What If You Had an In-Person Show And Nobody Got Infected?

I have to admit, at the time, I thought it might be swimming upstream a bit. But, the board of the Ohio Promotional Products Association (OPPA) decided to hold the first in-person promotional product trade show since the start of the pandemic. After a lot of soul-searching, they went for it at the beginning of August, and leaned in hard on all the safety guidelines of social distancing, masks, and lots of hand sanitizing. Being first to try an in-person show, I thought it appropriate to check back now, because the ultimate proof only comes from the number of infections traced back to attendance at Sales Safari weeks later.

“We are so excited about the interest and the response from the Sales Safari.” OPPA board member and Hasseman Marketing CEO Kirby Hasseman told me. “In follow-up from the event we have had zero cases, which is incredible. In addition, some suppliers have reached out to us and, based on the success and the precautions taken by OPPA at that event, are considering attending our Fall Shows!”

That kind of success at an in-person show is in contrast to the strategy of the ASI Show, which has suspended live events through March of 2021. The Orlando show is postponed to April and the Fort Worth Show to May. As of now, the July show is still on as scheduled in 2021.

For now, the PPAI Expo is still on for January 11-13, 2021, but with some modifications, including one education day, and only two exhibit days. Expo is implementing “Healthpitality” with cleaning and disinfecting in all exhibit and common areas, sanitizing stations, masks, distancing, limiting capacity, temperature checks, and even strict new guidelines on food and beverages. Like most everything else these days, details are fluid, so check back often as the dates get closer.

Speaking of fluid, as we all look ahead and make plans to pivot and prosper, I think it’s a good idea to seek advice from sage industry veterans. I reached out to Rod Brown, who gained more than 40 years of hard-earned experience starting when he first broke in as a commissioned sales rep in 1979- “then you had to sell to eat.” Rod stepped down from operational roles at MadeToOrder this year but remains a major shareholder and ESOP trustee. The idea to sell the company to the employees is still funded and ongoing, but the pandemic has temporarily slowed this initiative.

Rod has escaped to a summer home in the San Juan Islands, fishing, digging clams, and cooking on the beach 25 miles east of Victoria, BC. He’s still working with a few international clients that would like to break into promotional products and involved with a funding effort for a new social media app trying to make a small impact on global climate change.

I asked Rod about what’s ahead for mid-size suppliers and distributors. “Without significant cash or borrowing capabilities the ability to survive is challenged to a much higher level.” Rod continued, “If you were leveraged heading into the pandemic, things are much worse than if you had a horde of cash and little debt. More aggregation of distributors around networks, franchise, or acquirors is ahead.  The very smallest sole proprietor will likely struggle but can adjust, but with no real overhead they will either find a way to adapt and survive, or simply get a job outside of the industry. As we emerge, the creative, the fiscally responsible, the low frictional cost provider who has maintained constant contact with their clients, vendors, bankers, and employees while finding ways to deliver value will sprout back up.  Those that fail to communicate, care, and adapt will lose market share and may be done.”

Rod wanted to share that even with the best plan, sometimes ready cash gets tight, “NEVER fail to make a payment on time without prior notice and have a detailed plan for when you will pay to share. Let the lender or supplier know why a payment is not happening, and what you will do to make it right. NEVER hide.”

In the promotional products business, it’s a given that we all can fall victim to selling the same things to the same customers but Rod shared that he felt confident that “…with creativity, education, work and integrity you can be an exception to the rule. Just because there is a trend, find another way. It sounds easy I know. It is not. Read articles on your career, read on selling, read on creativity. Organize and reach others, enlist them on your team — partner with coworkers, vendors, bankers and clients. Learn to write and connect.”

After everybody stops depending on PPE for sales revenue, I asked Rod his thoughts on what the next big things will be? Without a moment’s hesitation, he replied, “Remote work.  Drop shipping more efficiently. Great packaging, as unboxing will be just an expected part of the product or program.  Housewares should be a growing category because we will be slow to go back in public. Home offices, home time, and home cooking will be impacted for years. Develop fun, graphically interesting, useful merchandise for home use. Make it merchandise parents can use with their school children to buy some time, bolster a feeling, or change a habit.”

No matter what promotional products look like post-pandemic, most of us will continue to look for a good balance between work and life. For Rod, that started just after 9/11. “I knew then my marriage, my partner Barbara, and our two sons were paramount to me. I wanted to share life lessons and experiences, I wanted to invest in memories as much as I wanted to seek goals. That is when I bought a boat and started to build a business model that would allow me to basically take the summers off.  As a close friend of mine tells me still, ‘Money is a renewable resource, time is not.’”

Rod just can’t help dabbling in promotional products while at his summer home. “I have developed a couple of logos for the (San Juan) Islands’ crabbing, fishing, and boating experience and given them away.  From the guys who run the ferry, to the bartender, to the general store on the island, they all LOVE the stuff. Promotional products done right are powerful tools of influence, recognition, and just fun!” 40 years later, they still are.