Canadian Power Panel to Feature Mark Freed, Chris Sinclair, and John Houlding, According to ASI's Announcement
The promotional products industry is gearing up for an exciting event as ASI Show and Promo Expo consolidate their efforts in Canada. On June 18, 2019, the ASI Roadshow Plus event will take place, bringing together industry leaders, distributors, and suppliers for a day of networking, learning, and collaboration.
ASI Show, a trade show organiser for the promotional products industry in the U.S. and Canada, is hosting the event. Rita Ugianskis-Fishman, senior vice president and general manager of ASI Show, emphasises the opportunity for attendees to hear success stories, industry insights, and experiences from a group of successful and dynamic distributor leaders.
The event will feature an industry panel discussion over lunch, moderated by Neil Piitz, a 33-year veteran of the promotional products industry and owner of Differenciate Consulting, along with ASI Canada Ambassador Michelle Merrifield. The panel will discuss industry trends and challenges, changing compensation models, creating an ideal corporate culture, recruiting top sales reps, thriving in an e-commerce world, and more.
Mark Freed, president and CEO of ASI Top 40 Genumark, a Canadian-owned promotional products distributor recognised on Canada's Best Managed Companies list and as PPPC Distributor of the Year, is one of the panelists. Other industry leaders participating in the event include Mark Graham, founder of Rightsleeve, a creative promotional products agency leader and co-founder of commonsku, a business software application designed specifically for the promo industry.
John Houlding, president of Cotton Candy, a premier provider of corporate branded merchandise that expanded into the U.S. marketplace, will also be in attendance. Janine Taylor, founder and CEO of The Next Trend Designs, twice named to Profit/Chatelaine magazine's list of Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs and a repeat top 10 on ASI's annual Best Places to Work list, will also be present. Chris Sinclair, VP of Brand Blvd, associated with one of the fastest growing Canadian companies in the industry, named an ASI Best Place to Work and PPPC Distributor of the Year six consecutive years, will also be participating.
Steve Pons, national director of sales at Staples Promotional Products Canada, with a history of growing sales and managing major accounts after joining the company in 1999, is another industry leader attending the event.
The ASI Roadshow Plus is not just about discussions, it's also a hands-on networking event, ideal for product sourcing and building relationships with supplier partners. The event includes four hours of tabletop exhibit time, lunch, and a cocktail networking reception.
The event will also feature a keynote by Cher Jones, a corporate social media trainer and personal branding specialist. Neil Piitz stated that the panel is a "must" event for anyone who wants to grow their business. Promo Expo provides events for the industry across Canada under the umbrella of Promotional Marketing Events (PME).
ASI Show and Promo Expo have joined forces to better serve the Canadian marketplace by collaborating on events for suppliers, multi-line reps, and distributors in the promotional products industry. The ASI Roadshow Plus event is a testament to this collaboration, promising a day filled with valuable insights, networking opportunities, and industry growth.
