News

SAGE, the promotional products industry's leading business services provider, just wrapped their second annual online presentation of SAGE Show, one of the industry’s largest online events. The successful three-day tradeshow included more than 2,500 industry professionals in attendance, featured over 150 online booths, live and on-demand education sessions, a robust product pavilion, a variety of networking lounges, and more.

Powered by SAGE’s virtual tradeshow platform, SAGE Show featured technology developed by SAGE to create an interactive experience tailored just for the promotional products industry. This revolutionary platform enabled distributors from across North America including Canada and Mexico, and internationally as far as New Zealand, to connect with top industry suppliers in real-time.

Distributors were able to visit exhibitors’ online booths, engage in video calls and live chats with suppliers, and access themed product pavilions to explore the latest in product trends. “I can’t tell you how appreciative we are for having you do this for vendors and distributors” said John Durajczyk of PromoLogo USA. Additionally, with over 20 networking lounges hosted by regional associations and distributor groups, attendees were able to interact with their peers and gain valuable industry insights.

“After so much positive feedback from last year’s show, we wanted to bring back our online platform for SAGE Show again this year,” said SAGE President David Natinsky, MAS. “The accessibility that this platform has brought to the industry is really incredible. So many more people can attend and enjoy the benefits of discovering new, trending products, network, learn, and more all from their home or office.”

For the second year in a row, the SAGE Show online offering was a resounding success with 42,862 booth visits, 23,897 live chats, 116 video calls, 53,618 product views, and 1,121 lounge visits throughout the three-day event.

In addition to the product-viewing and networking opportunities, live and on-demand education sessions were provided by SAGE, PPAI, and top industry suppliers, receiving a total of 5,552 views throughout the show. During these sessions, attendees learned about cutting edge-technology, how to improve their sales and marketing skills, and more ways to promote their business in an ever-changing world. Anita Montgomery with Specialty Advertising Works said “These were such good presentations, I feel great when I get one take-away, these gave me several!”

Distributors also heard from expert panelists and industry peers on a variety of topics. The show kicked off with a highly anticipated session discussing industry updates and insights presented by David Natinsky, SAGE President, Jonathan Strauss, Promotional Product Professional of Canada President and CEO, and Bob McLean, Promotional Products Association International Executive Vice President.

Additionally, Cliff Quicksell, MAS+, Owner of Cliff Quicksell Associates, spoke about packaging, creative distribution, and his Discovery Brief© methodology, and was met with overwhelming audience approval. Teresa Oliver with Logarrow Marketing Services said there was “lots of meat to this seminar.” FLEXpoint Managing Partners Jay Busselle and Jessica Gibbons-Rauch gave valuable tips to leverage LinkedIn for leads. Another hot topic discussion on corporate social responsibility was led by Danny Rosin, CAS, President of BrandFuel and Roger Burnett, Founder of Social Good Promotions.

And perhaps the most important information covered given today’s climate was a cybersecurity session led by Eric Natinsky, SAGE CEO, Brian Pritchard, SAGE Director of IT, Chris Alfano, AIA Senior Vice President of Business Technology, and Neal Maguire, Investigations Manager for the Verizon Threat Research Advisory Center. The expert panelists discussed ransomware attacks, how they happen and how a small business can protect against them.

"We couldn't be more pleased with the success of our second year of SAGE Show being completely online," added David Natinsky. "We couldn't do it without all of the distributors, suppliers, and our sponsors - so thank you for making this possible. The future looks bright for the industry, and we look forward to seeing what it holds."

alphabroder | Prime Line, leading supplier of branded apparel, accessories, and hard goods in North America, is pleased to announce the launch of its, “Green Team Initiative.” After 15 months of working closely with the supplier community and within its facilities, the initiative is taking root. The company journeys down a new path with the ultimate goal of creating an environmental, social and governance corporate platform that is both meaningful and measurable.

“Sustainable practices are as important today as product safety, fair labor & supply chain safety were ten years ago. Our industry invests considerable resources to maintain & verify product & supply chain safety and socially responsible supply chain practices. In 2020 alphabroder | Prime Line allocated additional resources to examine our sustainability protocols and establish a Corporate “Green Team” initiative. The “Green Team” is a dedicated cross-functional team passionate about all things sustainable.” Says Andrea Routzahn, Chief Merchant, alphabroder | Prime Line.

Education and awareness are key components of alphabroder | Prime Line’s sustainability efforts. With that in mind, they have created a 3-factor method for validating the products in their assortment with accurate & verifiable global sustainable components, sustainable manufacturing practices and a responsible mindset.

The initiative has kicked off and is now live on alphabroder.com and alphabroder.ca and where you’ll find search filters that allow you to explore by product category; by brand; or all products.

1. Styles with Sustainable Materials contain all or a portion of verified sustainable fibers or materials. View US Products Here View Canadian Products Here

2. Styles with Sustainable Manufacturing have been validated across a wide range of fabric and product manufacturing practices validated by globally recognized organization. View US Products Here View Canadian Products Here

3. Styles with Responsible Mindset are from brands with social and sustainable ‘give-back’ policies directly linked to the products sold in the industry. It also recognizes products designed specifically to reduce use of disposable products, products designed to be easily recycled and products designed to reduce packaging waste. View US Products Here View Canadian Products Here

Additionally, the launch includes enhanced product fabric and features information added to the appropriate product descriptions.

Customers can look forward to a robust ESG microsite that illustrates alphabroder | Prime Line’s ever-evolving commitment to being a corporate leader. Their Corporate Core Values serve as the guiding principles to approach Sustainability, as well as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The future microsite will feature the celebration and contributions of employees, along with an unwavering attention to sustainable products/practices, rising to exceed the expectations of today’s climate.

Distributor American Solutions for Business partnered with the Christian Center of Park City (CCPC) during its ASB Sales Summit, held last week in Park City, Utah. Upon arrival, salespeople, home office employees and vendor partners participated in packing 300 snack pack bags for the organization to provide for area children in need.

“What an incredible way to welcome our attendees to our first major in-person event in almost two years,” says Dana Zezzo, vice president of marketing, vendor relations and events. “It gave us the opportunity to come together and positively contribute to the area where we are hosting. The culture at ASB has always been centered around community, kindness and care—it felt great to be surrounded by that here.”

A raffle included various prizes, including a breakfast with ASB founder, Larry Zavadil, and American Diversity founder, Diane Zavadil. Raffle winners and the final donation check were presented at the Utah Olympic Park, which is where the group’s social event took place that evening.

Education sessions and networking sessions continued throughout this event, which came to a close last Sunday.

3M has announced it is joining the Water Resilience Coalition (WRC), which brings together some of the largest companies in the world to help preserve the world's freshwater resources. Led by CEO Water Mandate, an initiative of the UN Global Compact, coalition members commit to having a positive impact in water-stressed basins, to develop and implement resilient practices across their industry, and to provide leadership and advocacy in the field of water resilience. St. Paul, Minnesota-based 3M operates in the promotional products market through its 3M Promotional Markets Dept. (PPAI 113638, S11).

"3M is proactively applying our science and innovation to improve the water supply used in our operations and the communities we serve," says Mike Roman, 3M CEO. "We are committed to sharing our expertise on global water solutions, and our participation in the WRC will expand and amplify our efforts."

By joining the WRC leadership committee and endorsing the United Nations Global Compact's CEO Water Mandate, 3M notes that it will be better positioned to advance its ongoing work to improve the environment and build a brighter future around the world.

"3M's expertise in science and creative solutions finds a significant space of opportunity in the CEO Water Mandate," says Jason Morrison, president of the Pacific Institute and head of the CEO Water Mandate. "Additionally, by being a part of the leadership committee of the Water Resilience Coalition they also join a leading platform on water for businesses that are elevating their ambition and accelerating results through collective action on water."

In 2020, 3M's annual evaluation identified 16 facilities in extremely high water-stressed/scarce global locations, including locations in France, India, Mexico, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and the United States. After the assessment, work began to understand current baselines and onboarding for those new sites, continuing into the first half of 2021. For example, the company began working with the Juarez, Mexico, city water department in 2016 to receive treated wastewater for on-site services. In 2017, 80 percent of total water consumed in three out of five buildings was treated or recycled water and in 2020, the site transitioned the remaining two buildings. It expects to save 10 million liters—2.6 million gallons—of water.

Since 2015, 3M has had a goal to engage 100 percent of water-stressed/scarce communities where it manufactures on community-wide approaches to water management. Each 3M site located in a water-stressed area is required to understand its water use, and associated business risks and impacts, and must work with local water resources to understand potential impacts on the surrounding area. Those sites are also asked to do water conservation planning, outlining current and future water conservation efforts.

3M is also taking steps to reduce water use and improve water quality through installation of technologies at key manufacturing sites worldwide. For example, 3M Decatur in Alabama has installed a non-contact cooling water system that connects the plant's incoming water infrastructure to local utilities. This reduces the amount of water the plant uses from the Tennessee River by more than 95 percent and deepens the facility's connection with the community where its people live and work.

The company reports that the work in Decatur will advance its February 2021 commitment to reduce its water use by 25 percent by 2030, with interim goals of 20 percent by 2025 and 10 percent by 2022—accelerating a prior goal to achieve a 10-percent reduction by 2025. To help identify solutions and potential barriers for water reduction, 3M employees can record and track observations within a global pollution prevention system that is accessible by engineers, developers and managers. As a result of ongoing water reduction efforts, 3M's total consumption decreased 39.8 percent between 2005 and 2020.

3M plans to invest $1 billion over the next 20 years to achieve its environmental goals, including a commitment to install state-of-the-art water purification technology at its largest water-using facilities by the end of 2023 and be fully operational by the end of 2024. These funds build on 3M's allocation of approximately $55 million for capital projects for environmental purposes in 2020, which include waste reduction and pollution control programs, such as water usage reduction and water quality improvement equipment, scrubbers, containment structures, solvent recovery units and thermal oxidizers.

American Solutions for Business partnered with the Christian Center of Park City at their ASB Sales Summit, happening this week in Park City, Utah. Upon arrival, top salespeople, home office employees and vendor partners participated in packing three hundred snack pack bags for the organization to provide for area children in need. 

“What an incredible way to welcome our attendees to our first major in-person event in almost two years,” said Dana Zezzo, VP of Marketing, Vendor Relations & Events. “It gave us the opportunity to come together and positively contribute to the area where we are hosting. The culture at ASB has always been centered around community, kindness and care – it felt great to be surrounded by that here.”   

The raffle included various prizes, including a breakfast with ASB founder, Larry Zavadil, and American Diversity founder, Diane Zavadil. Raffle winners and the final donation check were presented at the Utah Olympic Park, which is where the group’s social event took place that evening.

IMAGEN Brands, parent company of industry suppliers Crown Products (PPAI 113430, S10) and Vitronic (PPAI 114197, S10), and part of the Koozie Group (PPAI 114187, S13), has announced a new supplier partnership with Toddy Gear (PPAI 516677, S6). Founded in 2010 and based in Bolingbrook, Illinois, Toddy Gear is a global brand with a presence in more than 142 countries. Doniphan, Missouri-headquartered IMAGEN Brands will begin offering several Toddy Gear products in the partnership.

“We are excited to announce our partnership with Toddy Gear,” says Lisa LeMond, IMAGEN Brands vice president of sales and customer service. “They have been at the forefront of the tech accessory business for a decade. We know our customers will love Toddy Gear’s colorful, practical solutions and will appreciate that many of these new products are made right here in the United States. Technology is a part of everyday life, and this partnership with Toddy Gear brings even more tech-focused accessories to IMAGEN Brand’s lineup.”

Jason Emery, president of Toddy Gear, adds, “We are thrilled to partner with IMAGEN Brands. They have a great reputation in the industry as a leader in service and decoration methods which is a perfect fit for our brand.”

With the partnership comes the launch of nine new products for a variety of industries including government, food and beverage, health and fitness, travel and leisure, and more. The initial launch includes microfiber cleaning cloths, wrist rests, a mobile device stand and cooling wraps.

PCNA has expanded its line of housewares with the addition of new categories, including candles, plants and more. This move strengthens the supplier’s position as an industry leader in identifying and adopting global trends.

“We couldn’t be more excited to expand our collection of housewares,” says Liz Haesler, Chief Merchandising Officer for PCNA. “The home improvement movement isn’t new, but its popularity has grown wildly over the last 18 months, and we see a lot of potential for this to be a hit within the promotional products industry as well. People are spending more time at home, and lots of companies are letting employees continue to work remotely, so gifts that spruce up the home are in high demand,” Haesler continues. “Our product development experts pay close attention to trends, making sure we’re providing the most sought-after items. When you look at all our products for the home, you’ll see a curated assortment based on the research we’ve done. It’s not just about what’s new here – it’s about expanding on a category with which we’re already seeing great success. It’s always our goal at PCNA to offer the industry’s best product selection.”

New brands like EKOBO, Good & Well Supply Co. and Sprigbox are already gaining popularity on PCNA.com, and the supplier will continue to add to its housewares collection with future product launches. “We’re never satisfied. We’re always looking for room to grow, and this is just the next step forward for PCNA,” added Haesler.

In addition to candles, grow kits and eco-friendly kitchenware, PCNA offers wine and cheese sets, insulated drinkware, blankets and more. To see the entire assortment, go to PCNA.com.

Gemline (PPAI 113948, S11) has joined the UPS Carbon Neutral Program, designed to offset the CO2 associated with UPS shipments, and has earned certification by the Sustainable Business Leader Program (SBLP) through the Sustainable Business Leadership Network of Massachusetts. The organization is dedicated to helping businesses “green” their operations and practices, while saving valuable natural resources and money. SBLP is the leading Green Certification Program for small businesses in the U.S.

In a statement, the Lawrence, Massachusetts-based supplier notes that these initiatives are part of a broadened commitment to its corporate social responsibility (CSR) mission and that Gemline’s CSR efforts are focused on making a positive impact on society through environmental stewardship, ethical business practices, charitable giving and diversity, equity and inclusion leadership. To be fully transparent with stakeholders regarding Gemline’s CSR efforts, the company has committed to publishing an annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report. The 2020 report is available for viewing on the Gemline website.

As its most notable 2020 CSR achievements, Gemline points to multiple initiatives to reduce its impact on the planet. From becoming a Zero Landfill Facility that ensures no waste from the company’s headquarters and manufacturing operations in Lawrence went into a landfill, to introducing a number of eco‐friendly products to its product assortment, the company notes that it is committed to building a more sustainable future.

Gemline also made more than $500,000 in monetary and in‐kind donations in 2020 to a variety of charitable causes that support communities through health and wellness programs, education and leadership activities. Also, its brand partners, including MiiR, Corkcicle, Soapbox and W&P, have collectively given back more than $100,000 to multiple charitable organizations as a result of their products being sold by Gemline through distributors in the promotional channel.

Gemline has also embarked on a number of additional sustainability initiatives earmarked for 2021 implementation, including the planned installation of rooftop solar panels at its headquarters, launching new eco‐friendly products made from recycled plastic bottles and bringing new eco‐conscious brands to the promotional industry, like Slowtide, a lifestyle brand, whose blankets and towels are made from sustainable materials.

“We clearly believe our company has an obligation to our communities and environment—a responsibility that will not end this year or next,” says Jonathan Isaacson, CEO of Gemline. “We continue to understand that good enough is not good enough, and intend to raise the bar in everything we do. In fact, we recently announced our intention to entirely eliminate PVC from our product line. This is something we strongly believe in, and hope others in the industry will follow.”

PCNA is thrilled to announce that they’ve expanded their family of brands with the addition of their newest retail partner, mophie®, a global leader in mobile charging technology. This partnership significantly strengthens PCNA’s position as an industry leader in tech.

When asked about the new partnership, Liz Haesler, chief merchandising officer for PCNA says, “We are ecstatic to add mophie to the PCNA brand family with the launch of seven new power banks and wireless charging pads. We’re always looking to bring popular products into promo at the same time they’re getting hot in retail. And mophie is such a huge name in charging technology, so we couldn’t wait to bring them on board. It comes at a great time, too. With travel restrictions winding down, people are getting out and exploring more than ever, creating tons of demand for portable charging technology.” Haesler continues, “As a tech leader in promo, it’s important for us to offer the best selection in the industry. We want our customers to feel that they can rely on us to fulfill their needs, and mophie helps make our assortment that much better. We’re elated to offer mophie products as part of our tech selection.”

“At mophie, we see ourselves as the leader in portable power and mobile charging technology, and we know PCNA is recognized as a tech leader within the promotional products industry,” said Chris Ahern, chief executive officer for mophie. “We’re excited to partner with such a world-class team in our pursuit of solving the need for power.”

By housing mophie inventory at their warehouse, PCNA can accommodate large orders through both inventory and their best-in-class decorating capacity. Better yet, by inventorying products on-site, PCNA will be able to accommodate quick-turn orders through their SureShip® service so customer orders can ship out next-day if needed.

“We’re also excited to add mophie products to our Perfectly Packaged™ program,” Haisler mentions. “Mobile charging tech makes a great gift for anyone, especially when it’s a popular brand like mophie. And now we can take it a step further by giving customers the option to combine mophie products with other PCNA items for a custom gift box that can be drop shipped directly to people’s homes or offices. It’s a game-changer for gifting.”

PCNA currently has an assortment of seven mophie power banks and wireless charge pads, all of which are sold decorated. You can view the entire mophie collection at PCNA.com.

PCNA announced today that they’ve expanded their product offering with the addition three new brands across their drinkware category. The supplier now offers products from: HidrateSpark, Stojo and BottleKeeper®. These popular brands join an already industry-leading lineup of drinkware including styles from CamelBak®, Arctic Zone® and Welly®.

“Each one of these new brands bring something new to our drinkware product category,” says Liz Haesler, Chief Merchandising Officer for PCNA. “Our team has been closely monitoring trends in drinkware and these newest brand launches are the result of months long research to ensure we’re offering the best selection of in-demand styles to our customers,” continues Haesler.

When asked about PCNA’s newest drinkware brand partners, Mindy Hoffmann, PCNA Global Category Director says, “We’re thrilled to bring these drinkware brands to promo. HidrateSpark is a smart water bottle that uses an app on your smartphone to set and track your ideal water consumption throughout the day based on a number of individual factors. It’s a great option for someone who is working to develop healthier habits,” Hoffmann says.

“The next addition to our drinkware lineup is Stojo, a company dedicated to designing earth-conscious products that bring more to life than what they take away. We offer three of their collapsible drinkware styles that are the perfect companion for coffee, tea or smoothies on the go,” continues Hoffmann. “Finally, I’m excited to introduce our third new drinkware brand: BottleKeeper®. BottleKeeper® is for

our beer-loving customers. It’s a stainless-steel bottle lined with neoprene that holds your beer bottle, keeps it cold, protects it from dropping and reseals it with a top that also functions as a bottle opener.”

All three brands are in stock and available now at PCNA.com.