Education Conference

T-Shirts and More
10:15-10:55 a.m.; 12:00 p.m.-12:40 p.m.; 1:45-2:25 p.m.
Tom Vann, Target Graphics
Sales & Marketing
.05 CEU

Embroidery Decorating Techniques
10:15-10:55 a.m.; 12:00 p.m.-12:40 p.m.; 1:45-2:25 p.m.
Brian Greul, Texas Shirt Company
Sales & Marketing
.05 CEU

Designing Custom Apparel Programs for Your Clients
10:15-10:55 a.m.; 12:00 p.m.-12:40 p.m.; 1:45-2:25 p.m.
Dan Tushar, Sanmar
Sales & Marketing
.05 CEU

The Latest Apparel Decorating Techniques
11:00-11:45 a.m.; 12:45-1:30 p.m. 2:30-3:15 p.m.
Kristi DeLeo, Vantage
Sales & Marketing
.05 CEU

Innovative and Traditional Screen Printing Techniques
11:00-11:45 a.m.; 12:45-1:30 p.m. 2:30-3:15 p.m.
Tom Vann, Target Graphics
Sales & Marketing
.05 CEU

Uniform Fabrics and Design
11:00-11:45 a.m.; 12:45-1:30 p.m. 2:30-3:15 p.m.
Barb Herman, SanMar
Sales & Marketing
.05 CEU

How to Build an Apparel Program
3:30-5:00 p.m.; 12:45-1:30 p.m. 2:30-3:15 p.m.
Fran Ford, Vantage Apparel
Sales & Marketing
.05 CEU

Tom Vann, Target Graphics
In 1987, Tom Vann founded Target Graphics, a contract screen-printing company that exclusively services promotional products distributors. He has transformed a basement business into a Multi-Million Dollar Powerhouse. Accolades include winning over 30 screen-printing awards for SGIA, Impressions, and PPAI. He is a frequent writer for Impressions Magazine, Wearables, PPB, and Counselor. Tom is a regular presenter with credits for educational seminars at ASI Shows, AIA, PPAC, ISS Shows, & PAE Shows.

Barb Herman, SanMar
Barb Herman is a representative for SanMar's Industrial Apparel line, Cornerstone.  She brings 19 years of experience  to her clients  in industrial uniforming .  Barb specializes in creating exceptional uniform programs including imaging and branding all the way to creating  company  uniform programs and designs.

Brian Greul, Texas Shirt Company
Brian Greul is the president of Texas Shirt Company, a distributor company based in Houston, Texas.  Brian is a columnist for Stitches Magazine and Advantages magazine and has written for Counselor with an emphasis on profitable and efficient marketing for distributors.  Brian’s background includes working as a Network Administrator, Consultant, and Sales Engineer within the Information Technology field.  Brian excels at translating the technical into the saleable.  Within the industry Brian has done all aspects of production from pulling squeegees for printing to threading needles, digitizing for embroidery and even some first hand selling.

Fran Ford, Vantage
Francis J. Ford, Jr. is Sales and Business Development Director for Vantage Apparel and a pioneer in the promotional products industry. With over 31 years experience, he has been the president of Advertising Specialty Distributor Motford, Inc., BTS Castelli Diaries; co-founder of the Martin Company and VP of Sales for the Jaffa Company, BTS Group and Awardcaft. The wealth of knowledge created from each of these experiences has been recognized by the promotional products industry on several different occasions. In addition to Fran’s work experience, he has served on the Advertising and Public Relations Committee and the International Committee. He is a Keynote panelist for various tradeshows along with facilitating over 25 education courses in the USA and in Europe

First time to an ASI Show? Then be our guest as we welcome you and other industry newcomers. Get tips for working the show more effectively and learn about all the available services and free amenities available to distributors/decorators at an ASI Show! Over a light breakfast, you’ll gain some great advice on how to make your first and future ASI Show experiences memorable!

Natalie Townes, The ASI Show!
Natalie Townes is Professional Develoment Projects Manager for The ASI Show. She has been involved in education conference design and production for the advertising specialty industry for 20 years, and is well known as an industry education and training consultant. In 2001, Natalie was named to Counselor magazine’s “40 under 40” people to watch in the industry. She is a founding member of the Promotional Products Association of the Mid-South (PPAMS), served as the first President and is Education Chair Emeritus for PPAMS.

• Formulating a more powerful USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
• Handling price objections with finesse
• Using a marketing calendar to fill your sales pipeline with new clients and opportunities
• Maximizing profits through effective negotiation techniques
  

Lisa Leitch, Teneo Results
People who know Lisa Leitch describe her as a “fireball.” Contributing to a wealth of marketing, promotions and sales hands-on experience, Lisa delivers results. As a national advertising manager, Lisa understands the client and buyer’s perspective. As a multi-million dollar salesperson and VP of sales for one of the largest Canadian promotional distributors, selling to IBM, Hershey, Daimler Chrysler and YTV, she knows the promotional industry. And as a strategist, speaker and trainer, it is Lisa’s goal to help you “master” the sales game.

Most salespeople are very good at a game no longer being played.Stop selling, presenting, answering objections and closing and instead play the role of a “change agent.”The feature/benefit or relationship style of selling that has served companies for so long, has proven to be a “great equalizer” that reduces your message to a common denominator. It creates commoditization of the logoed products we sell and makes it difficult to penetrate new accounts at high levels and maintain pricing integrity. In today's market what truly differentiates one salesperson from another is their ability to be a business resource, strategic advisor, objective partner and business strategist. In this session, you'll learn:

• Why the best presentation is no presentation at all
• How to get a better yield and close more sales at higher margins
• How to establish a selling methodology that will maximize your leverage and help you gain control in the sales process
• How to uncover your clients'company vision/mission, critical success factors and sell like a business strategist
• How to build a sound business case and a ROI analysis for your clients
• How to createa value proposition that applies in today's market and communicate it effectively to new and existing clients

Rick Farrell, Tangent Knowledge Systems
Rick Farrell is President of Tangent Knowledge Systems and has been responsible for sales, and business development for nearly 25 years. His passionate, provocative and interactive style encourages audience participation, learning and improvement while providing practical, usable “time tested” information. Richard has worked with a range of businesses from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups, helping optimize performance by assessing salespeople, sales processes, management structure and implementing strategies to increase the company’s bottom line.

Brandon Mackay, SnugZ USA
Brandon Mackay, CEO, started his career in 1994 in the shipping department. Through his forward thinking and ability to build systems he has been promoted to the top leadership position at SnugZ USA, one of the most well known and respected suppliers in the industry.

Charley Johnson, SnugZ USA
Charley Johnson is Vice President of Marketing for SnugZ USA. He has been instrumental in maintaining the high customer service goals and objectives at SnugZ USA, who was named the 2006 ASI Supplier of the Year.

Maximize your creativity and win more clients! Learn how to use your experience, resourcefulness, product knowledge and understanding of the effectiveness of promotional advertising, branding and positioning to take your clients’ business to the next level. Learn how to breathe life into your clients’ goals and visions and make them a reality using custom branded promotional advertising. In this interactive workshop, you’ll discover the amazing potential you have inside your own mind to create successful promotional marketing campaigns. Watch your business soar when you put new creative energy into every sale.

Michael Crawford, Crawford Creative Group
Michael Crawford is an award-winning graphic designer and consultant. He has worked as an art director for advertising agencies and promotional products suppliers. Michael recently opened his own promotional products distributorship Crawford Creative Group, LLC, a multi-service agency, which includes promotional products as its core media. Michael teaches visual communications, marketing, sales and advertising design at local colleges and high schools, spreading the word to students, faculty and local business leaders about the value of promotional products marketing.

Adding decoration services, personalization and/or customization is a logical way to grow your ad specialty business. Learn how to get started offering embroidery, screen printing, heat transfer or direct-to-garment printing. Explore what equipment, software and accessories you will need and what they will cost. Develop a realistic business plan, determine start-up costs, pricing strategies and understand how to assess profitability and return on investment. Additionally, you’ll learn how to identify emerging markets and advertise and market your new offerings.

Craig Mertens, Digital Art Solutions
Craig began his career in the imprinted sportswear business as a warehouse boy/janitor in his family’s screen printing/embroidery business and later as “The T-Shirt Guy” in college. Like many others, Craig’s industry sales training program consisted of a sample bag, a price list and the words “go get’em kid.” As an early pioneer of virtual samples, Craig used graphics to separate himself from the competition and soon translated his graphic design skills into a software design business, Digital Art Solutions, that helps distributors and other non-artists turn artwork into their secret sales weapon.

• Which computer graphic programs are best for ad specialty distributors and what hardware you need to run them
• Graphic and electronic artwork terminology and types of file formats
• Which file formats ad specialty suppliers want your artwork
• How to label artwork files when you send them to suppliers
  

Don Arbuckle, Creative Resources
Don Arbuckle started his distributorship, Creative Resources, Inc., in 1999 and it has been growing strong for over eight years. While not a true computer “geek,” Don has been using computers since the early ’80s, teaching college classes in Fortran and using artwork programs since before CorelDRAW had numbers. Previously, Don designed, developed and delivered technical training programs and personal and executive development. Don sits on ASI’s Production Ready Artwork (PRA) Committee and was instrumental in the creation and release of electronic standards for our industry.

• Understand the promotional products network
• Define your opportunity
• Create the “advertising value” for your line
• Develop a positive industry persona
• Implement proven marketing strategies to leverage the network
• Determine who your real customers are and how to reach them effectively
• Utilize the power of ASI
  

Mary Kilburn, DinoMar
Mary Kilburn is co-founder of DinoMar, an industry consultancy helping firms quickly increase sales and profits and brand and position themselves for long term success. As DinoMar’s principal consultant, Mary brings 30 years of experience developing sales and marketing plans, market evaluations and strategies, representative programs and catalog and material design in promotional products and peripheral industries.

Christine Lovell, ASI
Christine Lovell is Sr. VP of Sales at ASI. Chris has 15 years experience assisting industry suppliers to quickly increase sales and profits as well
as helping to brand and position their firms for long-term success. A skilled marketing specialist, Chris is well-known for her ability to help new suppliers succeed quickly and has helped successful firms become industry icons. She has countless success stories and case histories from which to draw examples and insights into what makes and keeps an industry supplier on top.

Suppliers who are new to the promotional products industry, or are just looking for new ideas will learn how to maximize exposure for your line, gain top-of-mind status with distributors, leverage the power of the ASI Distributor Network to increase market share and quickly attract new sales to your company. Win more distributor loyalty and stop losing clients to the competition by distinguishing yourself from other suppliers and creating a positive “persona” in the industry. Define the niche markets you serve best and discover how to target them most effectively when you capitalize on distributor and end-user buying trends. Leave with an integrated marketing plan to catapult your success in the industry. You will…

• Understand the value of the distribution channel
• Define the audiences where your marketing can be targeted
• Learn about all of the options available to you for leveraged marketing
• Discover the vast opportunities provided by ASI
• Define strategies that suit your size, product line, service options and budget
• Learn how to develop YOUR marketing plan
• Find insights into measuring and assessing your marketing
• Build a successful promotional products business
  
  

• What it means to be “Green” and how to help your customers reduce their impact on the environment
• How to use advertising specialties to promote your clients’ efforts and message of “eco-awareness”
• How to define what an eco-friendly product is and learn how to find truly sustainable imprintable products
• How to introduce and sell eco-friendly products and programs to new and existing clients
• How to reduce your own carbon footprint and be more sustainable in YOUR everyday life and business

Chuck Fandos, GatewayCDI
Chuck Fandos is President of GatewayCDI, a company known for developing, promoting and selling environmentally friendly advertising specialty products and incentive programs to some of the largest multi-national corporations in the world. Chuck and his wife Susie opened GatewayCDI in July 1988 with one phone line and no clients. Today, Chuck handles day-to-day operations of the company while simultaneously negotiating with suppliers via The Legacy Buying Group. Prior to opening GatewayCDI, Chuck spent three years at Maritz, designing programs for one of the largest incentive companies in the world.

Kris Robinson, PromoShop/ecopromos.com
Kris Robinson is Vice President of PromoShop, a $30 million distributorship, a 14-year industry veteran and was HALO’s “Salesperson of the Year” in 2000. From his Boise, Idaho office, Kris actively works to save the Earth’s vital resources and revolutionize the way the advertising specialty industry thinks and responds to the environment and our need to reduce our carbon footprint on a global level. He founded the industry’s first “eco-friendly” division for PromoShop — ecopromos.com, which focuses on the development of sustainable products, education in the industry and responsibly building their clients’ brands.

Today’s competitive marketplace makes price a major issue. However, price is always more of an issue in the mind of the seller than the buyer. Learn what customers really want and the five reasons they buy. When you know your competitive edge, establish your value and communicate it effectively to customers, price will rarely become an issue. In this session, you’ll:

• Master techniques proven to close a sale when faced with price resistance
• Learn to sell value not price
• Train your clients that your quotes are non-negotiable
• Acquire new ways to handle inquiries from purchase agents

Danny Friedman, Added Incentives, Inc.
Danny Friedman has been in the promotional products industry for over 12 years and is a multi-million dollar producer. Danny’s clientele includes some of the top companies in the Fortune 500. Danny has been a sales manager and sales trainer for the last nine years. He combines his promotional products industry experience along with other industries he has been in that include office products, real estate and being a multi-line representative in the sporting goods industry. Danny has over 20 years of sales experience.

Discover how ESP Online and LogoMall web site can make your company more successful by increasing your sales, saving time and improving overall efficiency. During this session, you will learn:

• Why ESP Online and LogoMall is the industry’s #1 business management package for client development, product research and marketing
• How to take advantage of ESP Online’s exclusive features, like virtual samples, mobile client project access and editable PDF presentations
• How to leverage ASI’s LogoMall web site platform, with its world-class new shopping engine, to help your customers and prospects find products faster, provide them with more relevant results and, most importantly, increase the number of leads from your web site!
  

Dave Mauer, ASI
Dave is an account manager for ASI in the West Coast region. With a degree in marketing and management, and over six years of business consulting experience, he was destined to be successful in helping ASI distributor members start and develop their businesses. Dave also possesses the entrepreneurial spirit from owning several companies of his own, with a solid understanding of the challenges that a business faces and the importance of efficiently leveraging technology.

Devon McGuire, ASI
Devon McGuire is an ASI distributor account manager serving the West Coast region. Over the last six years, Devon has worked with ASI distributors at various stages of their business development to help them maximize their marketing efforts and efficiency to increase profits. Through her experience working with distributors who follow various business models, from large national franchises to small home-based companies, she is able to share her working knowledge of what practices lead to success in the promotional products industry.

Most salespeople are very good at a game no longer being played. Stop selling, presenting, answering objections and closing and instead play the role of a “change agent”. The feature/benefit or relationship style of selling that has served companies so long has proven to be a “great equalizer” that reduces your message to a common denominator. It creates commoditization of the logoed products we sell and makes it difficult to penetrate new accounts at high levels and maintain pricing integrity. In today’s market what truly differentiates one salesperson from another is their ability to be a business resource, strategic advisor, objective partner and business strategist. In this session, you’ll learn:

• Why the best presentation is no presentation at all
• How to get a better yield and close more sales at higher margins
• How to establish a selling methodology that will maximize your leverage and help you gain control in the sales process
• How to uncover your clients’ company vision/mission, critical success factors and sell like a business strategist
• How to build a sound business case and a ROI analysis for your clients
• How to create a value proposition that applies in today’s market and communicate it effectively to new and existing clients

Rick Farrell, Tangent Knowledge Systems
Rick Farrell is President of Tangent Knowledge Systems and has been responsible for sales and business development for nearly 25 years. His passionate, provocative and interactive style encourages audience participation, learning and improvement while providing practical, usable “time tested” information. Richard has worked with a range of businesses from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups, helping optimize performance by assessing salespeople, sales processes, management structure and implementing strategies to increase the company’s bottom line.

Get hot, new selling ideas for your client’s tradeshows, fundraisers, golf tournament, health and fitness fair and many more. Get a hands-on opportunity to see the industries hottest new products and brainstorm selling ideas with other distributors. Compete to see who comes up with the most creative and marketable campaigns. Winners will walk away with prizes, plus selling ideas for your clients. You’ll leave this exciting and interactive workshop armed with many new selling ideas. Plus, you’ll discover:

• How to accelerate your sales by showing the HOTTEST new products to clients and prospects
• How to utilize the brainstorming process to create marketing solutions for your clients
• Latest industry stats on the top selling products
• How ESP Centerstageand Event Planner can be an EASY, effective tool to create and present these ideas to your clients

Lisa Leitch, Teneo Results
People who know Lisa Leitch describe her as a “fireball.” Contributing to a wealth of marketing, promotions and sales hands-on experience, Lisa delivers results. As a national advertising manager, Lisa understands the client and buyer’s perspective. As a multi-million dollar salesperson and VP of sales for one of the largest Canadian promotional distributors, selling to IBM, Hershey, Daimler Chrysler and YTV, she knows the promotional industry. And as a strategist, speaker and trainer, it is Lisa’s goal to help you “master” the sales game.

Create your own competitive advantage when you learn how to build a distinctive, varied and high quality apparel program. Armed with this capability, your profits will soar and your pipeline will fill with new customers who want a skilled apparel program designer with the latest decorating techniques and the latest style and graphic designs. Participants will:

• Gain an understanding of the textiles market and learn how to keep up with evolving technology and imprinting techniques available today
• Learn which components every apparel program needs to offer and how to keep a program fresh, functionable and fashionable
• Get tips and techniques for making your custom designs and imprints exclusive and difficult to imitate
• Discover new decorating processes, how to use mixed media, special inks and embroidery techniques to create unique images
• Learn innovative strategies to increase sales with complimentary or add-on products
• Realize how to make the most money on apparel sales and how to re-generate sales year after year

Fran Ford, Vantage
Francis J. Ford, Jr. is Sales and Business Development Director for Vantage Apparel and a pioneer in the promotional products industry. With over 31 years experience, he has been the president of Advertising Specialty Distributor Motford, Inc., BTS Castelli Diaries; co-founder of the Martin Company and VP of Sales for the Jaffa Company, BTS Group and Awardcaft. The wealth of knowledge created from each of these experiences has been recognized by the promotional products industry on several different occasions. In addition to Fran’s work experience, he has served on the Advertising and Public Relations Committee and the International Committee. He is a Keynote panelist for various tradeshows along with facilitating over 25 education courses in the USA and in Europe.

Rosalie Marcus, PromoBizCoach.com
Rosalie Marcus, The Promo Biz Coach™, shortens the learning curve for people in the promotional products industry, teaching them how to get more sales, more clients and more income FAST! Rosalie is the creator of The Fast Track to Promotional Products Sales Success: How to Make More Money in Promotional Products Salesand the facilitator of the Women’s Selling Advantage Success Circle. A successful distributor herself, Rosalie is passionate about inspiring promotional products distributor professionals to grow their sales faster and farther than they ever thought possible!

Melinda Ligos, ASI Magazines
Melinda Ligos is Editor-in-Chief of ASI Magazines. Before joining ASI, she spent more than 13 years at Nielsen Media in New York overseeing a group of business-focused magazines that included Sales & Marketing Management. Under her leadership, Sales & Marketing Management was awarded the honor of “Magazine of the Year” from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). She also has been a frequent contributor to the business section of The New York Times, and her work was featured in the 2001 edition of The Best Business Stories of the Year.

Andrew Cohen, Counselor magazine
Andy Cohen is editor of Counselor magazine. He previously was editor of Incentive & Potentials magazine at The Nielsen Company in New York. While working for Nielsen, Andrew’s work received four Jesse H. Neal Awards, the highest honor in business journalism. This year, under Andrew’s leadership, Counselor magazine received its first ever Neal Award for its Family Business Spotlight series, an ASBPE Award for Best Department and two Folio Magazine Awards for Best Feature Article.

Are you getting the most out of your sales force? A well prepared and motivated sales force is essential in today’s competitive marketplace. This seminar will teach owners and sales managers how to get maximum results out of their sales force. Some of the topics that will be discussed include:

• How to make sure your sales force is ready and able to “win”
• How to set goals for your sales team that are clear and motivating
• How to lead by example
• How healthy competition within your sales force is a positive

Danny Friedman, Added Incentives, Inc.
Danny Friedman has been in the promotional products industry for over 12 years and is a multi-million dollar producer. Danny’s clientele includes some of the top companies in the Fortune 500. Danny has been a sales manager and sales trainer for the last nine years. He combines his promotional products industry experience along with other industries he has been in that include office products, real estate and being a multi-line representative in the sporting goods industry. Danny has over 20 years of sales experience.

Your clients want to know that the ad specialties you’re selling are safe. Find out how to know if the products you’re buying have been imported, if they were imprinted locally or abroad and if all aspects of the final product have been tested and approved for sale in the US. BIC, a leading supplier in the industry will share what they watch for in terms of product safety, what distributors should ask suppliers and how to protect yourself and your company if an issue does arise. Plus, you’ll receive advice on how to be proactive with your customers during the sales process.You will receive valuable information about the testing process and what types of product safety/compliance verification you may need. You’ll save precious time and research efforts and position yourself as an informed professional when you attend this timely and informative session.

Lori Bauer, BIC Graphic USA
Lori Bauer is a nine year industry veteran. In 1998, she joined BIC Graphic. Over the course of her career in marketing with BIC she has played an integral role in the growth of writing instruments and the company’s diversification into new product categories. In her current position as Marketing Manager, she is responsible for leading BIC’s new product development of both domestically produced and sourced products, as well as the overall marketing strategy for the company.

Laura High, BIC Graphic USA
Laura High has been in the promotional products industry for 14 years and with BIC Graphic USA for the past 6 years.  In her current role as Group Product Manager, Laura is responsible for the growth of the non-writing instrument brands including Sticky Notes, Magnets and Mouse Pads.  She has also been fundamental in the development of BIC’s imported product categories including Drinkware, Notebooks and Key Rings.  Laura’s understanding of product safety and social responsibility is a valuable asset in working with overseas manufacturers.

Take a comprehensive and thoughtful look at the sensitive dynamics of leadership succession in family business. Family Business expert Stephen Treat provides a wealth of answers to the succession challenge and a plan for families who want their business and its legacies to successfully continue. Learn how to prepare the family and the business for succession, how to develop successors and establish clear objectives for the transition. You’ll leave with an understanding of how current family leaders and the next generation can work together to perpetuate the family business while realizing personal and professional goals and dreams.

Stephen Treat, Council for Relationships
Stephen Treat received his doctorate in Pastoral Counseling from the Andover Newton Theological Seminary in 1976 and is an ordained minister.  He completed post-doctoral work in the Human Sexuality Department of the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania and the Marriage and Family Therapy Training Program at  Council for Relationships in 1981. He is licensed to practice marriage and family therapy in the state of Pennsylvania.  In addition to being an instructor in Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Jefferson Medical College, and an Adjunct Professor at Widener University, he is a Clinical Member and Approved Supervisor in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, a member of the American Association of Pastoral Counseling, a member of the American Family Therapy Association, and Associate of the Institute for Family Enterprising at the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship at Babson College, MA.

Dr. Treat has co-authored two books, Pastoral Marital Therapy and Couples in Treatment:  Techniques and Approaches for Effective Practice.  In addition, he has published book chapters and articles on process and content of marital and family therapy.  As a public speaker, Dr. Treat has been the keynote at many conferences on topics including fathers and sons, marital therapy, and spirituality.