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Monday
January 7, 2013 Celebrating the Industry in OrlandoFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, Members, News About ASI We’ve enjoyed one incredible event after another here at ASI Orlando, including a truly fabulous 80th birthday party for ASI® Chairman Norman Cohn, a super-energized crowd at the 2013 Counselor® Distributor Choice Awards and a standing-room-only keynote by expert economist and political commentator Steve Forbes. Turns out, Forbes – a very thoughtful guy who provided us with tons of solid business advice – is also very funny. “It’s great to see so much energy,” he said after being greeted by thunderous applause. “I wish we had such energy in Washington.” A conservative Republican who once ran for president, Forbes was optimistic about the future, despite “headwinds” like an antiquated tax code and a weakened American dollar. “Many amazing things are about to happen,” the Forbes Media chairman told a crowd of about 900 people (so many we had to keep bringing in extra chairs). “We’ll have major advances in health care, and America will become a manufacturing giant again thanks to our brainpower and technology.” Orlando really has been one great celebration after another. Sunday night, we celebrated suppliers at the 2013Counselor Distributor Choice Awards (sponsored by AIA Corporation, Crystal Sensations, Dunbrooke, and Moderne Glass Company). Taking home the top prize was Top 40 supplier The Magnet Group (asi/68507), which was named Supplier of the Year. In accepting the award, Magnet CEO Bill Korowitz graciously thanked his employees in a heartfelt speech. Over the years, I’ve gotten to know Bill, personally and as a member of the ASI Advisory Board, and have come to really appreciate his calm, thoughtful and reasoned side. If I had to sum him up, I’d say he’s just the kind of guy you’d like to have as your neighbor. In business, he’s always willing to try new approaches and on those rare occasions when he’s wrong, he’s always willing to admit it. In addition, over many whoops and hollers from a very enthusiastic crowd, we announced supplier winners in 59 different product categories – including three new categories of blankets, coolers and hospitality items. In all, 42 suppliers won awards at the ceremony, which honor suppliers for their service and dedication to their distributor customers. For more info and a list of all the winners, click here. Before the ceremony started, ASI’s chairman of the board, Norman Cohn, took a few moments to share his thoughts on another industry icon – former ASI president Marvin Spike, who recently passed away. “Marvin was an extremely passionate supporter of the advertising specialty industry,” Norman said. “He will have forever left his mark not only on ASI, but on the entire industry. Marvin cared about each ASI member as if they were his own family. He was a loyal friend, leader and contributor to the entire industry. I am proud to have called Marvin a close friend. His life defined integrity and he will be missed.” Unbelievably, Norman – a very familiar presence at all ASI Shows – just turned 80. On Saturday, we celebrated with a lovely party at the Walt Disney World Resort. While it’s hard to keep anything a secret in this industry, somehow we managed to keep the ultimate destination a secret for weeks. After a champagne toast, the invited guests (who still didn’t have a clue where we were headed) were loaded onto three buses and whisked away to a private backstage-access area at the park. After riding in giant clamshells through an amazing 3-D attraction based on the “Finding Nemo” movie, we were treated to four different buffets of Norman’s favorite foods (including ’50s diner food and his very favorite, pigs in a blanket), 12-foot-tall calypso dancers, dueling pianos and even an enormous dolphin viewing tank, complete with an actual deep-sea diver. As the birthday cake was wheeled out, ASI Vice Chairman Matthew Cohn called the celebration “an intimate evening of things my dad loves. He loves this industry and he loves his family.” As I said in my toast, many of us wouldn’t even be in this industry without Norman Cohn – who really is the sun in our ASI universe. In my favorite moment of the night, Norman thanked all his guests, making special mention of his “trophy wife of 48 years,” calling Suzanne Cohn “the reason I’m so lucky in life.” In true Norman fashion, he was wise, funny – and very, very grateful. “I’ve been active in this industry for 60-plus years and I’ve seen a lot of change and growth,” he told us. “But one thing never changes – my family loves this industry and this business … Hug your family, God bless America and thank you all for being here.” After a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday,” we got all decked out in light-up hats, lanyards, glasses and rings for a final treat: dessert, coffee and front-row seats to a mesmerizing fireworks, laser and water show. All in all, it was a really special occasion.
Saturday
January 5, 2013 Off and Running in OrlandoFiled under: ASI Shows, Members, News About ASI ASI kicked off the first show of 2013 with something familiar – an opening seminar detailing how to get the most of your trade show experience – and something new: me at the helm. I stood in for ASI Vice-Chairman Matthew Cohn after his plane was delayed and had a terrific time greeting the 230+ gathered for a quick intro to ASI Orlando. The response tells me everyone with us in Florida is eager to hit the ground running. Personally, I’m more excited about the 2013 show season than I’ve been in years. My best advice is to make the most out of your time on the show floor. One way is to spend as much quality time as possible in each supplier’s booth, talking to them about your sales challenges and getting some new ideas on the best ways to sell their products. In short, don’t just scan and go. Look, learn and listen. And if you see a really terrific booth, with innovative signage, an interesting design, etc., vote for it by texting the booth number to 22333 – it’s free. Please also make sure you fill out the feedback forms after each class as we really want to know what worked and what didn’t so we can further improve your trade show experience. And always take home or download your show directory (mobile app: www.asishow.com/orlando) as it’s an information-packed resource you can refer to throughout the year. I’ve already said hello to a ton of people and I encourage all of you to do the same, whether it’s at one of our receptions or events, walking the show floor or stopping by one of three Happy Hours sponsored by Broder, Logomark and Impact Advertising in booths #1501, #801 and #525. When I opened the floor to questions after my talk, the first question was “What are those booth numbers again?” I guess there’s no better way to draw a crowd than free beer! As always I want to know your impressions so if you’re in Orlando, post a comment or e-mail me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Here’s to a great new year – and an amazing show.
Thursday
January 3, 2013 Orlando, Here We ComeFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, Members, News About ASI ASI is kicking off the 2013 show season in a big way, with a major event in Orlando featuring expanded education, a newly redesigned show floor, three specialized pavilions, two networking receptions and a Gala Celebration at Universal CityWalk. In addition, we’re celebrating the recent 80th birthday of ASI Chairman Norman Cohn, starting with a party held in his honor Saturday night. The only thing Norman asked is we throw a party, “where people will have fun and be glad they came.” A larger celebration with a birthday cake will be held Monday 4-4:30 p.m. during the Closing Celebration, featuring the Passport to Winnings drawing. We’ll get down to the serious business of the economy Monday morning – with a keynote by Forbes Media Chairman Steve Forbes (co-sponsored by Pepco Poms, asi/77280, and Showdown Displays, asi/87188.) I’m sure Forbes will have some pretty firm opinions on how the last-minute, New Year’s legislation will impact small business tax incentives of particular interest to so many of our members. ASI Orlando takes place Saturday, Sunday and Monday at the Orange County Convention Center, an enormous complex owned and operated by Orange County government and located in the heart of the area’s tourism district. Thanks to its many conveniences, it’s a great place to host a show. This year, anyone attending ASI shows will enjoy an expanded slate of ASI Education classes, including a new series of seminars for owners. Of course, all education sessions are eligible for credits toward BASI (Bachelor of Advertising Specialty Information) and MASI (Master of Advertising Specialty Information) certification. In Orlando, our newest graduates of the free ASI Certification Program will be honored at a special reception and on-stage pinning ceremony before the Forbes keynote. We’re especially looking forward to the leading companies launching their 2013 sales season with meetings at The ASI Show™ Orlando, including Brown & Bigelow (asi/148500), The Vernon Company (asi/351700), AIA Corporation (asi/109480) and Geiger (asi/202900). Finally, on Sunday, we’ll honor 270 of the industry’s top-performing suppliers as well as the 2013 Supplier of the Year at the annual Counselor Distributor Choice Awards. Be sure to check www.asicentral.com for complete coverage of the show, including blogs and videos. If all that wasn’t enough, I’m personally looking forward to leaving behind the N.J. cold for Florida temps in the 70s! And if you haven’t registered already, upcoming 2013 ASI Shows are Dallas (February 6-8), Long Beach (March 22-24), New York (May 8-9) and Chicago (July 16-18). To learn more about exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities for 2013, contact Karen DiTomasso, vice president of sales, at kditomasso@asicentral.com. If you’re in Orlando, please let me know what you think of the show’s new features by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
December 27, 2012 Make a DifferenceFiled under: Community, News About ASI The end of one year and the start of another offers a great opportunity for reflection. Above all, it’s the perfect time to think not of ourselves, but of others, and to ask if we did enough to help friends and neighbors who might be in need. As Norman Cohn, ASI’s chairman of the board, is fond of reminding us, “One person can make a difference.” I was especially heartened by the way this industry responded after Hurricane Sandy devastated so much of New York City, Long Island and the Jersey Shore. Generous assistance came from numerous corners and in many forms, through fundraising, food and supply drives organized by dozens of suppliers and distributors. Here at ASI®, we’re involved in a number of charitable initiatives that promote the idea of “goodwill toward men” (and women) all year long. I’d like to share some of our most important activities, which might give you ideas on what companies and employees can accomplish by working together toward a common goal: Employee Turkey and Pie Giveaway. Each November, the Cohn family shows their thanks to employees by giving them a choice of a free Thanksgiving turkey or pie. This year, we distributed 270 turkeys and 280 pies. The pies specifically benefited the Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance (MANNA) Pie in the Sky charity of Philadelphia. It works like this: Every pie ASI bought provided a fresh, hot, homemade Thanksgiving dinner that served four, delivered right to the door of a MANNA client coping with a life-threatening illness and at acute nutritional risk as a result. Promotional Products Education Foundation. PPEF benefits the children of employees in the industry through several types of scholarships. ASI has already donated $110,000 to the foundation. Annual Holiday Gift Drive. Every December, hundreds of ASI employees donate money to buy gifts for area families living in or receiving services through a homeless shelter run by the Family Service Association of Bucks County, PA. This year, we purchased a total of $6,279 worth of gifts, which helped people in need while allowing volunteers to feel good about doing their part. Helping Cure Diabetes. In the past five years, the daughters of ASI Co-Chairman Matthew Cohn, Sydney and Mackenzie, have raised over $2 million to help fund research for Type 1, or juvenile diabetes, a devastating disease that affects millions of people, including a large and growing percentage of children like them (www.cohnsisters.com). In the last year alone, the girls raised a record $500,000+ through fundraisers like an annual JDRF walk for the cure in Philadelphia. JDRF is the world’s largest charitable funder of diabetes research. American Red Cross. Every year, ASI’s administrative staff puts together a wonderful silent auction to raise money for the American Red Cross using sample promotional products sent by suppliers and featured in ASI magazines. United Way. Each year ASI matches any funds employees donate to United Way agencies. This year, ASI and its employees contributed a total of $20,640 to the United Way of Bucks County, PA. Last year ASI donated $16,578. A Woman’s Place. A shelter for battered women located in Doylestown, PA. Since October 2006, more than 100 used cell phones have been donated by ASI employees, to be used only for emergency calls to 911. The Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House. Each December, employees donate whatever they can to get a photo taken with Santa to benefit the local Ronald McDonald House, which provides a home away from home for families of critically ill children receiving treatment at local hospitals. So far, ASI has donated $2,675. Dress for Success/Work-N-Style for Men/MenzFit. Provides interview-appropriate clothing to Philadelphia area low-income men and women entering or reentering the job market. So far, employees have donated 741 pieces of clothing, shoes and accessories. Hometown Initiatives. As a way of giving back to my Indiana hometown, I started a food bank endowment that’s now close to $100,000, along with a separate charitable activity in Hope called the Hawcreek/Flat Rock Endowment Fund, whose endowment has already reached nearly $500,000. In my adopted hometown of Princeton, N.J., I’m heavily involved as a board member and former board president of the Arts Council of Princeton, which provides hundreds of free and reduced-price art courses for kids, and as a trustee of the McCarter Theatre Center for the Performing Arts. These are just some of the initiatives we believe in here at ASI. As we enjoy holiday festivities, let’s all pause to give thanks for having enough to be able to give back – and to think about ways we might contribute to the greater good in 2013 and beyond.
Friday
December 21, 2012 ’Tis the SeasonFiled under: News About ASI Like so many other businesses, ASI held its annual holiday party this week in our company cafeteria. To make it special, we decided on a “Winter White Out” theme and encouraged all employees to dress in white. Fully in the spirit of the occasion, I found a white tux to rent, which I topped off with a white bowler. Beautiful ice sculptures, carved on site with actual chain saws, provided a cool-looking back-drop, along with servers who looked like members of the “Blue Man Group.” Throughout the party, employees could sit on a full-sized ice throne to get their photo take — at bottom right, I’m sharing a very cold toast with ASI Chairman Norman Cohn and some of the extraordinary crew. One of the highlights of the day was the annual awards ceremony, where ASI recognizes the year’s top employees. You might recognize some of the names so I’d like to share them with you below:
Employee of the Year: Michele Bell, editor of Supplier Global Resource and senior editor of Counselor magazine, pictured at right with me and ASI Vice-Chairman Matthew Cohn. Michele started at ASI in April 1997. Through the years, Michele has mastered a number of roles, including former editor of Advantages, co-host of the ASI Radio Show and speaker at numerous ASI Shows and Power Summits. Michele will do, and does, anything it takes at ASI to get the job done. Michele can truly be counted on to come through each and every time, no question. She’s also an award-winning writer and editor (netting a Neal Award, the “Pulitzer Prize of business journalism,” for a piece she wrote on China). As Melinda Ligos says, “Michele is above all a rabid supporter and participant in everything we do on the editorial team, whether she considers it ‘cockamamie’ (her favorite word) or not.” The 2012 Manager of the Year: Alice Kraus, assistant director of production. Alice started at ASI in 1980 in a department called the Infoline Library – kind of like the Bell Telephone version of ESP. She stayed until 1983, leaving only to become a new mom. After working from home, she returned to the company in 1991. Alice becomes the very first employee in ASI’s history to win the Manager of the Year Award twice in two different centuries. She won the first in 1999 and remains one of the most dedicated and determined employees ASI has ever had, earning the enduring respect of her staff, coworkers, internal and external clients and ASI management the hard way – by working to the very best of her abilities – and then reaching even further. The 2012 Rising Star Manager of the Year: Creative Director Jake Krolick. Jake, who’s worked at ASI for seven years, charged out of the gate to win Rising Star Employee of the Year in 2007. Anyone who’s ever met Jake – or visited his website – or watched one of his many YouTube videos – knows he’s a born communicator. From the start, his extensive experience in video and new media helped ASI launch the most successful video program in ASI history. In addition, this year Jake spearheaded 2 successful catalog redesigns, the Gift Book and the Fall Idea Showcase, in 2012, leading to greater advertising and circulation success. ASI’s 2012 Rising Star Employee of the Year: Finance Business Analyst PJ McCall. PJ started with ASI in 2011 as a financial analyst on the supplier side and quickly took on more responsibility, working with management on revenue and commission forecasting and with ASI Show on revenue reporting and analysis, and commissions. Everyone who works with PJ comments on his “can do” attitude, saying he consistently volunteers for new tasks, which he tackles with positive energy and a smile. He’s meticulous and extremely organized – and answers every question that comes his way. I hope you found the time to enjoy some wonderful holiday festivities this year as well. How did your company observe the holiday? Please let me know by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Tuesday
December 18, 2012 ASI Launches Company StoresFiled under: Community, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties In today’s online age, there’s really no better way to impress new and even existing clients than with a customized microsite that shows off their brand in action, which is why ASI® just launched the all-new Company Stores. Powered by ESP Websites, Company Stores represent the next generation of online selling. It’s fast, easy – and impressive. All you do is choose from ASI’s slate of online templates, stock it with up to 1,000 products, click once to add your client’s logo and voila: a branded store for your best customers. Click here for more info or call your account executive at (800) 546-1350. ESP Websites™ Company Stores highlights include:
Hopefully, you were able to join ASI’s user experience VP, Rob Watson, for a demo of Company Stores. Stay tuned for more upcoming webinars and demos, as it’s really the best way to test drive ASI’s latest products and feature updates. Check it out and let me know what you think by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
December 13, 2012 A Majority Minority NationFiled under: Community, Members, News About ASI One of the liveliest discussions at the recent ASI® Power Summit In the summit’s closing moments I asked everyone in the audience to hire one minority sometime in the next year. “Don’t hire someone like me,” I said. “We don’t need more 50-year-old white males!” It’s not surprising so many of you look just like me since white males outnumber everyone else in our industry. But if the presidential election taught us anything, it’s that the country’s demographics are changing – fast. According to a study released days after the election by the non-partisan Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, African Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans backed Obama by huge margins and helped him win. (To read the full report, click here). Fully 89% of Mitt Romney’s supporters were white non-Hispanics, compared with just 56% of Obama’s. If this industry doesn’t get with the program soon, we’ll lose just like Romney did. As study after study tells us, people tend to trust and buy from people who look like them, culturally and ethnically. Click here to watch my YouTube video on the subject, which also recaps Power Summit sessions ASI held on building trust and the 2013 industry sales outlook. In closing, do me a favor: look around your own office and count the number of minorities versus white males. And then let me know what you think of my suggestion by posting a comment or e-mailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. And for more info on the 2013 Power Summit, September 15-17 at the Montage Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, click here. Maybe by the time fall rolls around, I’ll look out and see some new faces in the Power Summit audience. |
concerned a hot-button issue important to so many of you: whether to hire from inside or outside the industry. I used that discussion as a springboard to a favor I asked of the 250 industry movers and shakers gathered in Florida. 
So it’s good economic sense for every company in this industry to take an aggressive stance on hiring more minorities. Consider this: if every top distributor hired and trained a minority in 2013, in five years we’d have 25,000 experienced representatives courting new business.