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Thursday
July 17, 2008 ASI Radio on the Air – Listen for Hot Topics WeeklyFiled under: Education, Industry Initiatives, Members, News About ASI Our editorial team hosted our first broadcast of ASI Radio this week on the Internet and the show provided a great way to discuss industry news provided by our seven award-winning magazines. The show is a great interactive platform for ASI members and industry professionals to connect with each other and our editors in real-time. This week’s hot topics included the new controversial PhRMA Code that affects promotional products given away by pharmaceutical companies, Joe Haley’s appropriate dress combos for sales professionals and a new trend in apparel for summer concerts from Kathy Huston. You can listen to the recording of the show and watch video from the studio camera that covered the group live in our studio simultaneously, at www.asicentral.com/radio. Also, here are some photos of the team of hosts. In addition to the editors of our seven magazines, the group included Steve Hawk, who decided that he would step out of his role as web designer to take charge of the sound board. Steve has worked at ASI since 1999 and he did a great job.
Special thanks to our radio show sponsors: All-In-One, MediaTree and Custom HBC. Tune in next Tuesday at 10:30 am EST for the next show. Tell me what you think anytime – post now on the blog or email me at tim.andrews@asicentral.com. For new products from our trade shows, watch my videos on YouTube, at www.youtube.com/timasitv.
Tuesday
June 24, 2008 Help Now: New Red Cross Website to Support Flood VictimsFiled under: Community, Industry Initiatives, Members You may have read in recent communications that ASI launched an effort to collect donations for the American Red Cross to help the tens of thousands of innocent people whose lives have been disrupted by flooding in the Midwest. Unfortunately, in some cases the water hasn’t receded as much as expected and in others more rainfall has made already serious situations worse. The Red Cross has indicated that it desperately needs cash contributions for its Disaster Relief Fund and has set up an exclusive Website for receiving online donations from ASI members, employees and industry colleagues – it’s at http://american.redcross.org/asi-pub. To help those in need of immediate food, shelter and clothing, The Cohn Family and ASI have made a cash contribution of $25,000 on behalf of our employees and 25,000 members, and The Cohn Family and ASI will make a second $20,000 donation when total industry contributions reach $100,000. I urge you to visit http://american.redcross.org/asi-pub today and do what you can to help. This Website will automatically track the amount of each donation, so that it’s counted by ASI toward the $100,000 goal. Just so you know, all other information is kept strictly confidential and we don’t see names, companies or anything else. If you’ve already donated using the link that was provided in my earlier messages – different from the new one in this message – and you faxed the receipt to Mark Quinn at ASI, at 215-953-3908, then your donation was counted and thanks for your support. Your generous giving in recent ASI charitable drives for disasters like the Florida hurricanes and the South Asia tsunami was a warm reminder of how compassionate and caring we are not only as individuals, but as an industry. Please join me in making a difference.
Friday
June 20, 2008 ASI Computer Opens Iowa Office Space to MembersFiled under: Community, Industry Initiatives, Members As you might have read a few days ago, ASI Computer is based in Cedar Falls, Iowa, one of the areas struck by horrible flooding. Fortunately, our offices there have not been impacted by flooding. We are offering use of our offices to any ASI distributor, supplier or decorator in the Cedar Falls area whose own office or home office has been flooded and is unavailable for use. We have 12 cubicles and a conference room available, but no warehouse space. There will be no fee for the space, and we will accommodate as many people as possible — for a few hours, a day, or as long as a month — to help get businesses going again among flood victims in the ASI distributor-supplier-decorator network. In addition, the Cohn Family and ASI have made a $25,000 cash contribution to the American Red Cross that’s earmarked for flood relief services. The Cohn Family and ASI will make a second $20,000 donation when total industry contributions reach $100,000. Visit http://american.redcross.org/ and designate your gift to the Disaster Relief Fund. Any amount will help and is greatly appreciated, as officials said recently that this fund is empty and needs to be replenished. To ensure your gift is counted by ASI, fax a copy of your donation receipt to Mark Quinn, chief financial officer, at 215-953-3908. Or mail it to Mark at Advertising Specialty Institute, 4800 Street Road, Trevose, PA 19053. To check space availability at our Cedar Falls office, please call David Wirth, president of ASI Computer, at 319-266-7688, or email him at davew@asicomp.com and copy me at tim.andrews@asicentral.com. Please forward this email to ASI members in Iowa who might be using a personal email address during this difficult period.
Monday
June 16, 2008 ASI Launches Assistance for Flood VictimsFiled under: Community, Industry Initiatives, News About ASI During the past several days, I’m sure you have joined me in thoughts and concerns for the tens of thousands of innocent people whose lives have been disrupted by flooding across several Midwest states. The photos and videos are nearly unbelievable. For those of us at ASI, the news and the visuals are very personal: — The Norman Cohn Family is originally from Iowa, and ASI Computer is based in Cedar Falls. Several employees have lost personal possessions or sustained flood damage to their homes. — I’m originally from Columbus, Indiana, and much of that rural town of 40,000 is under water or swept away. To help those in need of immediate food, shelter and clothing, the Cohn Family and ASI are making a cash contribution of $25,000 to the American Red Cross on behalf of its employees and 25,000 members. In addition, the Cohn Family and ASI will make a second $20,000 donation when total industry contributions reach $100,000. Visit http://american.redcross.org and designate your gift to the Disaster Relief Fund. Any amount will help and is greatly appreciated, as officials said this morning this fund needs to be replenished. To ensure your gift is counted by ASI, fax a copy of your donation receipt to Mark Quinn, chief financial officer, at 215-953-3908. Or mail it to Mark at Advertising Specialty Institute, 4800 Street Road, Trevose, PA 19053. We have been advised that shipments of product aren’t preferred at this time, due to challenges associated with distance and logistics. Your generous giving in recent ASI charitable drives — for the victims of the Florida hurricanes and later for the tsunami in South Asia — was a warm reminder that we are a compassionate, caring industry. Please join me in making this another remarkable effort.
Monday
June 9, 2008 Supplier Ratings and the ASI Holiday and Incentives ExpoFiled under: Education, Industry Initiatives, Media Coverage I’ve received emails and calls from several suppliers and distributors about the ASI Holiday & Incentives Expo for fall 2009, which we announced a few weeks ago in a press release and in an earlier blog post. As you may know, the event will be limited to 400 supplier booths and to suppliers with at least four stars (out of five) in the ASI Supplier Performance Ratings System, or those nominated by distributors through a written testimonial to ASI. Distributors are excited about a show designed to jumpstart the busy fourth-quarter holiday selling season. And, since the number of booths is limited by the venue size, they’re equally pleased that we’re helping to determine which suppliers are eligible to exhibit based upon their performance rating.
Tuesday
February 19, 2008 Advice From Mentors and Real Business ExperiencesFiled under: Education, Industry Initiatives, Using Ad Specialties Mentors and real-life experiences in business have had important influences on shaping my career and life outside of work. They’ve provided chances for me to learn from my mistakes and to also pick up new ideas that have not only motivated me to be more successful, but also my staff, our clients and ASI members. I’ve tried to capture several of these ideas and have included them in a management book I was approached to co-author recently, titled Establishing a Companywide Vision for Success.
Tuesday
September 4, 2007 ASI Acquires TEAM Task Force, Canada – More Sales for Firms – Listen to Conference CallFiled under: Industry Initiatives, Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties Leslie, Fred and I hosted an industry conference call about ASI Canada on Wednesday, Sept. 5. Distributors, suppliers and decorators in Canada have been asking me for more ways to connect and do more business, and U.S. customers have expressed an interest in doing more business with companies in Canada. I believe that there are also many untapped opportunities in Canada for U.S.-based suppliers and distributors and ASI intends to help companies discover those. |
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