Before the trade floor at The PPAI Expo 2023 truly opens up for exhibitors and distributors, the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas will be buzzing with industry professionals looking to soak up some of the year’s best educational sessions at The PPAI Expo Conference.
Meant to elevate promotional product businesses with messages from leading professional speakers (including keynotes James Pogue, PhD, and Maureen Zappala) and industry experts, The PPAI Expo Conference is a day full of promo education in conference format held on Monday, January 9, the day before the trade floor kicks off.
The Association will not let an event of the magnitude of The PPAI Expo 2023 pass without pushing digital transformation forward in the industry, and The PPAI Expo Conference is the perfect place with breakout sessions serving as educational opportunities concerning digital tools and trends.
Digital Transformation: Industry Service Provider Review, PDX, Cybersecurity
Breakout Session: Chris Alfano, SVP, Business Technology, AIA Corporation, Nick DiNicola, digital transformation manager, PPAI
While it may be tempting to keep viewing it as a problem affecting someone else, cybercrimes have the growing potential to be one of the industry’s top fears. In just recent days, an encryption attack took down business services provider Essent, hampering business for numerous industry firms, the latest in a spate of attacks on the industry this year.
“Having started my career in promo, on the supplier side of the industry and now with a top distributor, I can tell you we all have one thing in common: No matter the size of your business, we are all at risk and are potential targets for cyber-attacks,” says Alfano, senior vice president of business technology at AIA Corporation. “Join me on January 9th at the PPAI Expo Conference, where we’ll discuss the three biggest threats to your business and the steps you can take to stop them.”
The sophistication and varying strategies implemented by cybercriminals has grown exponentially in recent years, not to mention the sheer number of people attempting to make money off either scams or direct hacks (or both).
DiNicola, PPAI’s digital transformation manger, will also discuss the evolving role and ways in which industry service providers can help the promo industry. Additionally, PDX, and the importance of its ongoing goal to make the promo world more efficient, will be a point of emphasis.
Digital Transformation, Tech Tips and Tricks
Breakout session: Malik Hemani, Principal, Creative Director, Graphic Stylus LLC
Who is the ideal end buyer for you? Digital mediums will determine that response, and digital tools will not only help you target them but enhance your sales processes. Hemani is the creative director of branding and advertising at Houston-based distributor, Graphic Stylus.
“As a distributor, targeting the next generation of buyers may seem difficult, but using the right digital tools, you can take charge of your first impression,” Hermani says. “It’s 100% free to create and manage your business profile, and you can get a lot out of it without paying a cent. Who doesn’t want an extra $15,000 or more in sales each month?”
Everyone knows the basics when it comes to digital processes, but keeping up is difficult and getting ahead is preferred. The conversation will be elevated, and you will learn how to grow to the next level by using the proper tools to increase your revenue.
Click here for the full lineup of breakout sessions and keynotes at The PPAI Expo Conference.
