(Editor’s Note: PromoWire by PPAI Media is a running digest of news releases and updates submitted from organizations around the industry. PPAI Media edits these only slightly, including for length, and will consider newsworthy entries from any member organization.)

May 25, 2022

DistributorCentral Chosen as the Premium Partner for SAAGNY’s Promotions East Event
Promotions East is back! DistributorCentral is excited to be the premium service provider partner of the show.

Gardner, KS - 5/25/22 - DistributorCentral recently partnered with The Speciality Advertising Association of New York (SAAGNY) to become the premium partner of the Promotions East show at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City this October, 17th-19th. DistributorCentral is honored and excited to be a part of this event! This will be the largest promotional products event on the Eastern seaboard, offering three interactive days of education, networking, and fun!

“We were thrilled to have been given the opportunity to partner with Promotions East this year. As a long-time industry volunteer, I’ve always had a passion for what the regionals do for our industry. We hope we can teach distributors how to take all the amazing product ideas they will see at the show and leverage DistributorCentral's free technology tools to showcase those products to their customers for months beyond the show.” said Tiffany Tarr, Vice President of Sales for DistributorCentral.

DistributorCentral will be hosting an education session on Monday morning of the show and doing inbooth demos and workshops Tuesday and Wednesday. These will dive into how to use DistributorCentral’s free technology and integrations to create a streamlined, seamless workflow to run any promo business from beginning to end, saving time & money. Staff will also be available to sign up new members, set up free websites, and answer any questions about DistributorCentral. Visit the Promotions East website for the complete list of education topics and the show schedule.

SAAGNY President Rachel Levin said, “The excitement is ramping up for Promotions East! Our Promotions East tradeshow committee, led by Michael Reisbaum has been working actively to assure a unique, fun, and NEW show experience. On top of all of this excitement, we have officially partnered with DistributorCentral, one of the Promotional Products Industry-leading sources for product data, ordering, and integrations. Promotions East will be an industry event like no other!

Suppliers interested in exhibiting can get more information here!

Distributors can attend for free by using promo code DC2022 during registration - Register Here!

May 24, 2022

Fully Promoted Spotlights Remarkable Success of Canadian Franchisees at First Canadian Expo in Ontario

Promotional Products franchise celebrated industry-leading growth and inspired attendees to embody theme of "Expanding Our Horizons".

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (May 24, 2022) – With growth outpacing the rest of the industry, the branded-promotions and marketing services company Fully Promoted celebrated the success of its Canadian franchisees and revved up the excitement for an even better year ahead at its first-ever Canadian National Conference. Sixty-five franchisees, corporate employees and vendors attended the Fully Promoted Canada Expo held in Niagara Falls.

"It was a great opportunity to cross-pollinate ideas, increase productivity and inspire innovation," said Yousuf Sandeela, CEO of Fully Promoted Canada and the brand's Canadian Master Licensee, the franchisor of all 29 Fully Promoted franchises there. "We've had a phenomenal year and we wanted to honor our franchisees' achievements. While we celebrate our successes, we must also capitalize on evolving industry trends to make sure we become part of the change that will define the industry in the years to come and further strengthen our competitive advantage."

In less than a year, since September 2021, Fully Promoted Canada has grown from 21 to 29 individually owned and operated locations. "It is exciting for me to be able to meet in person with the leaders of Fully Promoted Canada;" said Jonathan Strauss, President of the trade group PPPC, Promotional Product Professionals of Canada, and keynote speaker at the conference. "Business travel is returning, and our association is once again connecting in person with members and so I appreciate the invitation to be with the team at Fully Promoted. The industry is changing, big is getting bigger and small is getting specialized, Fully Promoted is in a great spot given the size of the group and local connectivity." Fully Promoted leaders credited the franchise growth in part to the Canadian franchisees' extraordinary sense of collaboration and cooperation.

"Our Canadian colleagues believe strongly in working together so everyone achieves their goals, which is what the franchise model is all about," said Mike Brugger, Brand President, who spoke on "Expanding Our Horizons," the Expo's theme. "We are here to help owners gain momentum where they are doing great and improve upon areas of opportunity. It was exciting to watch them brainstorm ideas for taking their success to even higher levels."

Attendees were treated to a wine tasting dinner and had valuable opportunities to build relationships with executives and vendors during face-to-face meetings and a networking mixer. They held strategic planning sessions and heard inspirational speeches from industry leaders and Fully Promoted executives.

Top-achieving locations and individuals were honored with several award recognitions:

  • National Sales Awards: Burlington (No. 1), La Crete (No.2) Barrie (No. 3)
  • National Team Player of the Year: Jeff Gross (Oakville)
  • Brand Ambassadors of the Year: Grant Cox (Kelowna, British Columbia) and David Froese (La Crete, Alberta)
  • Strategic Initiatives of the Year: Burlington, Ontario (No. 1), Lethbridge, Alberta (No. 2) and Barrie (Ontario) (No. 3)
  • Creativity Awards: Lethbridge, Alberta (No. 1), Richmond Hill, Ontario (No. 2) and Peterborough, Ontario (No. 3)
  • Sales Milestone Awards: Erin Mills Mississauga (Ontario), Barrie (Ontario), Burlington (Ontario), Halifax (Nova Scotia), Oshawa (Ontario) and Jeff Gross, Oakville (Ontario)
  • Milestone Awards: Lily Yin (15 years, Oakville), Jeff Gross (15 years, Oakville), Elizabeth Gola (10 years, Richmond Hill) and Mark Stolte (10 years, Richmond Hill)

Fully Promoted plans to make the Expo an annual event.