SAAGNY News

Hi, SAAGNY Members,

Happy New Year!  I am honored to be serving as your 2021 SAAGNY President.

In 2018 during our annual SAAGNY Board retreat, the Board developed a strategic plan where, a commitment to membership was made to lead forward, continue to grow and practice our mission statement - “SAAGNY creates an environment that advances business development of the promotional product industry through dissemination of product information, networking, and knowledge exchange.”  We committed to move ahead with a strong vision and heart. The SAAGNY Board of Directors continued to establish tradeshows unparallel to many regionals, enhanced our value proposition for our members, and stayed focused at the job at a hand.  

And then… 2020 happened. What we thought were our problems were sidelined by a need to simply change the air we breathe. COVID-19 has caused SAAGNY (as many others) to quickly change course, reevaluate our priorities, and turn to our members to help them emerge through a time of the unknown. Led by previous SAAGNY President Paul Sprunk and the talent from our Executive committee, to our Board of Directors, our Volunteer Committees, our Task Force, and of course our incredible Executive Director, I can confidently say, we did it!  I am proud of all of those involved in challenging our ambitions and coming through to the other side, slightly unscathed.

SAAGNY Delivered Value to Its Members in 2020:

• Webinars – 100+
• 15 Virtual Tradeshows known as some of the most successful virtual shows in 2020
• SAAGNY website – news, information, events for YOU and YOUR business
• SAAGNY Member Directory
• SAAGNY Member App
• SAAGNY Coupon Book – new for 2021
• SAAGNY Life Newsletter
• Virtual Networking Opportunities
• And watch for exciting announcements for our 2021 offerings

However, as you know we cannot stop here. 2021 will continue to be a “challenging” year but we all know through challenges come remarkable opportunities. It is my goal to seize those opportunities and make sure SAAGNY continues its legacy of the greatest regional trade association in our industry. SAAGNY was founded in 1955, and through the years had incredible past presidents and members, who have forged a path that has led me here and the role of President, one that I do not take lightly and one that I will not disappoint.

Becoming President through a pandemic, taking back Promotions East, and truly entering a world of evolution that many of us have not experienced is the greatest challenge and I am prepared, excited, and more motivated then ever!

This is OUR time to evolve as an industry, as a regional, and will do so through the solid support of the current Board of Directors: Michael Reisbaum, Vice President, Christian Brandt, Secretary/Treasurer, Paul Sprunk, Immediate Past President, Sean Kurtzman, Natasha Jinks, and our newly appointed, talented Eric Levin, Joe Favre, and Jeff Jacobs.

I want to personally wish John Cudahy the very best as he exits as Past President. John has truly been an unbelievable asset to this organization. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to Paul Sprunk, our current Past President, as he led us through a period that no one could have foreseen and did so with grace, patience, and leadership. I am grateful to have you still by my side.

I cannot end this note without acknowledging our right hand (and sometimes left), Donna-Jean Plante, the Executive Director of SAAGNY, who has been a sounding board, a voice of reason, our calendar, and the backbone of the organization.

2021 has come along so quickly and we have already started making plans. I will be sure to keep you apprised with all pertinent information, all the while staying committed and focused to the job at hand - leading SAAGNY through an evolution!

Thank you for putting your trust in me!

Sincerely,

Rachel Levin
SAAGNY President

Tuesday, January 5

12:30 p.m.

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Thankfully the end of 2020 is near, and a vaccine is in the mail, as they say!  

It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve as your SAAGNY President for the last two years.  The term for President is one year with an option for a second year - I thought 2019 went well and decided to take on another year, who know the second year would be consumed by COVID-19!   With COVID-19 affecting us since early March, SAAGNY was only able to produce one live Trade Show during all of 2020 but SAAGNY, like all of us, is resilient and we forged on with 15 Virtual Trade Shows held in June and September and other numerous virtual events and educational webinars.  

As SAAGNY President, I was looking forward to our new and second end user show, to be held in Melville, NY in the Spring of 2020 but that will have to wait for another year.   I always enjoyed our lively in-person Board Meetings, but like everything else all were held via Zoom.   SAAGNY was proud to announce mid-year that Promotions East was back under the SAAGNY umbrella.  A Promotions East Committee was formed and look for some exciting announcements from SAAGNY in 2021 regarding this show.  The landscape has certainly changed but SAAGNY is still your source for all things Promotional Products. 

I will now serve as Immediate Past President and will assist new President Rachel Levin and the 2021 Board in SAAGNY’s endeavors for the coming year.   We have three new Board Members joining us, Jeff Jacobs, Eric Levin, and Joe Favre.  They have already participated in a meeting or two and will hit the ground running January 1 with the rest of the Board.

Many thanks to Trish Glazer and Irwin Kotcher who are leaving the Board.  Both have served SAAGNY well and it was a pleasure to work with them.   They are both aware that if needed, they will be called upon to help us get through 2021!   SAAGNY is also saying goodbye to its current Immediate Past President, John R. B. Cudahy, MAS.  John has served on the board for more than thirteen years and his knowledge, experience, and point of views have been a true asset to SAAGNY.  He will be missed but we know we can reach out to him at any time for help and advice.   Finally, I was fortunate enough to have DJ as our Executive Director.  She always made me look good, offered great advice, and was the rock for SAAGNY to get through 2020.

Thank you to all for your patience with me as I learned on the job.  It was a fun ride and I hope I am leaving SAAGNY a little bit better than when I arrived.

Happy Holidays and hopefully a much better New Year.

All the best,

Paul Sprunk

I learned over the last months that I really like being home and not constantly travelling. Wanting to spend more time with my young grandchildren and not miss watching them grow up. I am also looking forward to helping my wife, Jacqui, with her business as a Geiger salespartner, something I haven’t been able to do in the past.

Persistence and a commitment to relationship building have defined my career. I credit much of this success as a recruiter and mentor to my background in sales. I understand what salespeople want, what they need to do, what they’d prefer to avoid, and the heartbreak of losing a big order they thought was theirs.

I started with Geiger in 1994 by answering a job advertisement for a division manager at Martin Meyers Company, a Geiger-owned business in Pennsylvania. I wasn’t looking for a career, since prior to Geiger I never stayed in the same place for more than 5 years. The people and sense of community at Geiger and this industry, kept me coming back. I was “having too good a time” to go elsewhere.

When I first started, I had no experience with promotional products, but I knew how to sell. I had to work hard to acquire the necessary knowledge by taking the supplier catalogs home each night and memorizing the information in them. I became well-recognized by the salesforce for product knowledge and research speed. I didn’t share this secret – I also had an early copy of ESP!!!

I am very proud of recruiting quality people to the team and feel that building relationships is the key success in this wonderful industry. Others have agreed, honoring me with awards like being named to ASI’s People to Watch in the 2000s, PPB’s 2010 Best Bosses, President of PAPPA (SACDV at the time) several times, PAPPA 2014 Humanitarian of the Year and the PAPPA Hall of Fame. I am very grateful for being a part of founding of RAC and believe so strongly in the outstanding network of regional associations

This industry is so very special.  The nature of my position had me active with PAPPA, SAAGNY and NEPPA.  SAAGNY, in particular, invokes warm feelings of the early days at the Concord, to the excitement of the first End User Event in Manhattan.

One of my first ideas for Geiger in 1994 failed miserably. Gene Geiger called me about it not long after, mentioning that he’d heard that it didn’t go well but made me promise to keep the ideas coming. I think that particular speech, more than anything, kept me at Geiger and in the industry for the next 26 years.

Thank you to SAAGNY, it’s leaders and membership for all you have given me.  You are special!!

The December SAAGNY Life has arrived.  Click here to get the latest from SAAGNY.     

                                               

Imprint Marketing Concepts, Inc. today announced that the organization’s Founder and President, Mark May, is retiring at the end of 2020. Mark’s decision to retire will bring to a close a remarkable career of 35 years.

Mark founded the company in 1986 and has worked relentlessly for its success. During his tenure, the company has grown into a multi-million-dollar organization and a respected leader in the promotional products industry.

Brett Coplin, IMC’s Vice President, said: “Mark is an exceptional business leader who has transformed IMC, making it one of the best-performing and most respected companies in the promo industry. Mark’s vision, drive, and focus, combined with his commitment to serving the best long-term interests of the company, have materially strengthened IMC. He leaves an agile and resilient company, well placed to win in this fast-changing, dynamic industry. I’d like to thank him personally for his passion, leadership, friendship and mentorship.”

During Mark’s tenure at IMC, he guided the company from a modest local promo company to an international provider of branded merchandise and corporate apparel. His focus on collaborative selling and honesty allowed the company to grow and be competitive. He also oversaw numerous initiatives outside of the promo industry that allowed the company to diversify.

Perhaps the most admired part of Mark’s legacy is the relationships that he has built over 35 years. Employees, clients, and supplier partners know Mark as an honest, trustworthy leader in the industry. He leaves the organization in solid standing with systems the company can continue to use to grow.

ZOOMcatalog Digital Coupon Book ~ and ~ PromoHunt's Regional Coupon Program

As a supplier in our industry, you are invited to participate in two separate Regional Association Digital Coupon programs for 2021. These are no-charge opportunities for you to gain exposure and earn more business from thousands of distributors across the country through our separate partnerships with ZOOMcatalog and PromoHunt. To participate, please click on each logo below and follow the instructions given by each program. Important Note: If you want your coupon in both programs, they must be submitted separately. Submitting to one does not automatically submit to both. Because many regional associations are offering both programs to suppliers, you may receive more than one message as we are all sending out the same ones. Only one coupon per company is allowed with ZOOMcatalog and one per company to PromoHunt.                                                                   Submission Deadline is November 30            Submission Deadline is December 4