News

Small businesses are evolving to meet shifts in the workforce market. The Future Workforce Report, produced by global freelancing website Upwork and conducted by independent research firm Inavero, surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. hiring managers—including more than 200 small-business managers—and found that small businesses embraced flexibility as they worked to build out their staff in 2018.

“Record low unemployment is putting enormous pressure on businesses to explore new ways to find and engage talent,” says Stephane Kasriel, CEO of Upwork. “As the biggest driver of job growth in the U.S., small businesses are on the leading edge of workforce innovation. Innovative businesses are realizing that the only sustainable way to grow is by accessing the right talent and technology. As workers seek out more flexible work arrangements, businesses are embracing a flexible workforce to fill skills gaps and scale their teams.”

Most small businesses surveyed—67 percent—planned on increasing their headcount in 2018 and to do so, 58 percent said they were embracing an agile workforce to meet greater interest among workers for flexible work arrangements. Most (53 percent) are working with flexible talent—freelancers, agency and temp workers—and Upfront expects the work done by flexible talent to increase by 20 percent over the next 10 years. The survey also highlighted that 86 percent of small businesses have made progress on developing a more agile, flexible talent strategy.

Skills have also become more specialized, with 67 percent of respondents noting a trend in this direction over the past three years. Small businesses are also describing hiring as harder, with 63 percent noting “access to skills” as their top hiring challenge.

Another trend identified in the survey is the remote worker. Upfront found that 60 percent of respondents agree that remote has become more commonplace over the last three years, and 67 percent of small businesses say that have someone on their team who works a significant portion of their time remotely, up 13 points from the company’s 2017 survey. Furthermore, small business were three times more likely to agree than disagree that offices will serve as occasional anchor points rather than daily travel destinations. In the next 10 years, small businesses predict that 35 percent of their employees will work predominantly from remote locations.

At the International Association of Exhibitions and Events’ (IAEE) Expo! Expo! last week in New Orleans, Louisiana, PPAI Executive Vice President Bob McLean, CPA, CAE, was named chair-elect of IAEE and began his term as the 2019 chair for the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR).

“CEIR provides invaluable research to guide participants in the tradeshow industry,” says McLean. “From research on attendee retention and the changing environment of the trade-show industry to the annual CEIR index, CEIR provides useful tools to help the industry and its members grow. I am honored to be the chairperson of such an important organization and look forward to working with its dedicated staff and board members.”

The IAEE is the world’s largest association for the exhibitions and events industry, with a membership of show organizers, exhibitors and exhibition suppliers. CEIR provides research on the North American exhibitions and events industry globally which optimizes performance, increases engagement and addresses emerging customer needs.

The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has published a notice in the Federal Register that officially delays the January 1 tariff increase from 10 percent to 25 percent. The notice states that the increase to 25 percent has been pushed back to March 2, 2019. The extension follows a bilateral meeting at November's G-20 Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, between President Trump and President Xi Jinping, and the delay opens up time for the two countries to come to an agreement in their trade dispute.

Supplier Sweda Company, LLC (PPAI 113914) is adding a new apparel initiative to its hardgoods lines for 2019. The additions, which will be available beginning in January, include basics under the Basecamp^® brand label, a partnership with surf and skate business staple Mill42, and apparel from numerous key retail brands.

The Basecamp brand offers Made in the U.S. and U.S. fabrics/sewn in Mexico options, and a portion of the brand’s proceeds are donated to the Warrior Spirit Retreat, a place where wounded service members can heal physical and mental wounds. Sweda has also entered an exclusive partnership with Mill42, whose apparel is used by brands Volcom, Vans, Quiksilver, Billabong, DC Shoes and New Balance, among others.

The City of Industry, California, supplier will also offer apparel from Adidas, Oakley, Champion, Columbia, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Burnside along with key basic brands Gildan, Hanes, Jerzees, Anvil, Bella and Canvas, Next Level, American Apparel, Comfort Colors, Comfort Wash, Augusta Sportswear, Badger Sportswear, Independent Trading Company, J America and MV Sport.

“With imprint locations in California, Ohio and Kentucky, we look at this opportunity as a one P.O., one freight charge and one contact convenience for our customers,” says Kellie Claudio, senior vice president of sales and marketing. “After years of planning, we are certainly ready to enter this category. Offering complete event packages from bags to rags, Sweda is making the distributor search a one-stop solution. I am over the moon thrilled about this category addition! It is like coming home to my apparel roots!”

Lorraine Hempen, CAS, retired executive vice president of the Joseph Lipic Pen Company, former PPAI board member and inductee into the Association's Hall of Fame, passed away on December 15. She was 87.

When Hempen entered the industry, she was one of only four women in the country to sell promotional products. Spending her entire career with one company, she started at the Joseph Lipic Pen Company as a clerk and retired 55 years later in 2002.

Hempen served on the PPAI board in 1977-1981. She was awarded the Association's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 and inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2008. She served on the Association's government and legal affairs committees, and as vice chair of its education committee. In a note to PPAI, Hempen's niece, Laura Bozzay, shared, "Lorraine was proud of her years with PPAI and often spoke highly of its members."

Hempen also served on several PPAI committees and was an active member of the St. Louis Advertising Specialty Association—now the Promotional Products Association of the Midwest (PPAM)—holding the treasurer, secretary, vice president and president positions at the regional association.

Visitation will be at St Stephen Protomartyr Catholic Church 3929 Wilmington Ave, St. Louis, Missouri 63116, 9 – 10 am on Friday, December 21. Mass will be offered at 10 am. Following the mass, there will be a short gravesite ceremony at Resurrection Cemetery 6901 MacKenzie Rd, Saint Louis, Missouri 63123.

The industry’s most popular mobile app now includes the new decorator search module along with new product search fields, the ability to add logos to CRM, and significant upgrades to the tradeshow planner just in time for The PPAI Expo.

SAGE, the leading provider of information, marketing and business management solutions to the promotional products industry, announces the release of a new version of SAGE Mobile™. The app, available for iOS and Android devices, allows industry distributors easy access to all their critical research and business management operations while on the go. In addition, as the official show planner for The PPAI Expo, to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 13-17, 2019, distributors have complimentary access to the app’s expanded set of tradeshow planning features to plan and manage their experience at the show.

Some of the new features in the SAGE Mobile 8.0 release include:

• Perform advanced searches using the 54 newly-added product search criteria, which now makes SAGE Mobile’s product research as robust as SAGE’s desktop services, SAGE Online and SAGE Web

• Search for decorators using the new decorator search area, allowing users to search for embroiderers, screen printers, engravers, and other special decorators

• Add clients’ logos to their contact profile in the CRM module, allowing for quick and easy cross-functionality in the Virtual Design Studio, Order Management module, and more

• Easily access tradeshow registration barcodes in the app for expedited badge pick-up at The PPAI Expo and any industry show where SAGE Event Services is available

• Quickly access nearby exhibitors while walking the trade show floor at PPAI Expo through enhanced location technology

• Take advantage of suggested trade show walk lists based on search history, preferred suppliers, and other preferences Share walk lists with other users with editing privileges enabled or disabled

“We’ve all become accustomed to having access to anything that we need right on our phones. That’s why we continue to invest in our mobile app. We want to make sure that our customers can do everything that they need to right from their phone, seamlessly integrating with their desktop experiences,” said SAGE President, David Natinsky, MAS. “Whether you need to perform an advanced product search while on the go, or manage your journey at the PPAI Expo, SAGE Mobile will get it done for you.”

SAGE Mobile 8.0 is available now. Current SAGE Total Access subscribers can download SAGE Mobile for free from the Apple App Store, Google Play, or the Amazon App Store. For users who have automatic app updates turned on, the update will download automatically.

Distributors who are not current SAGE Total Access subscribers but are attending The PPAI Expo can access the tradeshow planning area of SAGE Mobile for free by visiting www.go.sageworld.com/planexpo. To receive full access to SAGE Mobile, tap the “Start a Free Trial” button on the homepage of SAGE Mobile.

For distributors not attending The PPAI Expo, contact SAGE today for a complimentary 30-day subscription of SAGE Total Access, which includes the full version of SAGE Mobile.

For more information on SAGE Mobile, visit www.sageworld.com/sagemobile.

Trade show and event services provider The Freeman Company has acquired mdg, a full-service event marketing and public relations agency. The acquisition expands the Freeman spectrum of services from pre-event marketing and onsite user experience to post-show communications based on data-informed insights. PPAI's relationship with Freeman spans more than 50 years, and it began working with mdg in the production of its trade shows earlier this year.

“The events business is undergoing a significant transformation—one that requires a sophisticated degree of integration around the convergence of brand strategy, data and content,” says Bob Priest-Heck, president and CEO of Freeman. “Our ability to translate strategy and data into meaningful onsite experiences coupled with mdg’s expertise in translating insights into audience-building marketing campaigns, will enable us to offer organizers a seamless solution that was never before possible.”

mdg has served as a strategic partner for some of the most successful trade shows and events, helping customers market new events and reposition and rebrand more mature shows. The company has a 41-year track record of creating powerful marketing strategies for its customers. It brings together researchers and strategists, digital and interactive media experts, event and association management specialists, data analysts and a creative team to craft comprehensive campaigns aimed at increasing event and association attendance and exhibit participation.

“What we’ve seen and heard from our clients is that they are looking for fully integrated event solutions. Our acquisition of mdg continues our initiative to create the seamless experience they crave,” adds Priest-Heck. “With mdg’s ability to infuse attendee acquisition and marketing insights directly into the onsite experience, we can now leverage data from both digital marketing and live experiences to deliver more robust and integrated offerings for our clients.”

Kimberly Hardcastle-Geddes, president of mdg, says, “Over its 41-year history, mdg has continuously evolved to stay relevant in a dynamic marketing landscape, blending strategy, creativity and technology solutions to help clients achieve their organizational objectives. Joining Freeman is another giant step in that evolution and helps ensure the continued success of both the agency and, more importantly, the clients it serves. Together we will create more engaging, personalized customer journeys through an omnichannel approach to event and association marketing.”

The Conference Board Employment Trends Index (ETI) declined in November, following an increase in October. Last month, the index stood at 110.41, down from 110.73 in October. However, compared to one year ago, the ETI is up 4.4 percent. The ETI increase comes as the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 155,000 nonfarm jobs were added in November, and the unemployment rate remains unchanged at 3.7 percent.

“The Employment Trends Index declined slightly this month and shows some moderation after reaching its highest point so far in August,” says Gad Levanon, Chief Economist, North America, at The Conference Board.

Levanon notes that the job report and other recent economic data point to a slowing, although still-strong U.S. economy, which he attributes to three factors: : First, there is a disconnect between the gloom and doom environment in financial markets and real economic conditions. This disconnect is partly a result of the fact that compared to real economic activity in the U.S., stock prices are more negatively impacted by the expected rise in interest rates, the increase in labor costs and the slowdown occurring worldwide. Second, while the U.S. economy is not close to entering a recession in 2019, it is expected to gradually slow down. Slower economic activity, tighter labor markets and higher labor costs will lead to weaker job growth, which the latest job numbers suggest may already be happening. Third, even with the expected slowdown, job growth will be more than enough to continue tightening the labor market, leading to faster wage growth and increased inflation pressure in 2019.

Levanon adds, “Jobs should continue to grow, causing faster wage growth which may, in turn, increase inflation pressure and ultimately result in a moderation in employment growth by the end of 2019. As a result, we expect the Federal Reserve to raise rates this month and possibly three more times in 2019.”

In determining its Employment Trends Index, the Conference Board aggregates eight labor market indicators that it has found are accurate within their own areas. It notes that using aggregated individual indicators in a composite index filters out “noise” to show underlying trends more clearly. November’s decrease was driven by negative contributions from three of the eight components. From the largest negative contributor to the smallest, these were the Ratio of Involuntarily Part-time to All Part-time Workers, Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance and the Percentage of Firms With Positions Not Able to Fill Right Now.

The other indicators include the Percentage of Respondents Who Say They Find “Jobs Hard to Get” from The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Survey, the Number of Employees Hired by the Temporary-Help Industry and Job Openings from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Reserve Board’s Industrial Production data and Real Manufacturing and Trade Sales from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Industry supplier Dard Products is under new ownership. The Evanston, Illinois, company has been acquired by athletic apparel manufacturer Official Issue, which will do business in the promotional products market under the Dard Products name.

Dard was founded by Jack Shevin in 1947. The legacy was carried on by his son, Cary Shevin, who chaired the company’s board until his passing in January of this year. Cary’s daughter, Bonni Shevin-Sandy, has served as CEO and president of Dard Products for several years.

Speaking to PPB Newslink, Shevin-Sandy said the company had been approached by several potential suitors since her father’s passing, although they had not been seeking a buyer. She says, “Scott [Palmberg, owner of Official Issue] has been a friend for 10 years and we’ve worked together before. We decided to sell to Scott because of what he brings to the table. That includes a product line that doesn’t overlap with what Dard offers.”

Shevin-Sandy will consult with Palmberg and Official Issue, although she has taken a position with National Pen as global design director. She brought several of her patents with her to the San Diego, California, supplier and will work with the company on its designs and intellectual property.

Official Issue will manufacture Dard Products’ goods at a new facility in Missouri and at its Tyler, Texas, location. Along with Shevin-Sandy, several key Dard staff members and salespeople will also continue with Official Issue.

Shevin-Sandy says, “Distributors can expect to see a vast array of new items available through Dard Products. Official Issue produces more than a thousand different products and is bringing them to the promotional market. Scott’s expertise in sporting goods and private label work—he makes products for Dick’s Sporting Goods, Target and others—will also be of value to the distributor community.”

PPAI President and CEO Paul Bellantone, CAE, recently joined the Promotional Products Association Southwest (PPAS) volunteer luncheon to deliver a town hall-style presentation on the state of the industry and the key issues and opportunities in play, the Association and its member companies.

“Even though most of our members deal commonly with local businesses it’s a gift to hear from the CEO of PPAI about a larger picture,” says Steven Meyer, MAS, PPAS board president. “The trends across the industry, what end buyers are telling PPAI and how PPAI plans to equip members with this information is of great interest to our members and will help them both plan and execute a more successful 2019 business plan."

Bellantone’s presentation explored the challenges facing the promotional products industry and member business growth, and the importance of creating value and differentiation in a crowded and commoditized marketplace. He also introduced PPAI’s end-buyer-focused research projects and Industry Branding Initiative, and shared research and trends regarding the size and scope of the promotional products industry and the power of promotional products relative to other advertising media.

PPAS members also raised funds for the Homeless Veterans Service of Dallas at the luncheon. The regional association raised $200 through the sale of Antiqua jackets provided by Larry Krause, MAS and custom embroidered by Rodney and Georgina Bogart of All About Bikers.

Meyer adds, “A large part of the luncheon’s focus was understandably on veterans. Both PPAS tradition and the times make it a very important to our membership to recognize and thank those who have served our country.”