Cliff Quicksell, Jr., MAS+, president and CEO of Cliff Quicksell & Associates, has been involved in the promotional products and sportswear industries for 38 years. During this tenure, he has been actively involved in PPAI, serving on various committees, and as a facilitator at PPAI and ASI shows. Quicksell has also served five terms as the education chairperson for Chesapeake Promotional Products Association and is a now a board member and chair of the Awards Committee. He is also a longtime speaker, trainer and international consultant for associations and national business groups on more effective ways to market themselves and their products and services as well as how to motivate their personnel. He has won 30 PPAI Pyramid Awards and was the inaugural recipient of PPAI’s Distinguished Service Award in 1997.

David Blaise is an entrepreneur, author and business consultant with more than 30 years’ experience in direct marketing and advertising. Blaise has been involved in the promotional products industry as a sales representative, sales manager, marketing manager, business owner, sales trainer and coach. He is the author of Getting Started: How to Launch a Wildly Successful Career in Promotional Products Sales and Top Secrets of Customer Acquisition and co-author of The Power of Promotional Products. He is the co-founder of Promo Academy and SmartEQP.com.