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Thursday
July 19, 2012 Blown Away in the Windy CityFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, Members, News About ASI Here’s all you need to know about ASI Chicago: Tony Robbins rocked. Mayor Daley delivered. And from all accounts, everyone who attended enjoyed the nonstop networking, show floor action and unprecedented education. Officially, the 2012 show season is over. All that’s left is the packing up and plane rides. As always, the end comes with mixed emotions. I’m happy to put another successful year behind us – and excited for 2013, when another incredible lineup awaits. It’s never too soon to register for the 2013 ASI Shows (Orlando, Jan. 5-7; Dallas, Feb. 6-8; Long Beach, March 22-24; New York, May 8-9; and Chicago, July 16-18) – registration is open at www.asishow.com. We’ve got a great lineup of speakers already locked in: Steve Forbes in Orlando, Emmitt Smith in Dallas, Ben Stein in Long Beach, “The Cake Boss” in New York and Christopher Gardner – the inspiration behind the movie Pursuit of Happyness – in Chicago. If you missed us in Chicago this year, go to ASI Show, www.asicentral.com and Counselor magazine for complete coverage, including blogs and videos. Click here for Hot Party pics (look for me in the crowd. I’m the one with the red tie and big smile). The McCormick Place show, undeniably one of the most significant shows within the industry and continually ranked as the industry’s most important summer show, featured 718 exhibiting companies, up 5% from 2011 – including many Counselor® Top 40 suppliers and 204 new exhibitors to Chicago. Total distributor attendance was about 4,400 from 1,800 distributor firms. Leadership authority Tony Robbins alone attracted over 1,000 distributors and suppliers on Tuesday, a record-breaking day of education. Robbins’ full-day program, which was co-sponsored by Fields Manufacturing (asi/54100) and Showdown Displays (asi/87188), spoke to companies large and small. Nikki Edwards, of Red Line Graphics (asi/305643), summed it up best: “Tony Robbins was fabulous and extremely energizing … I would have paid over and over to see it, but thanks to ASI I didn’t have to.” And that wasn’t all. The three-day show featured the industry’s most innovative products for the fourth quarter, the New Exhibitor and Incentive Pavilions showcasing the most unique items and a total of three receptions. Earl Bateman, from DVL Enterprises (asi/261648), says he’s already planning to share the ideas he discovered on the show floor with his clients for the upcoming holiday season. Now there’s a forward thinker! Don’t forget, for information on exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities for 2013, contact Karen DiTomasso, vice president of sales, at kditomasso@asicentral.com. And if you were at the show, please let me know what you thought – and any suggestions or ideas you may have for 2013 – by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Monday
July 2, 2012 Home Made HolidayFiled under: Community, Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties
In light of the July 4 holiday, ASI put together its own list of USA-made ad specialties, along with a product demo video from Joe “The Joe Show” Haley. Whether you watch fireworks, hit the beach or simply stay put in the AC with a cold one, I hope you enjoy your holiday — and can use some of the ideas below in an upcoming campaign. Below is the list of ASI’s Top 7 Made-in-the-USA Products:
To see photos of the products and a video demonstration, click here. Let me know what you think of the USA-made trend and whether you’re seeing more American-made products by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Tuesday
June 26, 2012 ASI’s Norman Cohn in The Wall Street JournalFiled under: Community, Media Coverage, Members, News About ASI Tuesday’s front page of The Wall Street Journal – which reaches a global audience of over 2 million – features a profile of ASI® Chairman Norman Cohn. I encourage you to share the story with clients, friends and family via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc., using this link: http://webreprints.djreprints.com/45722.html. This story is part of a multi-year public relations and educational outreach effort ASI has made on behalf of the industry to reinforce the undeniable ROI of ad specialties and the power and reach of a vital industry that employs over 400,000 people across North America. Click here for recent examples of more stories in Bloomberg Businessweek, the Washington Post and Christian Science Monitor and on Fox News. Norman – who is in his 50th year of leading ASI – is a one-of-a-kind leader: competitive but not a bully, smart but approachable, strong but kind. He absolutely loves the industry he has nurtured since he was 19. While researching The Wall Street Journal story, the reporter spoke with a number of industry people, including Peter Geiger of Geiger (asi/202900), Bob Stevens of Footprints USA (asi/55030), Barry Hermanson of Aunt Beth’s Cookie Keepers (asi/37465) and Paul Bellantone of PPAI. I’d like to thank them and everyone else who participated. I think the piece is incredibly positive and, along with all the other coverage we’ve generated, presents enduring evidence of the brand-building business tools at the heart of our industry. I couldn’t be prouder. Let me know what you think of the story by e-mailing me here.
Monday
June 25, 2012 Are We There Yet?Filed under: Community, Members, News About ASI To many of us, I vividly remember sites like Weeki Watchee (a tourist attraction that featured “real” mermaids underwater) and The Lost Sea, a “secret” underground lake in Sweetwater, TN. My biggest regret: I missed seeing Nixon resign on TV after I’d spent a great deal of time watching all of the Watergate hearings after school each day. Instead of witnessing that historical moment on the tube, I was sitting in a restaurant in Birmingham, eating corn on the cob. Here at ASI, annual road trips are fast becoming a tradition for three Counselor® magazine editors who embarked today on an eight-day, 17-city cross-country quest to find the coolest workplaces in the industry. Melinda Ligos, Andy Cohen and Joe Haley are visiting companies from New York to Seattle and beyond for Counselor’s upcoming Best Places to Work issue, which will highlight the many ways the people in this industry have devised to light up their 9-5 lives. Their first stop: Axis Promotions in New York City, where they enjoyed a Monday morning breakfast party with bloody marys and mimosas. You can look for the Best Places issue this fall – but this week you can check out www.counselormag.com/counselortour for a running road trip blog and photos. And! Every time you tweet with the hashtag #counselortour, you’ll become eligible for a $500 prize. Wish Melinda, Andy and Joe good luck on their Ulysses-like odyssey and don’t forget — Let me know what road trip you’re taking this summer by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
June 13, 2012 Score Big with Top Golf ProductsFiled under: Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties It takes a lot of imagination to devise cool new products for a game as old as golf, which began in Scotland way back during the Middle Ages. And now that I’m in my middle age, I’m not afraid to make a confession: I’m not a golfer. I know that for a businessman, that’s about as crazy as saying I don’t like making money, but it’s the truth. That said, I am really impressed with the batch of golf products Joe “The Joe Show” Haley recently compiled in honor of this Sunday’s Father’s Day. To see all the pics and watch Joe’s video demo, click here. The ad specialties below can be easily branded by any number of companies and charitable organizations to reward tournament winners and to advertise a brand, club, group or greens any time of the year:
Let me know what golf gifts resonated with your clients this year by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
May 10, 2012 Bright Lights, Big City, Great ShowFiled under: ASI Shows, Members, News About ASI The ASI Show in New York City is a wrap. And after hearing from scores of the 2,300 distributors and 310 exhibitors who attended, I’m happy to report it was a definite success all around. The stats are impressive: The three-day show at the Javits attracted distributors from more than 1,150 firms from 38 states and 11 different countries, making the show as cosmopolitan as the Big Apple itself. There was non-stop action, from a packed show floor and all-day education to continuous demos of the upcoming ESP Websites and the incredible Counselor Awards. A definite highlight was a captivating keynote by Facebook marketing executive Randi Zuckerberg (pictured with me, at right), who offered a slate of practical business tips on how to use social media to increase brand recognition and expand market share. In addition to sharing her Top 10 social media trends, she advised distributors to engage as much as possible with anyone who connects with their company through networking sites because, as she put it, “Haters are an inch from loving you. They just want to be heard. Listen to them and they could become your most loyal customers.” Here’s what some participants had to say about the show: Peter Zeiger, from Geiger (asi/202900): “Having access to the newest products for the later part of the year is so important for our team. They have been able to talk with leading suppliers and find new ways to make more money.” Tommy Lee, from Logomark (asi/67866): “The traffic at ASI New York has been great. In fact, I’m wishing I brought some more people to work the booth.” Michael Leone, from Hit Promotional Products (asi/61125): “ASI New York has been terrific. We have been so busy. There are so many great distributors at this show.” Be sure to check out ASI’s home page at www.asicentral.com for all the highlights from New York, including news, videos and photos. Before we start getting ready for ASI Chicago, taking place July 17-19 and featuring a full day of education with leadership and negotiation guru Tony Robbins and an inspirational keynote by former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, there’s already some news on New York 2013. Next year’s show will be held in the bigger, brighter North Pavilion of the Javits Center and feature an expanded education program, fashion runway show and keynote by Buddy Valastro, star of TLC’s hit show “The Cake Boss.” To learn more about exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities, contact Karen DiTomasso, vice president of sales, at kditomasso@asicentral.com. If you were at the show, please let me know what you thought by emailing me or posting a comment. I’m always interested in your feedback.
Thursday
May 10, 2012 Honoring The 2012 Counselor Award WinnersFiled under: ASI Shows, Members, News About ASI If you Kevin Lyons-Tarr, president of 4imprint (asi/197045), was honored as Counselor magazine’s Person of the Year for, among many other things, growing his company 18% last year and more than 30% over the past four years. At a black-tie gala at Cipriani restaurant in Manhattan, we also unveiled this year’s Counselor’s Top 40. On the supplier side, Broder Bros. (asi/42090) takes over the top spot on the list, after an increase of more than 30% in sales last year. Click here to view the supplier Top 40 list. And, for distributors, Staples Promotional Products (asi/120601) remains the largest company in the industry, with BDA (asi/137616) and Proforma (asi/300094) rounding out the top three spots on the list. Click here to see the complete 2012 Top 40 distributor rankings. In addition, we also honored Ash City’s (asi/37143) Garry Hurvitz for International Person of the Year, Activate’s (asi/141964) Fred Parker for Distributor Entrepreneur of the Year, BamBams’ (asi/38228) Dan Taylor for Supplier Entrepreneur of the Year, Overture’s (asi/288473) Heather Sanderson for Distributor Woman of Distinction and Leed’s (asi/66887) Sharon Willochell for Supplier Woman of Distinction. Go to www.CounselorMag.com for pictures and videos from the Counselor Awards ceremony, and for more information on all of the award winners. Last night we also marked another very special occasion: the 50th anniversary of the Cohn family’s leadership of ASI. In addition to Norman Cohn, our amazing chairman of the board, and his lovely wife Suzanne, we were joined by the family members pictured with me at right. All in all, it was an incredible night. |
