Above photo: SPARK’s 2018 event delivered education in innovative ways.

SPARK, PPAI’s conference for the next generation of the promotional products industry, is being held in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 18-19. The two-day event, now in its third year, provides young professionals with targeted education, social responsibility and networking opportunities to further their careers while engaging with and learning from their industry peers.

As the previous two iterations have shown, SPARK and its attendees don’t like to sit still. Along with events at its host hotel, the Omni Charlotte Hotel, SPARK 2019 will take place at several locations in the Charlotte area, including an arcade, a coffee shop, a private social club and at the NASCAR Hall Of Fame.

SPARK is drawing speakers from inside the promotional products industry, including Bill Petrie, president of PromoCorner; Danny Rosin, CAS, co-owner and co-president of Brand Fuel; and Brittany David, MAS, vice president of sales at SnugZ USA and PPAI Board chair. Speakers also include those from within the Charlotte community including Dr. Janaki Gooty, associate professor of management at the Belk College of Business at UNC-Charlotte, who will speak on leadership styles, and Blair Potts, owner of Potts Chocolates, who will discuss the importance of quality materials and fair labor practices from the perspective of a small-business owner. 

SPARK wraps up on the evening of July 19, and the next morning attendees can take part in an optional trip to the U.S. National Whitewater Rafting Center for some adrenaline-filled fun with some of the new connections they’ve made at the conference. To learn more about SPARK and to register, visit www.ppai.org/spark.

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James Khattak is news editor of PPB.