The latest UMAPP Navigator Newsletter 👓

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President's Column

Happy New Year and Welcome to a New Decade!

Greetings UMAPP members.

Recently, I was at the ASI Orlando Show and this week, the PPAI Expo. The enthusiasm for the promotional product industry and positive outlook for 2020 was prevalent with everyone I spoke with, suppliers and distributors alike, so it makes me very excited to be penning my first column as UMAPP President. I am honored and grateful for this opportunity and am looking forward to leading this wonderful association and being part of such an enthusiastic group of volunteers.

UMAPP President

Kent Dunham

Collegiate Scholarship Application for 2020

Now Available

As a UMAPP member benefit, staff of member companies and their children are eligible to apply for a $1,000 college scholarship, valid for the 2020-2021 academic year.

UMAPP partners with PPEF (Promotional Products Education Foundation) to administer this program.

Apply - Deadline is March 15

High School Seniors: Use the four-year scholarship and choose "UMAPP" as the regional

Current college students: Use the one-year application and choose "UMAPP" as the regional

Five Tips to Promote Workplace Wellness

Reprinted with permission from Promotional Consultant Today.

A healthy team is a productive team. Employees who take care of themselves miss less work due to sickness and find themselves able to make meaningful, creative contributions at work. It's not enough, though, for leaders to simply encourage healthy habits.

Serenity Gibbons, the local unit lead for NAACP in Northern California, asserts that leaders must make wellness a priority. With New Year's resolutions still fresh, now is the time to focus on wellness at work. Keep reading this issue of Promotional Consultant Today for Gibbons' five tips for building wellness into your workplace.

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FREE Webinar!

Wednesday, January 29

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

For UMAPP members only! Sign into the "members area" of the website to access the sign up link.

"The Power of Partnering – Leveraging the Community to Maximize Sales & Profits”

Presented by Cliff Quicksell, Jr., MAS+, MASI

There is a phrase, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” I say that’s partially true. What you know is equally important. In today’s competitive market, it’s imperative to know who the players are in your industry and having the ability to leverage that talent in order to lift your success; however, it can’t be one sided! Because we are so busy, we fail to take the time to really understand what value each of us possess, unfortunately this causes us to miss out on so many opportunities. This webinar will help all attendees, regardless of your status; distributor, supplier, multi-line reps, everyone will benefit! You will hopefully see through leveraging your community and being part of the giving back, it will help raise the entire industry to unprecedented levels.

Read More/Register

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Did you know?

. . . the top request of over-65-workers is flexible hours? The percentage of those over age 65 who are working or looking for work has doubled in 35 years to nine million seniors. If all workers had flexible hours, 32.2% of individuals would work past age 70 - twice the percentage that would work if flexible hours were not available. Study by researchers at Rand Corporation, Santa Monica, California.

. . . Macy's and Bloomingdale's will no longer sell fur? The department stores, known for the Fur Vault at Macy's and Maximilian Fur Salon at Macy's-owned Bloomingdale's, will stop selling fur products by early 2021. The New York Times.

. . . a new breathalyzer can detect marijuana? The experimental unit detects the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of marijuana. Current drug-testing methods, which use blood, urine, or hair samples, can't be done in the field. Study by researchers at University of Pittsburgh, published in ACS Sensors.

. . . cows painted with zebra stripes attract fewer biting flies? Flies cause cows to graze, eat, and sleep less. But painting cows with black-and-white stripes resulted in those cows attracting fewer than half as many flies as unpainted cows. Researchers believe that the stripes may interfere with the bugs' landing and motion-detection systems. Study by researchers at Aichi Agricultural Research Center, Nagakute, Japan, published in Plos One .

"Most people who are hating on you, they are not worried about where you are. They're worried about where you're going." Elijah Cummings, US Representative, 1951-2019

Congratulations to the CAS/MAS Scholarship Winners

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Chris Babiash - MA Apparel

Hannah Owen - Gold Bond, Inc.

Sabrina Franz - SnugzUSA

To learn more about this valuable member benefit and educational program, click the button below.

Learn More

2020 Awards Nominations are Open!

Deadline is February 7

Each year, UMAPP gives members the opportunity to nominate a deserving individual for recognition in the industry. Recipients are recognized at the annual meeting of members, which will held during the Room Show luncheon on March 9.

Hall of Fame
Lifetime Achievement
Super Star Award

Read More / Register

August 19

Golf Outing at Stone Ridge Golf Course

11:30 am | Buffet Lunch for Golfers

1:00 pm | Shotgun Start

5:00 pm - 8:00 pm | Exhibitor Set Up for Show

August 20

Brand Connection Expo , Connecting Your Clients with New Ideas

Inwood Oaks Event Center, Oakdale, MN

The table-top distributor show, where customers are invited

6:30 am - Yoga with Dan Nevins

8:30 - 9:45 | Keynote Speaker - Dan Nevins of The Wounded Warrior Project

10:00 - 2:00 | Exhibit Hours

Are you searching for the Fire & Ice Show Registration?

The traditional UMAPP Fire & Ice Show held in May will be combined with the Brand Connection Expo on August 19-20. Get ready for a mega event, beginning with a golf outing on August 19, and continuing on August 20 with an early-morning yoga class with national speaker Dan Nevins, an invigorating keynote message from Dan that morning, with exhibit hours from 10 am - 2 pm. A buffet lunch will be offered to all distributors and clients with the purchase of a ticket. Registration for exhibitors, distributors and clients will open in April 2020.

Industry News

See who has been promoted, who has been hired, factory changes, and more.

UMAPP Member-Only Discounts

To access the discounts below, or to view the 2019 Digital Coupon Book, sign into your website account at UMAPP.org.

For current UMAPP members only! Just one of the benefits of companies joining UMAPP is the discount that SAGE offers. Click the graphic to go to their home page, and let them know you're a UMAPP member.

UMAPP members also receive a discount on Constant Contact through our partnership. Go to UMAPP.org, sign into the member area, and access the "discounts" link for more information. It's worth it!

ZOOMcatalog will offers UMAPP

DISTRIBUTOR members 25% off ZOOMcatalog membership.

Save up to 21% on select services

with FedEx Express, 15% on select services with FedEx Ground

and up to 45% on select services with FedEx Freight. Visit: www.ppai.org/members/Business-Partners/fedex.

What is UMAPP?

UMAPP is a professional trade association for companies in the promotional products industry.

Membership is by company, but all staff are included under the umbrella of the one company membership.

UMAPP covers the states of Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Iowa, and Western Wisconsin.

For more information, contact the UMAPP office at: umapp.sue@comcast.net.