Meeting of Minds Launches Collective Thinking
"Our end customers view incentives and promotional products not as investments but as an expense," says Pete Mitchell, director of B-to-B Sales for Samsonite Corporation who organized and facilitated the annual Special Markets Dialogue held this past weekend in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The think-tank-style, invitation-only discussion brought together 23 executives from a broad range of incentive and promotional products organizations to assess the state of the market and to identify key opportunities for 2010.

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SAGE^® Becomes Exclusive SmartBlast Reseller For Promo Products Industry
Carrollton, Texas-based business services provider SAGE|Quick Technologies (UPIC: SAGE) and SmartBlast.com have entered and agreement making SAGE the exclusive reseller of SmartBlast e-mailing and DigiCatalog e-catalogs within the promotional products industry.

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Apex Advertising Joins Facilis Group
Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based distributor Apex Advertising Inc. (UPIC: APEXADV1) has joined St. Louis, Missouri-based Facilis Group, an organization of promotional products distributors.

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BIC Figures Reflect Industry Sales Decline
BIC Group, the Europe-based parent company of Clearwater, Florida-based supplier BIC Graphic USA (UPIC: BIC), released its nine-month and third-quarter sales reports last week, which show growth in consumer markets but a decline in promotional products sales that reflects a trend seen throughout the industry.

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Cintas Founder Farmer Retiring As Chairman Of The Board
Cincinnati, Ohio-based distributor Cintas Corporation (UPIC: CINTP001) has bid farewell to founder and Chairman of the Board Richard T. Farmer, who announced his retirement last week.

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Newton Reflects On 100th Anniversary Celebration
Newton, Iowa-based distributor Newton Manufacturing Co. (UPIC: NEWTON) hosted several events during the week of September 20 to mark its 100-year milestone.

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Healthcare Reform Bill
Closer To A Vote In U.S. Senate
Last week the Senate Finance Committee voted in favor of its healthcare reform proposal, America's Healthy Future Act of 2009, putting the bill in front of the full Senate. Members are urged to share their views on the portion of the proposal that could effectively prohibit the distribution of promotional products among many healthcare professionals.

Sens. Charles Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand, D-New York, are considered critical voices in the Senate, and PPAI has provided a script for members to use to contact them by phone, fax and e-mail. To increase the impact of the industry's efforts, each person who contacts senators is encouraged to ask six more professionals to contact senators as well.

The full text of the bill can be read here.

Senators Want Advertising Tax Deduction Nixed
Three Democratic senators are calling for the elimination of a federal tax deduction for prescription drug advertising and marketing costs, a move that would likely nullify agreements between the administration and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., along with co-sponsors Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, may offer the bill as an amendment to the healthcare reform bill currently before the U.S. Senate, according to a recent story in Ad Age.

The administration and PhRMA leaders have reportedly been operating under a "handshake deal" that calls for drug makers to pick up an estimated $80 billion in healthcare costs over 10 years in exchange for no further crackdowns on the industry. Please direct questions or comments to PPAI's Senior Manager of Public Affairs, Anne Lardner, at AnneL@ppai.org or 972-258-3041.

CPSC Issues Lead Policy Statement
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a policy statement in plain language that addressed lead limits and children's product testing under the rules of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which was enacted in 2008.

The policy statement addresses questions raised by manufacturers and is intended to provide guidance regarding compliance, but it does not impose legal requirements beyond what is stated in CPSIA regulations.

Testing components for acceptable lead levels, how and when children's products must be tested and certified to the 300 parts per million (ppm) limit and what types fall under the regulations are among the issues addressed in the statement.

FirstPoint International Promotes Goldstein, Hires Wright-Peña
Hartford, Connecticut-based supplier FirstPoint International (UPIC: BETTER) has promoted Melinda Goldstein to operations manager. Goldstein has worked at FirstPoint for more than eight years. Additionally,

FirstPoint has hired Dian Wright-Peña to serve as a marketing strategist.

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Match Supplier Earns Place In The New York Times
A recent New York Times story about the reviving popularity of restaurant matches was enhanced by the contributions of New York, New York-based supplier AdMatch Corporation (UPIC: admatch), both on and off the paper.

Though cities across the country are joining the smoke-free dining movement, matches remain popular with patrons and are still an effective and inexpensive advertising vehicle.

"Matches have universal appeal, and that's the mystery--hat one little package could resonate with familiarity, maybe beauty, and a feeling of value," says Mark Nackman, AdMatch owner and president.

West Seattle Blog Recognizes ZippyDogs' Tradeshow Honor
West Seattle, a community blog, recently recognized Seattle, Washington-based supplier ZippyDogs (UPIC: Zippy722) for picking up the Best Booth Showmanship award at the Northwest Event Show.

"We try to make every day fun and we strive to be helpful, professional, friendly and yes, a little playful," says Elise Lindborg, "Top Dog" at ZippyDogs.

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Get Packing With Travel Products
The January issue of PPB features an assortment of travel products to get you comfortably to your destination. Look for luggage tags, luggage locks, toiletry bags, travel carts, packing organizers, travel pillows, eye masks, blankets and travel-sized accessories such as mirrors, sewing kits, first-aid kits and candles. November 6 is the deadline to get descriptions and high-resolution images to Audrey Sellers for consideration.

A Collection Of Coordinating Apparel
When your clients call for matching men's and ladies' apparel, turn to the January issue of PPB for some fresh ideas. Here you'll find coordinating outerwear, knits and wovens, among other styles. Send apparel descriptions and high-resolution images to Audrey Sellers by November 6 for possible inclusion. 

PPAI Needs Your Olympic Products
The PPAI public relations department is developing a collection of products that promote The Olympic Games. If you've supplied product for the Olympics in the past or are producing products for the upcoming Winter Games, please send your products or high-res photographs to Erica Edwards, PPAI communications coordinator, 3125 Skyway Circle North, Irving, Texas 75038.

Share Your Cause Awareness Products With PPAI
Promotional products play a large role in social awareness campaigns. If you have created or plan to create products for cause-related initiatives, e-mail Erica Edwards, PPAI communications coordinator.

The Executive Life
Like most busy professionals, Lynda Gallant, CAS, is just an e-mail away from her colleagues. Whether she's staying on top of her duties as vice president and sales manager at Pickering, Ontario-based supplier Somcan (UPIC: 7205) or answering member questions as board chair for Promotional Product Professionals of Canada, e-mail lets her stay in touch and juggle her busy schedule.

Smart HR Practices
The year has come and gone with massive changes in government: healthcare bills abound, a new judge rules and the recession's pull is lessening.

Hosting Your Own Red Carpet Events
Distributors looking for creative ways to promote their products and services and create the kind of buzz that closes big deals shouldn't overlook the power of a self-promotion party.

A distributor asks: "A client recently found an item online at a lower price than I could quote it. It's not exactly the same item but it's close enough that he's willing to buy it online instead of from me. What can I do to keep his business and how can I avoid this problem in the future?"

What's your answer? E-mail answers along with your name, title and company name to Question@ppai.org by November 6 for possible inclusion in the January issue of PPB magazine.

Answers to this month's question are in. Click here to read advice for a supplier concerned about its negative customer reviews on an industry website.