Suppliers and distributors began arriving in Atlantic City this weekend for PROMOTIONS EAST, the largest and oldest industry trade show on the East Coast. The four-day event began on Sunday afternoon with the “Emerging Technologies to Help Your Business” roundtable discussion, part of the PPAI Supplier Forum Series.
Led by Dale Denham, CIO of Geiger, the supplier-focused forum touched on a number of tech-centric topics. “The diversity of knowledge of the panelists made for great discussion for the dozens of suppliers in attendance,” Denham said. “Two service providers, a leading supplier and a top distributor all giving their perspective on technology for suppliers made sure no fiew point was missed and most supplier’s left with several practical ideas to implement.”
“One thing was clear and universally agreed upon: service providers and suppliers need to provide real-time inventory and order status via the web along with current pricing,” Denham added.
Education sessions began early Monday morning and continued throughout the day. Sessions from David Blaise, Paul Kiewiet, Cliff Quicksell, Jr. and Rosalie Marcus were well-attended. The PROMOTIONS EAST education scheduled includes more than 30 sessions of business tips, sales and marketing development, and technology training that can earn credits toward MAS/CAS certification. An MAS/CAS Exam is also available to be held on Wednesday, June 6 at 8:00 a.m. Pre-registration with PPAI is required, so register today.
Monday afternoon will see the much-awaited keynote panel, “Rock Stars of the Promotional Products Industry.” This one-of-a-kind session will bring together many of the industry’s leaders for a candid and informative event. Some of the panel speakers included Paul Bellantone, CAE, president and CEO of PPAI; Tim Andrews, president and CEO of ASI; Jonathan Isaacson, president of Gemline; and Jo-an Lantz, MAS, executive vice president of Geiger.
The late-night networking events begin tonight with the DUSK party at Caesars Hotel. The party starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are required.
PROMOTIONS EAST continues tomorrow with more education sessions, networking events and the opening of the trade show floor. Stay tuned to Promo Marketing for continued coverage of this week’s events.
