PPAI’s North American Leadership Conference (NALC) is underway in Salt Lake City with 150 industry leaders attending promo’s premier event for executive networking, leadership development and strategic foresight.

It’s the largest NALC attendance of the past decade, according to Dale Denham, MAS+, president and CEO of PPAI. “More importantly, the caliber of attendees is exceptional, which underscores the importance of this event and enhances its impact on each member,” Denham says.

“NALC is the opportunity for industry leaders to step away from the demands of daily operations and engage in broad, forward-thinking discussions about the future. The education is tailored specifically for industry leaders and serves to ignite new ideas and foster innovation. NALC isn’t a meeting; it’s a transformative experience.”

Professional Development

NALC opened with a reception late Sunday afternoon at The Grand American Hotel, site of this year’s conference, before attendees split off to make their dinner reservations. The event’s extensive speaker schedule commenced Monday morning.


“NALC offers us the opportunity to bring together a unique educational lineup for the leaders of our industry, with a focus on areas like geopolitical affairs and the U.S. economy, while also providing the forum to learn from leaders in our own industry,” says Ellen Tucker, CAE, MAS, PPAI’s vice president of revenue and expositions. “The combination creates a unique environment for learning, networking and challenging ourselves and our industry to grow and evolve.”

In a session named after his book – The Innovator’s DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators – Jeff Dyer, Ph.D., the Horace Beesley Professor of Strategy at Brigham Young University, explained how to create an environment where creativity and innovation thrive.

“Questioning, observing, networking and experimenting are the four behaviors that trigger associational thinking, which is connecting two ideas that haven’t been put together before,” Dyer says. “We’ve learned that these behaviors are more pronounced in innovators. If you can engage these behaviors more frequently, maybe you can connect with the secret sauce of business innovators.”

Dyer also encouraged attendees to meet new people to learn about what they’re doing, to raise issues, problems or challenges and maybe even develop a relationship where you can have ongoing conversations with them.

“More and more, we’re asking our students to leave university with a network of people that they feel like they can connect with every month,” Dyer says. “Bring the problems you’re facing in work or your personal life and have them help you solve the problem. You don’t have to be in university to do that, either.”

With Utah regularly listed as the “Best State to Start a Business” and the “No. 1 Place for Entrepreneurs” by business and financial media, another session featured a panel of Salt Lake City CEOs discussing their companies’ stories and the innovative environments they’ve been able to create.

  • Moderated by Ellen Tucker, CAE, MAS, PPAI’s vice president of revenue and expositions, the panel included HPG CEO Chris Anderson; George Cardon-Bystry, co-founder and CEO of Edison House; and Webb Production CEO Melanie Robinson.

In a dual interview, two of PPAI’s largest international members shared the value they found in partnership. Josh Ellis, publisher and editor-in-chief at PPAI, moderated a session with Steven Baumgärtner, CEO of leading German distributor Cybergroup International, and Daniel Rufenacht, CEO of Swiss business services firm Bluesign Technologies, on the importance of cooperation in the face of growing sustainability needs.

“NALC is more than an event; it’s a catalyst for innovation and collaboration within the promotional products industry,” says Andrew Spellman, CAS, board chair for PPAI and vice president of corporate markets at Therabody.

“Bringing together leaders from across the nation, this fantastic conference serves as a crucible where ideas are forged, partnerships are solidified and the future of the industry is shaped. It’s not just about networking, but also about nurturing a community dedicated to excellence and driving collective success. NALC provides the perfect environment for issue awareness, innovation and opportunity.”

Stone Age Meets Space Age

Dr. Sam Potolicchio, named one of “America’s Best Professors” by The Princeton Review, kicked off the festivities on Monday with a firsthand account of geopolitical trends as an expert on the ground in Europe.

  • The Georgetown University professor shared key insights about what’s happening in the day-to-day lives of those abroad and what’s being discussed by leaders that you don’t hear about in the news that could impact your business and the promo industry.

“Your brain is neurologically equipped for a world from 1,000 years ago,” Dr. Potolicchio says.  “How do you overcome a Stone Age brain in a Space Age world? We have to constantly adapt. In order to see the world more clearly, you have to be willing to seek out what really makes you uncomfortable.”

As part of his session, Dr. Potolicchio declared that “Who are you and what do you stand for?” is the most important question an effective business leader should ask themselves.

“Write your desired eulogy from someone else’s perspective, tack it on your office bulletin board and then live up to it,” he says. “You will notice improvements in your energy, stamina, time management, persuasive power and decision making by grounding yourself in what is really important.”

NALC wraps up this afternoon after another full day of education and networking, including several deep-dives with 2024 PPAI 100 companies that earned high marks in areas that drive growth and innovation.