Promotional products industry business and sales software provider commonsku (PPAI 552077) hosted its third annual skucamp conference last week in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The event drew more than 120 supplier and distributor professionals from as far as Australia to attend the bootcamp-style conference designed to help entrepreneurs reboot and reimagine their businesses.
The conference kicked off with a series of education sessions by Johanna Gottlieb with Axis Promotions, Craig Dunlap with Meyer Dunlap, Jamie Watson with Certified Marketing, Amanda Delaney with IMAGEN Brands, Steve McBee and Carson Roncketto with Creative, Jason Lucash with HPG, John Vo with Whoopla, Brian Stidham with EMT and a special presentation by Nate Cunningham and Claire Hosteny with East End Development Partners titled “Building a Boutique Experience in a Commodity-Driven World.” The first day’s sessions ended with Arcade Comedy leading an improv on collaboration and a night of dine-arounds with attendees.
Day two began with a keynote and workshop delivered by Jay Acunzo, founder of Unthinkable Media and author of the Break the Wheel: Question Best Practices, Hone Your Intuition and Do Your Best Work. A former digital media strategist at Google, and published in Fast Company and Forbes, Acunzo helped the audience focus on intrinsically motivated work that inspires conviction over consensus to deliver a value that is truly unique. David Nicholson with PCNA then shared a glimpse into the future from a global perspective and the current challenges with the supply chain. The afternoon sessions featured Sara Webb with InTandem and Catherine Graham with commonsku on the subject of leadership, followed by an interview with Jamie Mair of BDA.
The day wrapped with an interview with Mark and Catherine Graham from commonsku on the challenges, opportunities and risks inherent in running a high-growth company. The conference ended with a closing party at Lumberjaxs Axe Throwing.
“We were stunned by the responses from the community at skucamp this year,” says Mark Graham, commonsku’s co-founder and chief platform officer. “Never has the energy been more electric and the enthusiasm higher for our profession. From the sponsors and their involvement (beyond dollars), to the distributors who gathered to learn and inspire one another, it was our privilege to host such an astounding group who challenged each other to reimagine a world with no limits. We didn’t think it was possible, but based on the feedback from attendees, this year’s event exceeded our expectations and that’s directly due to the caliber of professionals that opened their hearts and minds to a richer experience.”
This year’s skucamp was sponsored by SanMar, T-Shirt Tycoon, SnugZ USA, PPAI, BamBams, Chameleon Like, Redwood Classics, Hit Promotional Products, alphabroder, Numo and Maple Ridge Farms.
