MLR Alliance Event Draws Distributors, Buyers To AT&T Stadium
MLR Alliance, a cooperative effort of three North Texas-based multi-line rep groups—Tuso Marketing, Pinto Marketing and Reisack Sales and Marketing—pulled out all the stops for its annual invitation-only tabletop show by holding the May 11 event at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys. The event drew more than 200 distributors and their clients to a window-filled, field-level space where they could view the playing field and see, touch and learn about promotional products from 20 exhibiting suppliers.
MLR Alliance’s Tony Pinto, Tony Tuso, Julia McDonald-Ward, Bill Reisack and Drew Ward show off the red cruiser bike donated by SOLÉ Bicycles as a door prize at the May 11 event.
Tony Pinto (center) explains the features of a BEST Promotions USA product to a group of buyers and their distributors at the MLR Alliance event.
Kristen Dowling and Trey Norris, both of Bob Lilly Promotions, attended the MLR Alliance event with their buyers.
Crystal D Employees Turn Out For Blood Drive
At a blood drive on May 9, employees of supplier Crystal D donated 16 units of blood. Each unit will help save three lives in the community. Chuck Dahlgren, president of the St. Paul, Minnesota, company, says, “Every year we look forward to participating in this event. Our staff recognizes the importance of this cause and enjoys getting involved to help the community.”
Crystal D’s 10th annual blood drive took place on-site at its headquarters through the American Red Cross Bloodmobile.
SAGE Seminar Series Returns With A PPAI Education Component
The SAGE Seminar Series is back in 2016 and is bringing a free day of SAGE product training to distributors in nine cities across the U.S. Along with training on SAGE Online, order management, SAGE’s website development tools and other products, the program includes a 30-minute PPAI overview to help attendees learn how to maximize their membership in the industry’s trade association. Tina Berres Filipski, director of publications/editor, traveled to Baltimore for the May 3 program, arriving a day early to meet with industry companies in the area.
HALO Branded Solutions’ Susan Heneson Kornblatt (far left) gathered her Baltimore teammates to meet PPAI’s Director of Publications/Editor Tina Berres Filipski (third from left) who was in for a visit in advance of the SAGE Seminar Series.
Filipski (left) was treated to a factory tour and a quick lesson in towel decorating from Lisa Shaffer, eastern regional sales director at the Baltimore-based supplier Towel Specialties.
Vernon Company Recognizes Industry Standouts At Sales Meeting
The Vernon Company (UPIC: Vernon) hosted its annual national sales meeting, Vernon University, April 19-20, at the Des Moines Marriott Downtown in Des Moines, Iowa. This was the first time in almost 50 years that the Newton, Iowa-based distributor held a national event in Iowa. Vernon University included a trade show featuring the company’s preferred vendors and a luncheon honoring Vernon’s Million Dollar Club members. It concluded with a formal awards banquet recognizing the company’s top producers, rising stars and supplier partners. At the awards banquet, the distributor also recognized SanMar as its 2015 Supplier of the Year, and Rick Buckley, who represents Tri-Mountain, as Supplier Account Manager of the Year.
Vernon’s three-day event brought together 100 Vernon account executives and over 75 supplier partners.
(From left) Christina Hamilton, account executive at SanMar and Susan Rye, director of strategic accounts at SanMar, receive the Supplier of the Year trophy alongside Vicki Palm, director of marketing at The Vernon Company.
Rick Buckley, The Vernon Company’s Supplier Account Manager of the Year, with Vicki Palm, director of marketing for The Vernon Company.
Cutline: Rick Buckley, The Vernon Company’s Supplier Account Manager of the Year, with Vicki Palm, director of marketing for The Vernon Company.
