R.S. Owens Sends Distributors to 2008 Televised Emmy Awards Event

As part of an exciting sweepstakes event at this year’s PPAI Expo, Chicago-based R.S. Owens awarded a pair of tickets and an expenses-paid package to Brooke Ness of S&S Promotional Group, Fargo, N.D. Ness was the winner of a drawing that was held at the end of the Expo’s second day. She received a pair of tickets to the 2008 Primetime Emmy’s, round-trip airfare, two-night hotel accommodations, dinner for two and a limousine ride to the awards ceremony, which will take place in September at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Ness’s card was drawn from more than 500 registrants, and she will

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Awards With Character

I just had a nice conversation with Leo Kennedy from Awards With Character. I’m doing a product showcase for the magazine on sports teams and was looking for products a little more off-the-beaten-path than cups, seat cushions and caps (not that there is anything wrong with any of those items).
Leo’s company provides trophies and other products as incentives to schools for both sports teams and academic programs. The difference is, his trophies aren’t brassy figures or silver cups, they are small (adorable, some would say) bear figurines talking part in various sports. Girl soccer bear. Boy baseball bear. Hockey bear (there is a

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R.S. Owens Hires Regional Sales Manager

David Graham, national sales director for Chicago-based awards and gift manufacturer R.S. Owens, announced the hiring of Mitch Shreder as regional sales manager for the Eastern United States. Shreder’s strong background in distributor sales and marketing will complement and strengthen R.S. Owens’ current team of regional sales managers. “This is an integral position for R.S. Owens to fill with a professional of Mitch’s skill and background,” said Graham. “Mitch brings over eighteen years of experience to Owens in a territory that will truly benefit from his knowledge of the promotional products industry. His years as a regional sales manager in the wearables industry

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Promotional Specialists Named Distributor of the Year

The Promotional Specialists (TPS) of Ontario, Canada, proudly accepted the award for Distributor of the Year 2007, Central Region at the Promotional Products Professionals of Canada annual expo trade show and awards ceremony in Toronto yesterday. TPS also received two other prestigious Image Awards for outstanding creativity, strategy, execution and results in the categories of: Best Catalogue Program: Silver – For the Royal LePage “Red Market” Best Self Promotion: Silver – for “Promotions That Pop” “We are honoured and humbled to be recognized by our peers. Each of these awards is a testament to the quality of our people, the relationships we

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Prime Line Wins Web Awards

Bridgeport, Connecticut-based Prime Line proudly announced it has been selected as a winner of the 2008 PPAI Web Award for the category of Functionality/Usability. The award recognized PPAI distributor and supplier members in five categories for creative and effective promotional products Web sites. “We are very pleased to be recognized for the improvements we’ve made on our Web site recently,” said Jeff Lederer, executive vice president. “Some new features we’ve added include live inventory check, instant order-status look up and shipment tracking, as well as fast-and-easy product searches,” he added. Prime Line will be honored at The PPAI Expo 2008 awards presentation

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PPAI Expo 2008: Exciting and Educating

On Monday, January 14 and Tuesday, January 15 at the Las Vegas Expo 2008, the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) will bring together some of the nation’s foremost sales and marketing experts to help owners take their business to the next level. Ten different paid workshops will be offered this year. Each of these workshops is designed to allow time for an in-depth analysis of the subject matter. Topics will include guerrilla marketing, financial planning, effective referral generation, and niche marketing solutions and strategies for Web site success. In addition, luncheon sessions will allow distributors to take part in the following: Developing a

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Proforma Owners Named Business Award Finalists

Gidget Tracy and Holly Ambrose, owners of Proforma businesses, were named finalists in the 2007 Stevie Awards for Women in Business. Nicknamed “Stevies” for the Greek word for “crowned,” winners will be announced during a gala event at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, on Monday, Nov. 12. The Stevie Awards for Women in Business recognize the accomplishments of women executives and business owners on an international stage. The awards are produced by the creators of the prestigious American Business Awards, and were hailed as “the business world’s own Oscars” by the New York Post in April, 2005. This year, more than 800

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Chocolate Inn Finalist in Supplier Star Award

Chocolate Inn, Freeport, N.Y., has been voted by distributors as one of the 2008 Supplier Star Finalists in the S7 sales volume category. The company will be recognized at the 2008 PPAI Awards Night on Jan. 16, 2008, held during The PPAI Expo in Las Vegas. Company president, David Miller praised the “hard work and dedication of the entire Chocolate Inn team and multi-rep sales force” for the accomplishment. “I know that there are many suppliers to choose from in this industry and appreciate the loyalty of our distributor customers,” he said. For more information, call (800) 526-3437 or visit www.chocolateinn.com

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Notes Awards Top Distributors Limited-Edition Mona Lisa Prints

Notes, Inc., Syracuse, N.Y., awarded 20 of its top distributors of 2006 with a limited-edition print of its 2007 catalog cover art: a colorful, contemporary Mona Lisa rendered by award-winning illustrator Chris Gall in his signature engraving style. The honorees were chosen from more than 1,000 distributors. “We wanted to present our best distributors with something really special; something that would show our appreciation for their superior results,” said Pete Langdon, division sales manager. “And the Gall cover fit the bill. It’s the one sales trophy that doubles as artwork.” Each year, Notes introduces a new Mona Lisa depiction to promote the

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