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Monday
August 6, 2012 ASI Promotes Two Senior ExecsFiled under: News About ASI I’m a big believer in rewarding employees who prove their value to our company and especially to our members, the kind of employees who provide intelligent solutions – and who, of course, think about members’ success every day. To that end, I recently announced the promotions of two proven ASI® executives: Rich Fairfield and Armughan Rafat. Rich, pictured at right, has been promoted to chief revenue officer, responsible for both the distributor and supplier segments of our business. He remains executive vice president and publisher. Rich has been with ASI for eight years, and in his capacity as executive vice president and publisher of all of ASI’s award-winning magazines has handily navigated our transition from a print-dominated supplier segment to a well-balanced digital and print revenue mix. At the same time, he grew the market share and improved the quality of our magazines, catalogs and marketing. And if that weren’t enough, Rich also created and launched several new products and services to serve suppliers – while flying off on global missions on behalf of ASI to such far-off places as Germany, Hong Kong and China. (To read about Rich’s travel experiences, click here to check out his New York Times “Frequent Flyer” column). Since late last year, Rich also has been involved in the successful creation of the User Experience group and the well-received design of ESP Websites™. His initial focus will be on simplifying the distributor member experience and testing ways to increase value to members. Armughan, pictured at right, is relatively new to ASI, joining us nearly a year ago. But I’ve been continually impressed with his creative approach to technology and his ability to put together a forward-thinking team of top-notch tech leaders in a very short amount of time. He not only immediately improved our entire suite of products – he also introduced new innovations to help shift our member companies into technical overdrive. Armughan is now executive vice president of ASI and chief technology officer of the ASI Family of Companies, responsible for all technology decisions throughout ASI, ASI Show™ and ASI Computer Systems®. By consolidating technology under one leader, we’re further streamlining development as part of an ongoing effort to respond more quickly than ever to member needs and requests. Armughan, by the way, was quoted in the August 2 Wall Street Journal CIO Report, in a story about the ongoing patent dispute between tech giants Apple and Samsung. With his previous employers, Armughan has filed two patents, and teams he managed have several other patents pending. It’s great to know we have a world-class technology chief at the helm who is relied on by reporters in need of expert advice or viewpoints for the Journal’s global audience of 2 million. Click here to read the story. I’m sure Rich and Armughan will contribute much in coming months and years to your experience with ASI, as we continue to help the industry be more productive, more efficient and more profitable.
Thursday
August 2, 2012 Scoring Economic GoldFiled under: News About ASI, Research Watching the fanfare leading up to the Olympics, it’s clear the famously acerbic Brits love to complain. In fact, one cheekily admitted that if there were a competition for grousing, the U.K. would almost certainly take home the gold. And, make no mistake, I love all of our British friends, including Alistair Mylchreest, CEO of Sourcing City and our new PromoAlliance partner. Happily, despite all the worries over everything from sunshine to security, it’s pretty clear the London games are going, well, swimmingly. (Yes, I did indeed watch in awe as Michael Phelps swam into Olympic history with his 19th medal.) It seems like optimism has fallen out of favor just about everywhere these days, which is why I am delighted to share more good news. ASI research shows a year-over-year increase in sales among ASI® distributor members of 4.8% for Q2 – making it the 10th consecutive quarterly year-over-year increase in sales. Who can possibly grouse about that? In addition, Forbes magazine recently reported hiring at U.S. businesses continued at a modest pace last month, with June’s gains indicating that the labor market is healthier than supposed. The U.S. added 163,000 new private jobs last month, with small and mid-size businesses (ones like many of ours) driving the growth, adding 86% of new jobs. We may not be climbing up on the medal stand quite yet, but things are looking up. ASI’s 2Q 2012 Sales Study Report, prepared by our executive director of research services, Larry Basinait, included the following highlights:
So far, I’ve especially enjoyed the thrilling performances of men’s water polo, beach volleyball, the gold-medal-winning women’s gymnastics team and the amazing swimmers Allison Schmitt and Missy Franklin. Watching them, you can’t help breaking into smiles – and feeling good about the good ole USA. P.S. If you haven’t already, check out the Olympics in 3D. I joined my friend Elvin Montero in endorsing the Xfinity 3D channel, and in the photo at right (credited to Elvin) you can see me enjoying the spectacle with friends – in our special 3D spectacles.
Wednesday
August 1, 2012 Invest in YouFiled under: Education, Guest Blog, News About ASI Knowledge is power. Those are words I live by. For as long as I can remember, my family has established three core values: education, education and education. My grandfather started the trend and highlighted the importance of education to our family by being the first person in his entire state of Gujarat, India, to get accepted into medical school with a full scholarship. This came at a time when the British ruled over India. It was a major accomplishment in his life and a piece of family history that I will always treasure. His start in the medical field has created three generations of doctors in our family today. I’m actually the only person in my family to have pursued a business degree (dual major: advertising and marketing). My passion for marketing started in high school. I was geeky back then and probably am still a little geeky today. I joined FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America). I took marketing classes, joined marketing competitions and eventually earned awards and accolades for my passion – and even got some scholarships and grants to go to college. I joined ASI® nearly seven months ago and quickly hit the ground looking to learn about this industry. I found pursuing my BASI™ was the best way to do it. ASI’s education program is a great resource for newbies like me, but also for people looking to get a competitive edge. By giving you a highly specialized understanding of the promotional products marketplace, a BASI (Bachelor of Advertising Specialty Information) or MASI™ (Master of Advertising Specialty Information) can transform your career. A BASI or MASI certification comes with these rewarding benefits:
It’s easy and free to work toward your certification. You’ll see the impact on your career instantly. I know I did! Click here to visit the ASI Online Learning Center and get started today. – Fal Dieso ASI brand marketing director
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.
Thursday
July 19, 2012 Winning!Filed under: ASI Shows, Community, Industry Initiatives, News About ASI Things are happening fast and furious here at ASI Chicago. Wednesday night, we celebrated this year’s Counselor Hot List with a wild party at the downtown hot spot, Crimson Lounge. It’s clear that for the 38 men and women hitting the 2012 list, “the future’s so bright, they gotta wear shades.” Click here to read all about the star power lighting up the industry. If there’s one thread running through each of their stories, it’s fearlessness. As we learned from this week’s all-day education session with Tony Robbins, true winners have one gear: drive. Speaking of winners, we kicked off the last day of our three-day Chicago show with a keynote by one of the most successful mayors in our nation’s history – Chicago’s own Richard Daley, considered the nation’s top executive for his deft handling of the machinations of the Windy City during his unprecedented 22-year tenure. And, continuing ASI’s own winning streak, we just got word that three ASI publications have been recognized for editorial excellence by the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) in a stiff competition that included Bloomberg Businessweek and Computerworld. The winners are: Gold: Original Research for “State of the Industry” Bronze: Feature Article for “Behind Bars” Gold: Front Cover Photo for “The Style Issue” Silver: Front Cover Photo for “Head of the Class” Silver: Feature Article Design for “The Color Issue” Silver: How-To Article for “One Company, 12 Contacts, Big Bucks” Bronze: How-To Article for “Social Networking Boot Camp” If that’s not enough, ASI just announced that nearly 2,000 ESP Websites™ are now live, setting an all-time record high for user adoption in the launch of an ASI product. Launched in May, ESP Websites continue to gain momentum – with thousands more new ESP Websites going live in the weeks ahead. It’s clear the industry has embraced ASI’s latest product offering with gusto. If you haven’t jumped on the ESP Websites bandwagon yet, click here to climb on board and give your business the online boost it deserves. We’ve still got a full day of exhibiting left here in Chicago. If you’re at the show, let me know what really caught your eye on the show floor by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Wednesday
July 18, 2012 New International Alliance LaunchedFiled under: Industry Initiatives, News About ASI ASI, Sourcing City and PSI just announced the joint formation of PromoAlliance, a new international alliance to identify and introduce best practices and market development concepts benefiting the U.S., U.K. and European markets. We made the announcement on the first exhibit day of ASI Chicago. Joining me were ASI’s new international partners – Alistair Mylchreest, CEO of Sourcing City, which serves the U.K. promotional merchandise industry, and Michael Freter, director of PSI, the international network of the promotional product industry. You may know PSI from attending its trade show in Düsseldorf each January, which routinely attracts upwards of 20,000. Through this international alliance we’re ushering in a new era of international cooperation in order to further benefit the industry and our members. The overriding goals are to introduce best practices, develop fresh market concepts, explain new marketplaces and foster education. It’s important to understand that all PromoAlliance founding members are committed to the efficient and effective distribution model of suppliers providing products and services to distributors and distributors serving as the sales channel to buyers of promotional products. As Alistair put it, “Having three major players working in alliance, sharing ideas and exploring new concepts will create exciting opportunities for all of our customers.” We believe that by leveraging the strength of all three organizations we can provide greater insights into new markets. To operate most efficiently in today’s worldwide economy, it pays to form a strategic alliance with respected global partners like Sourcing City and PSI – an alliance that aims to improve and expand the international promotional products marketplace. I entered into this alliance because I firmly believe ASI’s distributors and suppliers will benefit greatly from greater communication between worldwide partners. Sourcing City, ASI and PSI are in active discussions with other potential PromoAlliance partners, and we’ll keep all our members apprised as things develop. In the meantime, for more information and to hear the recorded webinar announcement we made from Chicago, visit www.promoalliance.com. And let me know what you think of this new alliance by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Tuesday
July 17, 2012 Get Pumped for SuccessFiled under: ASI Shows, Education, News About ASI Motivational speaker Tony Robbins literally rocked the house at ASI’s all-day education session in Chicago on Tuesday. As one Counselor blogger put it: It was a sales rep’s Super Bowl. Or, as Tony himself said: “This is not your typical biz seminar, but they’re boring as sh**.” You gotta love this guy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an audience so energized and so willing to jump in and do whatever it takes to tap into Robbins’ energy and make it work, work, work for them to transform their lives and achieve their business goals. I hope you followed the constant stream of tweets and blog posts from our editors, but in case you need a recap, below are some Tony tidbits and highlights. Print them out and post them where you can see them every day, to get started on your very own “celebration.” One tip: Play your favorite get-pumped music really loud while reading:
For more photos and to read the Counselor blogs in their entirety, click here or go to www.asicentral.com. And if you were at the session, let me know your favorite advice by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. |
