2021 has been a challenging year with Covid restrictions and supply chain issues topping the list! Although challenging, the PPAChicago board has worked hard to bring you relevant virtual Lunch ‘N Learns as well as meaningful and safe in-person events.

In addition to events and education, PPAChicago offers a Scholarship and Awards for our membership. The PPAChicago Scholarship is open to all PPAChicago members and can be used for any Industry Education event. This includes the PPAI EXPO in Las Vegas (as long as you attend the Education Day), Women’s Leadership Conference, North American Leadership Conference, etc. The scholarship is $1000. This year, it has been awarded to Mitch Silver of Printable Promotions. Congratulations Mitch! Keep an eye out next fall for YOUR opportunity to win!

For 2022-2023, we are excited to announce a new board member – Jon Hicks from Raining Rose. Jon has 30 years of industry experience, both on the Distributor and Supplier side. Jon is married with two daughters and lives in Hudson, WI. He enjoys fishing (many mornings he is out on the boat before work) and hiking; his favorite movie is Arthur and his favorite meal is chicken. Jon is looking forward to helping PPAChicago grow, serve its membership, and share his experiences with others. PPAChicago is excited to have another male on the board. Scott King is no longer the sole male voice of the board.

Finally, I would like to encourage all our Distributor members to register for our upcoming Promo Impact Meetings on February 8^th and 9^th. This one-day event (choose either the 8^th or 9^th) will be so impactful for your business! You will meet one-on-one with 16 suppliers for 18 minutes each. This allows you to learn their business and they learn about your customer base.  Each attendee receives spec samples and/or virtual samples with your provided client logos, lunch and time to network. If you have never attended an event like this, do not miss this one. Your business and your supplier relationships will grow exponentially. Register at PPAChicago - Promo Impact Meeting-Distributor Registration

Dawn Ruler, President of PPAChicago