PPAI President and CEO Paul Bellantone, CAE, moderated a panel discussion with ITC.4's Larry and Elizabeth Manshel, sharing the industry's story with 300 students and faculty.

PPAI is a long-standing partner and platinum-level sponsor of the American Marketing Association (AMA) and last week participated in its 39th annual International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Association sponsored the conference's t-shirt design and trade-show exhibit competitions, and PPAI President and CEO Paul Bellantone, CAE, moderated a panel discussion on promotional products marketing.

Bellantone’s March 17 session, “Promotional Marketing, The Industry, The Community and The Careers,” drew an audience of approximately 300 students and faculty. Joining Bellantone on stage were Larry Manshel, CAS, and Elizabeth Manshel, co-owners of Covington, Louisana, distributor ITC.4 (PPAI 566892). The panelists took questions from students in the audience and spoke on the various business and career paths within the promotional products industry.

“It was a standing-room-only session at the AMA conference,” says Bellantone. “Hundreds of marketing students were engaged and interested in learning about the power of promotional products and careers in our industry. I am encouraged by their enthusiasm, curiosity and excitement.”

The AMA’s collegiate conference focuses on educating undergraduate marketing students about cutting-edge marketing and sales practices. PPAI supports the event to help students build core competencies in marketing, an integral part of growing the industry’s next generation workforce of promotional products professionals, buyers and influencers.