PPAI

Promotional Products Association International today announced the roll out of an update and expansion of the PPAI Professional Development Certification Program during The PPAI Expo in Las Vegas, the industry's largest tradeshow and among the top 50 trade shows in the U.S., according to Tradeshow Executive.

This year's education events at the PPAI Expo began yesterday with the typical excitement and high enthusiasm of the industry's largest show. Class attendees seemed engaged and hungry for each session's information, many seen quickly scribbling notes or taking pictures of the presentation screen slides with their smart phones.

This week, Promo Marketing is looking at the stories that helped define 2011. Today, we'll be looking at the industry news in 2011: the mergers, moves, openings and closings that defined the promotional products world.

The PPAI Expo, the promotional products industry's largest trade show, began today in Las Vegas. Held in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, the show offers five days of education, networking and products.

Find out what the outdoor hockey game and the promotional product trade show do for your 2012 sales.

Gill Studios Inc. has recently announced that is has hired Lisa LeMond as its director of sales for the development and management of a new outside sales force. Lisa comes to Gill with 17 years of promotional products experience working as the international account manager from Norwood/BIC. This newly created position is to support the company's inside sales management team and to develop a bigger presence in the field. "Lisa will bring a wealth of outside sales knowledge and relationships to the company," said Paul Lage, president and CEO of Gill Studios. LeMond officially starts January 4, 2012, and will be working at the PPAI Expo in Las Vegas and the ASI Show in Orlando.

Additional information is available at www.gill-line.com.

Three things you can do now to make your trip to Las Vegas easier in January.

Here are some tips on what to wear to The PPAI Expo. Plus, advice on the best places for logos to get you and your brand noticed on the show floor.

Custom HBC Corporation and Next Innovations LTD today announced that their companies had entered into a strategic alliance to supply an extensive line of precision laser-cut metal products decorated with the Infusion full-color image process to the promotional products industry.

Many years ago I started in this industry as an apparel decorator. We were doing pretty well, but my wife saw the need to expand the business to include promotional products. I thought she was nuts but I went along with it.