If you need to jump-start your sales after the COVID downturn, these information-packed sessions will help you sharpen your skills, win clients and close deals.

These sessions will show you how to successfully market your business – and yourself. You'll learn to use social media tools to achieve your goals, and leave with strategies and tips to really stand out from the crowd.

Taught by decoration experts, these interactive sessions feature innovative heat press techniques, decorating machinery in action, and advice on choosing the best products and printing methods for your clients.

In these sessions you'll dive into the latest version of ASI's ESP – the industry's largest, most accurate sourcing and marketing service – and see how ESP Websites can help grow your sales. Plus, you'll learn about the power of self-promos and which markets and products you should focus on now.

Take a break from the exhibit floor and discover ways to improve your marketing, sales and social media skills, and find out how you can increase the true value of your business.

Take a break from the exhibit floor and discover techniques to grow your marketing and social media skills, plus tips on harnessing the awesome power of referrals.

Vice chairman of the ASI Family of Companies (composed of The ASI Show!^®, ASI Computer Systems^® and ASI^®), Matthew Cohn, MASI, has launched businesses in publishing, e-commerce, trade shows and medical information. He has also served as president, education chair and treasurer of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Young Entrepreneurs Organization and is on the board of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Young President's Organization (YPO). The Philadelphia Business Journal recognized him in their "40 Under 40" awards, and he was named among the Top 100 People to Watch by Business Philadelphia magazine, as well as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the trade show industry by Tradeshow Week. He has been a featured speaker at national conferences such as American Society of Association Executives, Direct Marketing Association, Internet World, Annual Catalog Conference, Seybold Seminars, International Association of Exposition Managers and SISO.

With so many great events taking place at the ASI Show, it can be a daunting task trying to fit everything in. As a new attendee, we know how important it is for you to get the most out of the time you have – but where do you start? Join ASI's Vice Chairman Matthew Cohn as he shares great tips for working the show more effectively, and hear about all the free services and amenities available to distributors/decorators while at an ASI Show.

Terry Watson brings humor and decades of sales and leadership expertise to his sessions. His vibrant presentations are powerful, positive and results-based – and while you’re laughing, you’ll also be learning how to improve sales and client relationships.

You no longer have just clients. You now have Bloggers, online reviewers, and potential Social Media Vigilantes. One bad experience or a perceived unhappy outcome can encourage an online review that will repel potential business like a 2 day old baby diaper. A customer with a Smartphone or an Internet connection has the ability to actually affect your bottom line. Ironically, though, most agents aren’t handling a problem at the right stage: Before a problem happens.

In this presentation, Terry Watson will show you how the simple things have an enormous impact on customer satisfaction – as well as how to set reasonable expectations for your client so they never feel surprised when something doesn’t go according to plan.

Cliff Quicksell, Jr., MASI, is the president and CEO of Cliff Quicksell & Associates. During his 35+ years in the industry, his passion for education and training has been exemplified by his having served five terms as the education chairperson for the regional trade association CPPA of Maryland, and he currently serves on the CPPA board as president. The author of over 1,200 articles and recipient of numerous awards for innovation and creativity, Cliff speaks, trains and consults internationally to 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.

Most salespeople believe that buyers are only interested in the lowest possible price, but nothing could be further from the truth. In this session you'll dive into the 10 things clients are really looking for – including unbridled creativity and big-swing strategies – and learn how you can deliver them. Plus, you'll discuss three things to avoid at all costs: closed-ended questions; inflexible, preconceived thinking; and the inability to measure your efforts.

Michele Bell, MASI, is a vice president at ASI, overseeing the Editorial, Special Events and Education teams. With more than 30 years of journalism experience, she has been with ASI for 23 years and is the recipient of multiple Neal Awards, known as the Pulitzer Prize of business journalism.

Nate Kucsma, MASI, is ASI’s executive director of Research and Corporate Marketing. Nate joined ASI in March 2014 and has over 20 years of domestic and international marketing research experience. Prior to ASI, he worked at well-known companies such as Dow Jones, MetLife and ETS. He earned his MBA from Rutgers University in Marketing in 2007.

How did the promo industry fare in 2020, and what can we expect over the next 12 months? In this session full of predictive data, graphics and analysis, Nate Kucsma, ASI’s executive director of research and corporate marketing, and Michele Bell, ASI’s vice president of editorial and education, will discuss their latest market research that shows which market are ripe for promo, which product trends are resonating with buyers, and where you should target your time and resources to optimize your sales success.

Terry Watson brings humor and decades of sales and leadership expertise to his sessions. His vibrant presentations are powerful, positive and results-based – and while you’re laughing, you’ll also be learning how to improve sales and client relationships.

Your clients say they want good customer service but what they really demand, is a great customer experience… The two could not be further apart! They’re searching for true expertise that will help them through the entire marketing process. When you’re the expert in your business, it’s easy to forget that your customer doesn’t always understand the processes that happen every single day. The public says it’s not enough to just be good at your job – you have to present yourself as a TRUE expert in order to win the business of today’s consumer who has more moving choices than ever!

In this presentation, Terry Watson will show you not only how to develop your expertise, but to showcase it in a way that generates trust from the marketplace where you become the only option!

Cliff Quicksell, Jr., MASI, is the president and CEO of Cliff Quicksell & Associates. During his 35+ years in the industry, his passion for education and training has been exemplified by his having served five terms as the education chairperson for the regional trade association CPPA of Maryland, and he currently serves on the CPPA board as president. The author of over 1,200 articles and recipient of numerous awards for innovation and creativity, Cliff speaks, trains and consults internationally to 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.

Today's promo buyers are looking for a multitalented sales professional to help revive their pre-pandemic momentum. In this session you'll examine the qualities that will make you stand out and stay competitive in today's ever-shifting market. You'll also see examples of self-promo campaigns (your sales secret) that have generated 80% return rates. You'll leave ready to embody the traits of a strategic salesperson, ensure your professional growth and boost your bottom line.

Don't miss this exclusive preview of NEW products that suppliers will highlight in their booths on both Exhibit Days.

Jay Busselle is managing partner of FLEXpoint Social Selling. It's been about 30 years since he started printing and selling "unofficial replica" T-shirts in the mid '80s of his favorite skiing and skateboarding companies. He landed his first industry job while in college as a cut-and-paste artist for a Yellow Pages publishing company. It didn't take long before he was working for a screen printer, and soon thereafter, for his family owned promotional advertising agency. Jay is a board member (referred to as "chefs") for PromoKitchen, an all-volunteer nonprofit group focused on mentorship in the promo industry. He's a highly rated industry presenter and a trainer on topics like branding, marketing and LinkedIn. He is also a self-proclaimed CTO – Chief Taco Officer – and has found his home hanging out with the other promo peeps and apparel geeks on the island of misfit toys.

The world of social media is crowded and noisy, and your customers and prospects don't need more information – they're craving the insight and knowledge that you can provide as a promo product expert. This session will share both good and bad examples of social media engagement and focus on three ways to jumpstart your content and add value to your posts.

Melissa Newman is ASI's social media manager. She's been in the digital marketing space for five years with a significant concentration in social media marketing, and she holds an M.S. in Digital Innovation in Marketing. She's passionate about social's ability to create community and brand equity, and provide value to customers. She co-hosts The Social Angle podcast and loves collaborating with ASI's internal departments to evangelize ASI to promo professionals everywhere. When she's not combing through Facebook Groups or overthinking the perfect tweet, you can find her highly caffeinated in her kitchen attempting to replicate recipes she finds on TikTok (with varying degrees of success).

Whether you’re looking to improve your social media presence or start from scratch, this fun and interactive session is for you. ASI’s social media manager will cover the basics of five popular platforms and their competitive advantages and share case studies and best practices. You’ll leave knowing how to:

• Understand content pillars and why they’re important
• Create the best content for each unique platform
• Identify resources to define your audience.

Cliff Quicksell, Jr., MASI, is the president and CEO of Cliff Quicksell & Associates. During his 35+ years in the industry, his passion for education and training has been exemplified by his having served five terms as the education chairperson for the regional trade association CPPA of Maryland, and he currently serves on the CPPA board as president. The author of over 1,200 articles and recipient of numerous awards for innovation and creativity, Cliff speaks, trains and consults internationally to 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.

Self-promotions are one of the best ways to stay top of mind with your clients and also attract prospects. In this session you’ll see creative case histories of self-promo success, learn how the campaigns were developed, and dig into the outstanding results of proven strategies.

Jay Busselle is managing partner of FLEXpoint Social Selling. It's been about 30 years since he started printing and selling "unofficial replica" T-shirts in the mid '80s of his favorite skiing and skateboarding companies. He landed his first industry job while in college as a cut-and-paste artist for a Yellow Pages publishing company. It didn't take long before he was working for a screen printer, and soon thereafter, for his family owned promotional advertising agency. Jay is a board member (referred to as "chefs") for PromoKitchen, an all-volunteer nonprofit group focused on mentorship in the promo industry. He's a highly rated industry presenter and a trainer on topics like branding, marketing and LinkedIn. He is also a self-proclaimed CTO – Chief Taco Officer – and has found his home hanging out with the other promo peeps and apparel geeks on the island of misfit toys.

Do you want to be more visible to your ideal prospects and clients? Then optimizing your LinkedIn profile is a must, as you need to be seen as a resource, not a resume. In this session you'll learn to correctly leverage the "big four" on LinkedIn – background banner, profile picture, headline and about section – helping you build trust and grow relationships on this top business platform.

Terry Watson brings humor and decades of sales and leadership expertise to his sessions. His vibrant presentations are powerful, positive and results-based – and while you’re laughing, you’ll also be learning how to improve sales and client relationships.

Like popping popcorn in a hot oily skillet, Terry Watson will deliver social media idea after idea to help you thrive in uncertainty, lead through stress and manage the unmanageable. This fast-paced session is designed to maximize your time while providing a huge number of game-changing ideas. You’ll explore social media opportunities, vulnerabilities, and the things you absolutely need to stop doing TODAY if longevity is your game plan. You‘ll leave this session mumbling, “I can’t believe I didn’t know that, I’m so glad, I came!”

Rachel Corey is the promotional fulfillment manager, responsible for the facilitation and execution of all decoration projects provided to the exclusive Stahls' Decorator Network. She has been in the apparel decoration business for nearly a decade, which kicked off by managing a sales team focused on selling primarily promotional products. In that role she discovered her passion for solving customers' decorating challenges, which brought her to STAHLS'. She enjoys working with clients across the country, fulfilling requests with the latest innovations STAHLS' has to offer.

Alison Zuccaro is the strategic production manager/Stahls' Decorator Network manager. She's been in the decorated-apparel industry for over 25 years, working in customer service, training and management, and presenting at tradeshows and workshops across the U.S. In her current role, Alison influences new product development and execution, using customer feedback to drive company improvement.

Headwear continues to evolve as a promo favorite, and the decoration options are endless. During this interactive tutorial you'll see a heat press in action, printing 12 hats with 12 different logos. You'll leave knowing how to:

• Replicate popular trends with your customer's logo
• Create dimension and texture in 60 seconds or less on ANY hat
• Heat print embroidered patches and leather emblems.

Alison Zuccaro is the strategic production manager/Stahls' Decorator Network manager. She's been in the decorated-apparel industry for over 25 years, working in customer service, training and management, and presenting at tradeshows and workshops across the U.S. In her current role, Alison influences new product development and execution, using customer feedback to drive company improvement.

Our industry is built on logos, and in this session you'll learn how you can affordably offer what every client wants: full-color logos printed on-demand. Whether you're decorating a shirt, hat, drinkware or bag, a beautiful, professional logo will get noticed and deliver results for your clients. Don't miss this chance to discover the selling opportunities for full-color logos and the unlimited profit potential of heat transfers.

Rachel Corey is the promotional fulfillment manager, responsible for the facilitation and execution of all decoration projects provided to the exclusive Stahls' Decorator Network. She has been in the apparel decoration business for nearly a decade, which kicked off by managing a sales team focused on selling primarily promotional products. In that role she discovered her passion for solving customers' decorating challenges, which brought her to STAHLS'. She enjoys working with clients across the country, fulfilling requests with the latest innovations STAHLS' has to offer.

Alison Zuccaro is the strategic production manager/Stahls' Decorator Network manager. She's been in the decorated-apparel industry for over 25 years, working in customer service, training and management, and presenting at tradeshows and workshops across the U.S. In her current role, Alison influences new product development and execution, using customer feedback to drive company improvement.

Promotional apparel doesn't have to be limited to a full-front logo on a T-shirt. With expanding technology, you can offer clients plenty of unique logo placements, such as on sleeves, collars and pockets, and even on non-apparel items. In this session you'll see how to:

• Maximize impressions on a single piece of apparel
• Properly size a logo for hard-to-print surfaces
• Create unique new options for any logo.

Rachel Corey is the promotional fulfillment manager, responsible for the facilitation and execution of all decoration projects provided to the exclusive Stahls' Decorator Network. She has been in the apparel decoration business for nearly a decade, which kicked off by managing a sales team focused on selling primarily promotional products. In that role she discovered her passion for solving customers' decorating challenges, which brought her to STAHLS'. She enjoys working with clients across the country, fulfilling requests with the latest innovations STAHLS' has to offer.

The surge in working from home has made branded kits a popular and convenient way for your clients to show appreciation for their customers or spread the word about their new product or brand. In this session you'll explore all the kitting options for a variety of apparel and non-apparel items. You'll also learn how to build kits that stand out with unique logo finishes and textures, and the best products and printing methods for your client's audience.

Jackie Chaszczewicz, MASI, is a senior marketing manager at ASI. She's been with the company for five years and in the marketing space for over 10 years. Jackie specializes in helping existing businesses thrive and new businesses grow by teaching them how to start selling promotional products. She also works with distributors to share the best sales and marketing tactics to help them stay successful. She brings to her role a passion for creativity, strategic thinking and a desire to help ASI members succeed.

Be sure to attend this session if you want to target hot markets and discover the products they buy most. You'll leave knowing:

• The top five industries that buy promo products
• The newest product ideas for these industries
• The leading uses of promo products
• Powerful stats and tips you can use for the perfect pitch.

Abby Koss, BASI, is the head of distributor marketing at ASI. She's been with the company for five years and in the marketing space for 16 years. She brings to her role an inherent passion for the latest marketing trends and tactics, coupled with a love of all things creative. She also has a unique perspective on ASI's marketing, as she was an end-buyer of promo products earlier in her career.

Want to produce beautiful graphics and professional sales presentations without spending a ton of time and money? Look no further than Canva.com – a free design tool – and ESP Presentations. This live demo session will show you step-by-step how to create custom cover pages, product detail pages and other marketing materials using Canva and ESP Presentations. You’ll be “wowing” your prospects and clients in no time!

Joan Miracle, BASI, is an executive director of corporate accounts at ASI. She's been providing business counseling to entrepreneurs for over 30 years, with 13 years in the ad specialty industry. Her background includes successfully running a $46M operation, including the startup of numerous businesses from real estate development and acquisition to open profitable operations. Her main focus and passion have been in sales and sales training, assisting new business owners with startup marketing, leveraging technology for success, and helping established businesses grow through strategic marketing plans that emphasize online marketing and improving operational efficiency.

In this interactive demonstration, we'll walk you through display options to personalize your ESP Website and show you how to control the products, suppliers and pricing displayed. You'll leave ready to create a world-class shopping experience for your customers with ESP Websites.

Michael D'Ottaviano, MASI, is an executive director of corporate accounts at ASI. He specializes in strategic solutions, helping ASI distributors members realize opportunity and grow their businesses by utilizing creative website design combined with innovative marketing campaigns. He also works with distributors to develop social media campaigns to increase web presence and grow their customer base. Michael is passionate about technology and implementing integrated solutions to help distributors streamline their business processes and grow their businesses.

Plan to attend this session if you have an ESP license and want to get the most out of the powerful platform and its newest features. An ESP expert will cover:

• The best markets and products to pitch with the Idea Center
• The easiest ways to narrow search results
• How to close sales using the new features in the Virtual Samples tool
• Quick tips for creating customized presentations tailored for specific clients.

Abby Koss, BASI, is the head of distributor marketing at ASI. She's been with the company for five years and in the marketing space for 16 years. She brings to her role an inherent passion for the latest marketing trends and tactics, coupled with a love of all things creative. She also has a unique perspective on ASI's marketing, as she was an end-buyer of promo products earlier in her career.

Self-promo campaigns can engage new prospects, showcase your marketing expertise, spur orders and remind clients why they should come to you first. In this session you'll see examples of successful self-promos and learn how to make yours really stand out. You'll also dive into the art of referrals and find out how to build your brand by word of mouth.

The world changed on March 11, 2020, and the same old sales techniques are no longer good enough. Peak performance expert Dan Thurmon understands that sales is a performance – the process of establishing authority before leading your customer through an experience that demonstrates empathy, develops interest, and earns loyalty. It's not about persuading someone to buy into your perspective, but rather demonstrating that you understand theirs.

Every sales conversation is critical and unique – but with each encounter, or “performance,” there are really three: the one you plan, the one you do, and the one you should have done (and can learn from). In this one-of-a-kind presentation that includes juggling, acrobatics and even a unicycle, Thurmon will help you become intentional about all three stages and will reveal performance secrets to improve engagement and bottom-line results.

You'll leave energized and ready to:

• Differentiate your approach to stand above competitors
• Focus on your value and uniqueness to transcend price objections
• Manage your customers' expectations and ensure you deliver more than they anticipate
• Leverage your most powerful asset – your brand – for greatest results
• Break through external barriers and self-imposed limitations.

Jay Busselle is managing partner of FLEXpoint Social Selling. It's been about 30 years since he started printing and selling "unofficial replica" T-shirts in the mid '80s of his favorite skiing and skateboarding companies. He landed his first industry job while in college as a cut-and-paste artist for a Yellow Pages publishing company. It didn't take long before he was working for a screen printer, and soon thereafter, for his family owned promotional advertising agency. Jay is a board member (referred to as "chefs") for PromoKitchen, an all-volunteer nonprofit group focused on mentorship in the promo industry. He's a highly rated industry presenter and a trainer on topics like branding, marketing and LinkedIn. He is also a self-proclaimed CTO – Chief Taco Officer – and has found his home hanging out with the other promo peeps and apparel geeks on the island of misfit toys.

The best commercials are the ones that have a hook and tell a story. What's your story? What do you say when somebody asks, "So, what do you do?" In this session you'll learn to develop an effective and memorable promo products commercial that goes beyond the traditional elevator pitch – and gets results. You'll leave feeling confident and ready to create your promo-mercial for video or to deliver face-to-face.

Cliff Quicksell, Jr., MASI, is the president and CEO of Cliff Quicksell & Associates. During his 35+ years in the industry, his passion for education and training has been exemplified by his having served five terms as the education chairperson for the regional trade association CPPA of Maryland, and he currently serves on the CPPA board as president. The author of over 1,200 articles and recipient of numerous awards for innovation and creativity, Cliff speaks, trains and consults internationally to 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.

What sets you apart? What makes you different? If your answer is "We have great customer service," that's just not good enough anymore. You need to make an impact and get clients and prospects to see you as better than the rest before your business can thrive. In this session you'll discover the tools you need to stand out and how you can make meaningful changes that will secure your place in today's market.

Jamie Watson, MASI, has been involved various aspects of finance and accounting for over 20 years. In 2001 she qualified as a CPA in the state of Indiana, where she began her career in public accounting. She shifted to mergers and acquisitions when she came to work at Certified Marketing Consultants. Jamie has been involved in the consulting of both supplier and distributor companies in the promotional products industry for 14 years. Her passion is helping her clients meet or exceed their financial goals.

Ownership of a company is probably the largest investment you'll ever make. Do you know how much your business is worth? Whether you want to sell your distributorship in the next few years or keep it in the family for generations, knowing its value is a critical business-management tool. In this session you'll discover best practices for building value and learn what prospective buyers are looking for – and what sends them running the other direction.

Jay Busselle is managing partner of FLEXpoint Social Selling. It's been about 30 years since he started printing and selling "unofficial replica" T-shirts in the mid '80s of his favorite skiing and skateboarding companies. He landed his first industry job while in college as a cut-and-paste artist for a Yellow Pages publishing company. It didn't take long before he was working for a screen printer, and soon thereafter, for his family owned promotional advertising agency. Jay is a board member (referred to as "chefs") for PromoKitchen, an all-volunteer nonprofit group focused on mentorship in the promo industry. He's a highly rated industry presenter and a trainer on topics like branding, marketing and LinkedIn. He is also a self-proclaimed CTO – Chief Taco Officer – and has found his home hanging out with the other promo peeps and apparel geeks on the island of misfit toys.

In this session you'll learn how to convert contacts to connections and prospects to clients. We'll cover the specific steps required to find and engage a defined, target audience in the free version of LinkedIn. You'll leave knowing how to track and nurture your network by creating a playbook designed to build relationships, provide value and ultimately move the conversation offline to a proposal or a call.

Unwind and network with your industry peers to close Exhibit Day 1. Enjoy music, hors d'oeuvres and drinks while connecting with new and existing business partners.

2021 is full of hope and the promise of better days ahead for promo businesses affected by the COVID-induced downturn. But even during the best of times, many entrepreneurs tend to falter when taking their business to the next level. However, that’s the ideal time to go back to basics and take a closer look at what makes people successful despite disappointment, adversity and relentless competition. In this presentation, legendary Hall of Fame Quarterback Terry Bradshaw, a success both on and off the field, will share his strategies for maintaining success through persistent self-improvement. All of us, he says, want to better ourselves, to learn about ourselves and to apply that learning towards a common goal.

Bradshaw will invite you to think in new ways about sacrifice, pain, competition and adversity, while giving specific examples of how to focus the power of dreaming, thinking and strategizing toward your goals and success.

Free for ASI Members. Meet and Greet tickets ($89) are available.

Melissa Newman is ASI's social media manager. She's been in the digital marketing space for five years with a significant concentration in social media marketing, and she holds an M.S. in Digital Innovation in Marketing. She's passionate about social's ability to create community and brand equity, and provide value to customers. She co-hosts The Social Angle podcast and loves collaborating with ASI's internal departments to evangelize ASI to promo professionals everywhere. When she's not combing through Facebook Groups or overthinking the perfect tweet, you can find her highly caffeinated in her kitchen attempting to replicate recipes she finds on TikTok (with varying degrees of success).

Whether you’re looking to improve your social media presence or start from scratch, this fun and interactive session is for you. ASI’s social media manager will cover the basics of five popular platforms and their competitive advantages and share case studies and best practices. You’ll leave knowing how to:

• Understand content pillars and why they’re important
• Create the best content for each unique platform
• Identify resources to define your audience.

Abby Koss, BASI, is the head of distributor marketing at ASI. She's been with the company for five years and in the marketing space for 16 years. She brings to her role an inherent passion for the latest marketing trends and tactics, coupled with a love of all things creative. She also has a unique perspective on ASI's marketing, as she was an end-buyer of promo products earlier in her career.

Self-promo campaigns can engage new prospects, showcase your marketing expertise, spur orders and remind clients why they should come to you first. In this session you'll see examples of successful self-promos and learn how to make yours really stand out. You'll also dive into the art of referrals and find out how to build your brand by word of mouth.

The best way to end your ASI Show Chicago experience is at the Closing Celebration, where you can collect new friends' business cards and relax before heading home over complimentary snacks, beer, wine and other beverages while enjoying live music.

Exciting prizes will also be given away during the Ask It to Win It: Passport to Products Program drawing.