Industry leaders in sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) shared what they’ve learned over the years during several educational sessions at The PPAI Expo Conference on Monday.

Denise Taschereau, CEO and co-founder of Vancouver, British Columbia-based Fairware (PPAI 262992, D7) and incoming PPAI board chair, urged attendees of the “Greenprint For Success: Lessons From Sustainable Corporate Pioneers” session to have confidence and courage when talking clients into purchasing sustainable products.

During Monday’s PPAI Expo Conference, the Association hosted a panel titled “Technology Tools To Maximize Profits.” The panel was moderated by Nick DiNicola, PPAI’s digital transformation manager. Panelists included:

• Rose Arendarczyk, SVP, transformation, HALO
• Joe Hoffman, vice president of operations, iPROMOTEu
• Shawn Reed, director of information technology, Showdown Displays
• CW Karstens, director of digital transformation, PPAI

All of the panelists (and DiNicola) sit on the PPAI Technology Committee.

“PPAI is committed to educating its membership on its options regarding technology,” Arendarczyk, who is the chair of the Technology Committee, told the crowd at Mandalay Bay.

Every year at The PPAI Expo, the Association and its members celebrate the Icons that make the industry what it is today. This year, attendees of The PPAI Expo Conference held an opportunity to hear from the 2024 Icons directly at Monday’s networking luncheon.

Almost 400 industry professionals gathered for an introspective conversation on succeeding in the promotional products industry from professionals at very different points in their career. The secret to success that they all seemed to come back to: it’s people helping people.

If the Starbucks line outside of The PPAI Expo 2024 was a little too long for some attendees Tuesday morning, then Alex Weber, professional speaker and former contestant and host of NBC’s American Ninja Warrior, likely jolted them awake with his 8:30 am session.

• Weber’s session, titled “The Unstoppable You,” ended just as the doors of the tradeshow floor officially opened for The PPAI Expo 2024, giving guests some extra motivation to advance their business and make meaningful connections over the following three days.

The wealth of educational opportunities presented at The PPAI Expo 2024 and The PPAI Expo Conference serves as an indispensable resource for professionals within the promotional products industry. This year’s conference showcased a myriad of forward-thinking concepts, offering attendees beneficial and intriguing ideas that they can readily apply within their own companies.