Highly regarded as a reliable partner, their employer recently scored its third Distributor/Supplier collaboration honor from PPAI. That accolade make it all the more fitting that the two talked at length about helping others to commend special people and achievements. Dubbing themselves parts of “the most creative recognition company,” they set in stone just how committed StoneyCreek is to making stone products an apt way to laud those whose successes should prove likewise durable.
“In helping to say ‘Well done’ to people, you have to be ready to take on any task, no matter how daunting it might appear,” Adams said. “With StoneyCreek, you’ll know right away that we’re all for being right there to help you to offer that congratulations.”
High Caliber Line’s Custom Boxes (Booth 5743)
“We have big changes in store for this year,” customer service manager Jessica Ordonez beamed when helping to helm the PPAI booth for High Caliber Line. “We know that customers are craving higher-end goods, so we are excited to be someone they can call on for that.”
She and her Irwindale, Calif.-situated peers have always enjoyed a reputation as a steadfast business associate, with drinkware, personal care and writing instruments among their biggest movers. Looking to join what Ordonez tabbed as some of the industry’s “heavy hitters,” High Caliber Line recently introduced custom boxes, with the holders holding many end-users’ attention thanks to their ability to accommodate numerous goods.
“You name it, and we’ll customize it for you,” Ordonez said, citing notebooks, tumblers and gift sets as particularly solid choices.
Bella+Canvas’ YouTube Channel (Booth 1947)
Ah, YouTube, the place where stupidity can last forever! Bella+Canvas, however, sees the video-sharing website as an opportunity to spread knowledge. In May 2017, the Los Angeles-situated company started its own YouTube channel to highlight the opportunities available to those who see fashion and apparel as topics that are not just cloth-deep. By offering a video per week, marketing director Summer Barry and her colleagues articulate a variety of topics, including business growth and the value of addressing apparel’s possibilities, particularly T-shirts.
“There is so much to learn when you look at this industry and how everyone promotes products and awareness,” Barry said as PPAI attendees inspected garments. “For us, the YouTube channel is one of our biggest points of pride.”
