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Monday
January 24, 2011 ASI’s Grade A Day for EducationFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, Education, Member Benefits, Members, News About ASI We just enjoyed a milestone day in ASI’s education program. Monday, we “pinned” the first graduates of the Advertising Specialty Institute Certification Program and awarded them their certifications in a ceremony at The ASI Show in Orlando. The certifications represent the industry equivalent of a bachelor’s or master’s degree. I was very proud to join ASI Chairman Norman Cohn, Vice-Chairman Matthew Cohn and Corporate Vice President Stephanie Cohn Schaeffer in getting my pin and certificate. To date, 29 industry pros have received either a Master of Advertising Specialty Information (MASI) or Bachelor of Advertising Specialty Information (BASI) certificate. We launched this program to provide members with the skills they need to out-think, out-perform and out-service the competition. And we couldn’t be happier so many members are seizing the opportunity to set themselves apart through quality education. So far, 3,327 industry professionals have registered for classes needed to obtain an ASI certification. In 2010 alone, 4,600 distributors took more than 16,000 live education courses at ASI trade shows, making ASI the largest educator in the $17 billion ad specialty industry. We take education very seriously: Each year, ASI commits $1.3 million to educate its members. The following are now certified: Master of Advertising Specialty Information
And the following ASI employees: Ron Ball, Chris Lovell and Mary Sells. Bachelor of Advertising Specialty Information
And the following ASI employees: Nick DiNicola, Heather DiPrato, Jim Padilla and Pamela Vicik-Smith. The Advertising Specialty Institute Certification Program is the industry’s only free certification program, created on a user-friendly digital platform. All courses are tracked automatically via a digital campus, so participants can easily access their transcripts and remaining course requirements. Register here to get started taking your on-demand courses today. If you’ve taken any education courses toward your certificate, let me know how you’re doing by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Monday
January 24, 2011 Enjoying a Hot Time in OrlandoFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, Members, News About ASI The ASI Show Orlando is off to a dynamic start. Sunday, show-goers took advantage of a bustling Education Day featuring more than 60 sessions, and last night we celebrated the 2011 Counselor Distributor Choice Awards. ASI and Counselor magazine honored Hit Promotional Products as the industry’s most-valued supplier during our premier awards ceremony. In addition, we recognized the most-valued ASI suppliers in 54 product categories, as determined by ASI Supplier Performance Ratings and distributor votes. A record 2,792 distributors across North America cast 79,664 votes in the 2011 competition. More than 250 finalist companies were recognized and 40 suppliers were named winners. As Counselor Editor Andy Cohen puts it, “The winners of our Distributor Choice Awards represent the best of the best suppliers in the ad specialty industry. The winners obviously care about providing the best possible customer service to their distributor customers. They put a premium on the service they offer, and they make it a focal point of everything they do. Distributors honor this level of service by voting for suppliers in this awards program.” After the awards, C.J. Schmidt, Hit’s VP of sales, echoed that sentiment, saying, “It comes from our customers, which means the world to us.” Click here to watch Andy’s interview with C.J. (pictured here) on ASI TV. For the list of winners and finalists, and to view photos from the ceremony, click here. ASI Orlando is being held at the Orange County Convention Center through Tuesday. The industry’s largest event on the East Coast, the show features hundreds of leading suppliers, including 197 new to Orlando. If you’re at the show, let me know what you think so far by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. We’ve got lots more coming up – including our Guinness World Record Peppermint Twist-Off contest today at 5 p.m., where we’ll attempt to hold the world’s biggest dance party and set a new world record for doing the twist. Wish us luck! |
