Grow your business with information-packed sessions to help you stay ahead of the competition, connect with clients, increase productivity and close more 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 local clients and which markets and products you should focus on now.

Take a break from the show floor and discover ways to improve your branding and social media skills, reach diverse clients and avoid common financial mistakes.

Take a break from the show floor and discover what’s hot in Q3 and Q4, plus tips for shooting a professional-looking video with your smartphone.

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.

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.

It's vital to differentiate yourself from the competition, and packaging is one of the easiest ways to do that. Utilizing this often-overlooked tool in your marketing arsenal will help you stand out and close more sales. Packaging is an industry hot topic, and in this session you'll hear real-life case histories, explore production dynamics, and learn how Millennial and Gen Z promo buyers are driving changes in traditional packaging.

Carolyn Strauss is a sales and persuasion expert who spent 18 years on-camera on the Home Shopping Network; she personally sold over $160 Million of her clothing line The Carolyn Strauss Collection. During that time she developed her "Dollars Per Minute™" sales and relationship-management strategy to train salespeople and executive teams across all industries. She has studied and worked with some of the world's foremost experts on gender communication, and has appeared on PBS, CNN, ABC, NBC, Food Network and Lifetime Television Network. She is an active member of the Screen Actors Guild, the author of five books, and believes that a good day includes chocolate.

Promotional products connect people with events and advertisers, keeping your client top of mind and creating a commerce opportunity for you both. When you prove how you can help clients build valuable connections and grow their business, it's a win for everyone. In today's world of remote work and short attention spans, communicating your value is crucial to becoming an indispensable resource for your clients and prospects. During this interactive session you'll explore:

• Proven relationship-building techniques you can implement right away
• Tips for easy content curation and successful video marketing
• Ways to help your clients, not sell to them
• How to recognize what support may you be in need of, and ways to get it
• Using existing resources to re-engage with your network
• Techniques for looking at past clients to determine who needs your expertise now.

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.

Do you know how much it costs for you to acquire a new customer? Do you know the average attrition rate of your clients? With those answers, you'll be able to launch a more effective marketing and sales strategy and keep your best buyers coming back year after year. You'll leave this session knowing how to determine the true value of each client, why this metric is critical to your success, and the tools you can use to ensure long-term engagement.

Carolyn Strauss is a sales and persuasion expert who spent 18 years on-camera on the Home Shopping Network; she personally sold over $160 Million of her clothing line The Carolyn Strauss Collection. During that time she developed her "Dollars Per Minute™" sales and relationship-management strategy to train salespeople and executive teams across all industries. She has studied and worked with some of the world's foremost experts on gender communication, and has appeared on PBS, CNN, ABC, NBC, Food Network and Lifetime Television Network. She is an active member of the Screen Actors Guild, the author of five books, and believes that a good day includes chocolate.

Most people spend their workday reacting to demands for their time and attention, yet many campaigns and deadlines require being proactive. It's vital to structure your time and set priorities to stay productive and effectively manage all your responsibilities. In this interactive session you'll discuss:

• Proven tactics for responding to requests and demands
• Handling interruptions
• Communication failures and creating boundaries
• Ways to optimize time and relationships
• A visual representation of exactly where you're spending your time so you can increase your dollars per minute (DPM)
• How to determine where you're getting ROI and where you're getting depleted.

In this interactive final session of the day, you'll see many of the ASI Show's speakers recap the most important takeaways from their Education Day sessions. Enjoy free refreshments as you pick up some effective strategies you may have missed.

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

Dawn Raquel Jensen, EMBA, is an international social media speaker and business marketing trainer who merges together social media, digital marketing, technology training and business strategy. As the founder of Virtual Options, she trains and advises entrepreneurs on how to build influence and impact for and in the communities they serve. She is also a marketing trainer and mentor for the University of Central Florida's Business Incubation Program and a business advisory board member to numerous boards. She served eight years in the US Navy Reserve as a journalist, covering military, national, and world events in the U.S and Europe, and earned an Executive MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology.

Being recognized as a promo products expert is one of the best ways to grow your business. But how do you establish yourself as an authority? In this session you'll learn to create your online presence and grow your impact by leveraging technology to do the heavy lifting, and delve into:

• Which digital platforms dominate your demographics
• Techniques to maximize marketing and social media marketing tools and trends
• Where your customers are and which tools will reach them.

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.

LinkedIn is one of the best B2B platforms for providing critical credibility when buyers search for distributors. In this session you'll learn the four most important steps to take when creating your LinkedIn company page. You'll also review the powerful benefits of LinkedIn business pages, discover how your page can become a competitive advantage, learn to tell a better story and ultimately keep a competitive advantage online.

Dawn Raquel Jensen, EMBA, is an international social media speaker and business marketing trainer who merges together social media, digital marketing, technology training and business strategy. As the founder of Virtual Options, she trains and advises entrepreneurs on how to build influence and impact for and in the communities they serve. She is also a marketing trainer and mentor for the University of Central Florida's Business Incubation Program and a business advisory board member to numerous boards. She served eight years in the US Navy Reserve as a journalist, covering military, national, and world events in the U.S and Europe, and earned an Executive MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology.

The idea of creating quality social media content can feel like a massive task … but it doesn't have to be. In this session you'll discover unique and proven tips to produce solid branded content, and leave knowing how to:

• Convert online leads into sales
• Harness the power of user-generated content
• Create easy buildable content
• Choose and use the right apps and tools
• Maintain an “always on” business presence.

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.

Due to months of pandemic living, limited real-life interaction, political and social unrest and increased online purchasing trends, some experts are saying we're in the middle of a brand relevance revolution. Buyers are looking for brands that enable compassion, build community and create meaningful connections – and distributorships without a relevant brand will struggle to compete today and into 2023. In this session you'll discover four branding pillars and dig into examples to help you build and maintain your brand relevance.

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.

Jenna Sackett, brand activation manager, has been in the decorating industry for eight years with STAHLS', the manufacturer of heat presses, heat transfer vinyl, screen printed transfers, e-commerce software and more. For the past six years she's been an industry educator and mentor, presenting at trade shows and teaching business owners the power of heat press technology.

Agility is critical to business success, and that's especially true in our industry full of tight turnarounds. In this session you'll see heat presses in action and discover how the heat transfer technology known as DTF (among several others) allows you to respond quickly to new client opportunities, changing markets and customer needs. When you can deliver “the next big thing” right now, you'll drive your company's growth along with the bottom line.

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.

Jenna Sackett, brand activation manager, has been in the decorating industry for eight years with STAHLS', the manufacturer of heat presses, heat transfer vinyl, screen printed transfers, e-commerce software and more. For the past six years she's been an industry educator and mentor, presenting at trade shows and teaching business owners the power of heat press technology.

Outsourcing to a decorator is an excellent idea for increasing profitability and turn times for promo distributors, but not all functions need to be outsourced. In this session you'll review key indicators to figure out when it makes sense to outsource your decoration jobs, and when to invest in DIY with your own heat press.

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.

Jenna Sackett, brand activation manager, has been in the decorating industry for eight years with STAHLS', the manufacturer of heat presses, heat transfer vinyl, screen printed transfers, e-commerce software and more. For the past six years she's been an industry educator and mentor, presenting at trade shows and teaching business owners the power of heat press technology.

Branded kits make it easy for your clients to maintain a strong, recognizable presence while delivering a variety of great products. In this session you'll unpack the importance of kitting and see how you can brand top promo apparel and accessories – even hard goods – with a heat press for increased profit potential.

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.

Jenna Sackett, brand activation manager, has been in the decorating industry for eight years with STAHLS', the manufacturer of heat presses, heat transfer vinyl, screen printed transfers, e-commerce software and more. For the past six years she's been an industry educator and mentor, presenting at trade shows and teaching business owners the power of heat press technology.

Whether you're branding headwear, bags or hard goods, high-quality custom patches and emblems will wow your clients by giving their logo a premium look. In this session you'll learn how you can increase the value of an order with full-color emblems, leather patches, 3-D embroidered patches – and see for yourself how easy it is to apply them.

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. An ESP expert will cover:

• Product strategies – top sellers, new suppliers and specials
• Using search filters and the live inventory feature to find the right product
• How to close sales using the Virtual Sample tool
• Quick tips for creating customized presentations tailored for specific clients.

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 demonstration you'll see all the display options available to personalize your ESP Website and learn how to control the products, suppliers and pricing displayed. The session will also touch on marketing your website and tactics to drive traffic. You'll leave ready to create a world-class shopping experience for your customers with ESP Websites.

Dan Brown is vice president of distributor services at ASI. He's been with ASI for 19 years and has worked with distributors on ways to increase business to existing customers as well as expand into new markets with the help of promo product sales. His experience ranges from startup businesses to established companies. Whether it is an existing distributor or a company in vertical markets such as printers, sign shops or office supplies, he's helped them increase revenue and profits.

When people search the web for local promo products distributors, search engines tap into online business directories to find companies in their area. It’s important to keep your business information continuously updated in these directories to ensure that your distributorship pops up when buyers do a local search! In this session you’ll learn how to manage your business information across 70 online directories, so you never miss the chance to connect with potential clients near you.

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.

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.

Be sure to attend this interactive beginner session if you want to tap into a new-to-you market or discover trending products. 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.

Don't miss this lively discussion with ASI Vice Chairman Matthew Cohn and four industry executives as they delve into the hot topics affecting the promo marketplace today, such as inflation, the increasing demand for sustainable branded merch, and evolving purchasing trends among buyers. Our industry pros will share their insights and pain points, and offer real solutions to help you strategize for the second half of 2022 and plan for success in 2023. The panelists are Teresa Fang, VP of supply chain for Counselor Top 40 supplier alphabroder; Trevor Gnesin, owner/CEO of Counselor Top 40 supplier Logomark; Tammy Cernuska Hoth, executive sales manager of distributor Cotton Candy Global Marketing; and Ross Silverstein, president/CEO of Counselor Top 40 distributor iPROMOTEu.

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.

Teresa Fang is vice president of supply chain for Counselor Top 40 supplier alphabroder (asi/34063). In her role at the Pennsylvania-based company, she oversees purchasing, compliance, logistics and the company's China office, while also serving on the Product Responsibility Action Group (PRAG) for PPAI. She joined the promo industry in 2005 at the supplier Jetline, which was acquired by Prime Line; subsequently, Prime Line was acquired by alphabroder in Dec., 2017. Throughout her tenure at all these organizations, Teresa – whose area of specialty is hard goods – has overseen the end-to-end supply chain from sourcing to product development to compliance, logistics and warehousing.

Trevor Gnesin is the owner/CEO of Counselor Top 40 supplier Logomark (asi/67866), based in California. Trevor is a past recipient of Counselor's International Person of the Year award and has been on Counselor's Power 50 list since its inception in 2006. At Trevor's urging, the company launched the Logomark Cares giveback program, which supports three charities: the National Forest Foundation; Blue Verve, which works to eliminate plastic pollution in oceans; and Shelter to Soldier, which trains rescue dogs to be service animals for U.S. veterans in need.

Tammy Cernuska Hoth, based in Chicago, is the executive sales manager of the distributor Cotton Candy Global Marketing (asi/169186), which is headquartered in Canada. With Cotton Candy for 10 years, Tammy has been in the industry for over 26 years, starting as a screenprinter, which led to her working on the distributor side of the business at companies like HALO and Printable Promotions, in areas including ops, programs, sales and management. She is the secretary of the PPAChicago board and also chairs the PPAChicago Showcase, which is the largest end-user show in the area.

Ross Silverstein is the president/CEO of Counselor Top 40 distributor iPROMOTEu (asi/232119), based in Wayland, MA, just outside of Boston. Ross is a past recipient of Counselor's Distributor Entrepreneur of the Year award, and has been on Counselor's Power 50 list since its inception. In 2021, iPROMOTEu recorded $165 million in sales.

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 find out, step by step, how to create a memorable and effective self-promo campaign from scratch and learn proven strategies that deliver outstanding results.

Jeffrey Brenner is the director of special markets and military divisions at Seiko Watch of America LLC. He has a diverse background in sales, marketing and business development in B2B, B2C and D2C channels. He previously worked for Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Ashford.com, Hartmann Luggage and Steuben Crystal. He’s a member of the executive committee for the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA) and Past President of the Incentive Manufacturers and Representatives Alliance (IMRA).

In a survey, end-users said receiving a corporate gift made them feel happy, thankful and appreciated. Given the labor shortages currently affecting industries across the U.S., companies know that keeping their employees satisfied and attracting new talent is more vital than ever before. You can help your clients – and grow your distributorship – by selling corporate gifts, incentives and rewards. These high-end and name-brand products are a perfect addition to the traditional promo products and apparel you offer, but they require a different sales approach. In this session you’ll learn how to:

• Help yourself and your clients understand the value of gifts and incentives
• Pitch ongoing incentive and reward programs for your clients’ employees and customers
• Find reliable Premium Suppliers and Rep Groups for a variety of exceptional products
• Effectively communicate the benefits of buying through you vs. purchasing at retail
• Present high-end items for maximum impact.

Presented in partnership with The Incentive Marketing Association (IMA), a nonprofit trade association for the corporate gift and incentive industry.

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.

Many distributorship owners think that sales growth is the most important component of building their company. However, creating a truly successful distributorship requires attention to financial aspects that are often neglected by sales-focused owners who aren't as familiar with the managerial side of the business. In this session you'll uncover the most common pitfalls of small-business owners – and learn how to avoid them.

Darryl T. Jenkins is managing partner of corporate branding and merchandising company The CPS Store and has 25 years of experience as an executive consultant, creating solutions for diverse business owners. He is also the author of The Power of Diversity: Leading The Majority Minority, which helps business leaders and organizations effectively navigate the social cultural landscape to build stronger organizations and communities. He serves on several boards building capacity and resources to connect, communicate and collaborate across diverse groups in the U.S. and around the globe.

In this session you'll learn key insights and tools to build a more inclusive, diverse clientele and generate new revenue opportunities. You'll discover the 3 Cs – connecting through technology, cultivating relationships, and valuing culture – and find out how these actions can help grow your bottom line.

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.

Does your LinkedIn profile look like a simple résumé or a real resource? Optimizing your profile isn't negotiable in 2022, as it's vital to position yourself as a subject-matter expert. In this session you'll learn how you can complete or update five key areas of your personal profile to gain credibility, increase visibility and resonate with future clients – all in 30 minutes or less.

This invitation-only event honors the Top 40 suppliers and distributors as well as outstanding individuals in the promo industry including the Person of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, Distributor and Supplier Entrepreneurs of the Year, and many more.

Join us for a beautiful cruise along Lake Michigan, complete with a delicious dinner, fireworks, open bar with a signature drink and lots of networking opportunities! We will be boarding beginning at 6:30 p.m. and leaving the dock promptly at 7:30 p.m. Shuttle busses will be available from our designated hotels to Navy Pier.

In this fast-paced session, Nate Kucsma, ASI's senior executive director of research, and Christopher Ruvo, ASI Media's news director, will reveal hot-off-the-presses exclusive data from Counselor's State of the Industry issue, including which markets are primed for growth, sales strategies that are resonating with buyers and case histories to help you grow sales. Joe Haley, ASI Media's Product Editor, will also be on stage to showcase new products directly from the ASI Chicago Show floor that tie in with the hottest merch and market trends.

Nate Kucsma is ASI's Senior 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, Nate worked at well-known companies such as Dow Jones, MetLife and Educational Testing Service. Nate earned his MBA from Rutgers University in Marketing in 2007.

Christopher Ruvo is ASI Media's digital news director. A journalist for 18 years, his work has won numerous regional and national awards, including a Neal Award for “Best Range of Work by a Single Author.” Before joining ASI's media team 11 years ago, he was a reporter for one of Pennsylvania's highest circulating newspapers.

A 28-year veteran with ASI, Joe Haley is the company's Education Director, overseeing training & development by creating and facilitating onboarding and professional development classes. ASI Media's Product Editor, Joe has also been an ASI University instructor at ASI Shows for the last 13 years with a heavy focus on video creation, and was twice was the overall top-rated show speaker and the top-rated ASI employee speaker seven times. The host of The Joe Show Live for 15 years, he has produced over 1,000 product videos and showcased nearly 10,000 products. The winner of a prestigious Neal Award and multiple ASBPE awards for his product trend coverage, Joe is also a past ASI Employee of the Year.

A 27-year veteran with ASI, Joe Haley is the company's Education Director, overseeing training & development by creating and facilitating onboarding and professional development classes. Joe is ASI Media's product editor, and has also been an ASI University instructor at ASI Shows for the last 12 years with a heavy focus on video creation, and was twice was the overall top-rated show speaker and the top-rated ASI employee speaker seven times. The host of The Joe Show Live for 15 years, he has produced over 1,000 product videos and showcased nearly 10,000 products. Joe has won a prestigious Neal Award and multiple ASBPE awards for his product trend coverage, and is also a past ASI Employee of the Year.

Video is a fantastic and fun way to connect with clients and showcase products, and people are much more likely to remember a call to action in a video vs. reading it in text format. In this hands-on session you'll learn how to broadcast a live product video from the trade show floor, and shoot a video to upload to a favorite platform. You'll also interact with suppliers as you create a top-notch video, so bring your smartphone for this one-of-a-kind opportunity.

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.

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.

Learn how to get the most out of your ESP license and learn about the powerful tools you can utilize to simplify your workflow and increase revenue. From product-searching tips to keeping your order and customer information organized, ESP can make handling day-to-day operations so much easier. In this session we’ll walk you through the top settings to change on your ESP Website so it works more to your advantage. You’ll leave knowing how to find exactly what you need and create a world-class shopping experience for your customers with ESP and ESP Websites.

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 ASI Passport drawing.