The PPAI Expo is renowned for being the hub of the promotional products industry, where suppliers, distributors, decorators and business service providers gather to discover the latest products, learn innovative strategies, make new connections and reconnect with peers and clients.
Perhaps no other event during promo’s No. 1 trade show illustrates the camaraderie of the industry like the second annual “Meeting of the Minds.”
Hosted by Joseph Sommer, founder and president of fully remote firm Whitestone, the event featured more than 20 distributor leaders exchanging recommendations and warnings regarding all facets of the industry. Several attendees were members of Reciprocity Road, an alliance (which Whitestone joined last year) of 13 distributors located across the United States and Canada.
“Seeing attendance grow from last year was exciting, but what stood out even more was the energy and sense of purpose in the room,” Sommer says. “There was a collective commitment – not just to improving our individual businesses, but to strengthening the industry as a whole.”
Joseph Sommer
Founder/President, Whitestone
Sommer says that he’s most proud of the event raising more than $12,000 for industry charities PromoCares, PromoKitchen and the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF).
“At its core, this session is about bringing leaders together to collaborate, share insights and lift each other up,” Sommer says. “It’s a reminder that while we may compete in certain spaces, we all share a larger responsibility: to build the best possible environment for the people who work in this industry. We are all employers, and that means ensuring we create opportunities, foster innovation and make this an industry where people want to build their careers.”
An Open Forum
The meeting was broken into four areas for discussion, beginning with operational efficiencies and digital transformation. Attendees shared how they’ve invested in technology and automation to streamline processes and reduce costs.
For example, Ben Adams, co-founder and managing director of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Advoc8, explained how his firm uses a no code tech platform called Glide to create custom AI-powered apps.
“We do a lot of personalized fulfillments, so when we do a special project, we’ll build an app so people in the warehouse can see the process step by step and track the whole thing,” Adams says. “Would I use it for order management? No, but if you have a client that needs to see inventory in a certain way, I’d recommend it for building a custom portal or interface.”
Ben Adams
Co-founder & Managing Director, Advoc8
Another topic was how to motivate and coach sales professionals for success. Attendees shared not only the techniques they use to inspire their sales teams to exceed targets, but also the tools and technologies they rely upon for effective sales team management.
Genumark, PPAI 100’s No. 35 distributor, holds 15-minute accountability meetings between sales leaders and representatives every month to review last period’s results, go over the pipeline and, if needed, determine where improvements can be made.
“There are only two outcomes when discussing results: You either give kudos or you ask what the hell happened,” says Genumark CEO Mitch Freed. “If the pipeline is weak and it doesn’t look like they’ll hit their target, it becomes more of a micromanaging-type of discussion.”
Mitch Freed
CEO, Genumark
Naturally, the conversation segued into strategies for maximizing margins and boosting profitability. Attendees discussed identifying hidden cost-saving opportunities across the organization, introducing value-added services to differentiate offerings and implementing pricing strategies that align with the customer’s value perception.
Wesley Danson, president and CEO of Houston-based BMP Partners, mentioned that he hired a third party to renegotiate his deal with UPS to reduce shipping costs.
“It was astonishing how much we saved,” Danson says. “If you’re not paying attention, [shipping companies] get away with tacking stuff on that’s not even real. If you have somebody who can audit it for you, it’s probably worth it. Any kind of savings in freight can automatically help.”
Lisa Hubbard
VP of Sales & Marketing, The Vernon Company
Lisa Hubbard, vice president of sales and marketing at The Vernon Company, PPAI 100’s No. 25 distributor, agreed.
“A lot of what you get overcharged for are the accessorial fees, like residential deliveries,” Hubbard says. “Audit companies can save you quite a bit of money and give you all your line items. If you want to take that and negotiate with a carrier, data is king. If you don’t have that detail, hire a third-party logistics company like C.H. Robinson. They’re the No. 1 3PL in the industry. You’ll get the best rates from them.”
Biggest Issues Facing Promo
To close out the meeting, attendees discussed innovations in promotional products and services, as well as evolving customer expectations and market demands.
Jeff Becker, founder and CEO of Kotis Design, PPAI 100’s No. 42 distributor, declared tariffs as the industry’s biggest issue for 2025.
- The meeting took place one week before President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, and well before Trump’s announcement to implement an additional 10% tariff on imports from China, as well as 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, which he quickly paused for 30 days.
“A 20% tariff is only like 6% passed off to us,” Becker says. “But it’s a complete mess for suppliers with the amount of work they’ll spend going through their whole catalog to change prices.”
Becker also brought up continued industry consolidation, citing the potential impact that S&S Activewear’s acquisition of alphabroder will have on distributors. After all, both companies rank in the top five of PPAI 100 suppliers.
- Based on alphabroder’s 2023 reported revenue, the merger could put S&S Activewear’s revenue this year over $4 billion, which would challenge SanMar as the industry’s largest supplier.
Of course, the most immediate fear that can arise whenever two large companies in any industry merge is an eventual price increase due to a lack of competition. “Historically, anytime you go from three suppliers to two suppliers, prices go up,” Becker says.
Jeff Becker
Founder/CEO, Kotis Design
More than anything, Sommer says, the meeting reinforced the responsibility he feels to be an advocate for the industry.
“We’re in a period of rapid transformation, from emerging technologies to shifting market dynamics, and I want to be at the forefront of that change – not just reacting to it but driving it forward in a way that strengthens our industry for years to come,” Sommer says. “It’s about collaboration, innovation and ensuring that the next generation of leaders sees this industry as a place where they can thrive.
“That’s why meetings like this matter, and I’m excited to keep these conversations going as we continue to elevate and evolve together.”
