April 2018
PPAMidwest Board Member Spotlight
This month's Board Member Spotlight is on Meredith Wallace. Wallace has served on the board since 2015 and holds the position of our current President. Wallace is employed by Grapevine Designs and has shared the following fun facts:

Q: What was your favorite TV show when growing up?
A: The Love Boat. I wanted to be Julie, your cruise director. 

Q: What is the oldest thing in your refrigerator?
A: There is nothing old in my fridge, I have expiration date phobia and I throw leftovers out after 3 days. 

Q: What was the worst punishment you received at school?
A: Writing sentences. I will not lean back in my chair. I will not talk in class. 

Q: What was your childhood nickname?
A: Salad. My mom would send salads for my school lunch every day.

Q: Have you ever had a poem or a song written about you?
A: My husband is a singer and he writes songs for a hobby. He wrote a song about me on our honeymoon. 

Q: Do you have any strange phobias?
A: I hate parking garages

Q: What, or who, are you a “closet” fan of?
A: Shaun Cassidy, Barry Manilow and Hanson
April 26, 2018 - Join your fellow PPAMidwest supplier and distributor friends at our April social. Round up your crew and join us for a little networking and a great time at Topgolf!

Please register here  so that we may reserve enough bays.
May 9, 2018 - Lunch N Learn featuring Polyconcept North America - Come enjoy lunch as your favorite Reps teach you the "How to's" to sell their line. What's New? - What's Hot? Great case histories that have worked; not could work. Lunch is Free to Distributors but does require a reservation. Let us know you plan to attend by registering here .
May 14 - 17, 2018 - Promotional Products Work! Week - Celebrate Promotional Products Work! Week by participating in a Promotional Products "Drive" hosted by Grapevine Designs and PPAMidwest

Do you have extra or discontinued merchandise? Do you want to donate to a good cause? BRING US YOUR STUFF!

Grapevine Designs will serve as a drop-off point and all donations will be given to Operation Breakthrough & Amethyst Place. Click here or on the image for more details.

For information on Amethyst Place, visit www.amethystplace.org
May 16, 2018 - Join us for the Stouse Factory Tour during PPW!W 

Stouse is one of the industry's premier trade suppliers, offering a complete line of quality screen printed, flexographic and various forms of digitally printed items. Their broad selection of products reaches almost any business or industry.
Make plans to join us as we tour the local KC area facility. We will have coffee and donuts before the tour so please arrive early.  Free to attend - Distributors only
Let us know you plan to attend by registering here .
May 20, 2018 - Come out to the ballpark for our "end of season" tailgate and then stay to root on our Men's Spring softball team in their final week of play! The tailgate will begin at 3:00pm and we will provide light snacks and drinks. Game time TBD depending on tournament bracket. No registration necessary
May 22, 2018 - PPAMidwest Rivalry Game! 
Join us at Busch Stadium as we cheer on these great teams and enjoy a little regional rivalry! Tickets will sell out fast so make sure to RSVP by 5/2/18! Tickets may be purchased here .
June 21, 2018 - Join your fellow distributors, suppliers, multi-line reps and guests for PPAM’s Annual Golf Outing. Enjoy the ultimate golf-networking experience! 

Individual Entry Fee includes 18 holes of Championship golf, Electric cart, Golfer's Goodie Bag and lunch

Sponsor a Hole and receive a Foursome of golf (including lunch), prominent signage of your hole sponsorship and online promotions including company logos on pre-event marketing. Register here
PPAMidwest News
DistributorCentral and QCA Announce Strategic Partnership
 
Gardner, Kansas— DistributorCentral and Quality Certification Alliance (QCA) have partnered to help distributors quickly and easily find products from companies who have QCA certified processes. DistributorCentral has created a filter that allows distributors to narrow down their search results to only show products from suppliers with QCA accreditation with just one click. 

Wild Wednesday Webinars - Lunch and Learn at your desk!
 
“ The Accomplished Life: How to Get More Done” presented by Kirby Hasseman with Hasseman Marketing & Communications
Wed, April 25, 2018 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM CST

Everyone wants to squeeze the most productive activity out of every day. The more productive we are, the more successful we can be. But most of us feel like we are swimming upstream. In this 60 minute session, Hasseman will give attendees things
they need to start doing and stop doing right away,
to help them get more out of their productive hours.

Takeaways:
1. Things they can start doing to be more productive
2. Things to stop doing so they can increase productivity.
3. Tactics they can start now.
Industry News
Promotional Products Work! Week Kicks Off May 14
Celebrate The #PowerOfPromo With A POP!

PPAI and the promotional products industry will be celebrating Promotional
Products Work! Week with a POP!, May 14-18. We want your team to get
involved and Get In Touch!® with the #PowerOfPromo.

Now is the time to start planning. For five straight days, we’re asking the
entire industry to get together and demonstrate the power, effectiveness
and value of promotional products. The fun-filled week is a great way to
market your business and educate buyers while promoting the industry.

We have developed a strategic plan of action that can easily be customized
to fit your organization. You and your team are encouraged to participate
an activity for each day. Together we can show the world the power of
promotional products. 

Recognize Those Who Deserve Recognition

The nomination period for the PPAI Distinguished Service Award, H. Ted Olson Humanitarian Award, and the Hall of Fame Award is now open. Each year, PPAI honors a variety of individuals for their hard work and dedication inside and outside of the industry. With a strong sense of purpose and passion, these industry leaders and volunteers have shaped PPAI and the industry in a variety of ways.
May 14, 2018 marks the beginning of Promotional Products Work! Week, leading up to Legislative Education and Action Day (L.E.A.D.) in Washington, D.C. on May 16-17. Industry leaders from across the country will be meeting with members of Congress and legislative staff to discuss the issues that matter most to the promotional products industry. Even if you can’t make it to D.C, you can support the efforts of L.E.A.D. by participating in our virtual fly-ins each day during the week of May 14. Each day will have a specific message to share with your elected officials that will support L.E.A.D.’s efforts in D.C. Your help is vital to the preservation and growth of our industry so please make sure to follow the links provided and let your voice be heard.  #PPAILEAD Read more on L.E.A.D.
4 Content Assets You Can Publish on Your Website to Attract Attention
You've worked hard on your website. Here's how to get the traffic it deserves.
Jonathan Long   •  VIP Contributor Founder, Market Domination Media®

When you take a step back and look at the internet, you realize how massive it is and how much content is out there, making it extremely difficult to stand out. Every industry is competing with local, national and global websites, attempting to attract valuable attention.
You need to publish content -- I'm sure you have heard that a million times -- but understand there is a major difference between just throwing up blog posts and creating compelling content that attracts attention, which can have a great impact your  search engine optimization (SEO) . Read More
Recognize Your Rising Stars

Now in its ninth year, PPB Rising Stars recognizes and supports the up-and-coming talent taking our industry by storm. This annual list shines the spotlight on the innovative leaders and ambitious role models of tomorrow. But we can't do this on our own. We need your help identifying the Rising Stars among your co-workers, employees, clients, vendors, reps and fellow members.
Individuals selected for the honor will be recognized at the PPAI North American Leadership Conference, August 12-14 in Washington, D.C. All nominees must be affiliated with a PPAI member company. Previous honorees are not eligible. Deadline for nominations is May 10, 2018.