The second Catalyst conference, hosted by Promotional Product Professionals of Canada (PPPC), came to Atlantic Canada in 2026.

Following PPPC’s inaugural event in Victoria, BC, last year, Catalyst 2026 was held from May 4 to 6 at the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland in St. John’s, NL, and welcomed approximately 60 suppliers, distributors, service providers and head office staff for networking opportunities and professional development sessions.

“At its core, Catalyst is about bringing Canadian industry leaders together to have real conversations about what’s impacting their branded merchandise businesses today and what they see shaping the future tomorrow,” said Jonathan Strauss, president and CEO of PPPC. “Our industry has always been built on relationships, collaboration and community, and Catalyst creates the space for leaders to connect, support one another, exchange ideas and learn from each other’s experiences. When we come together in this way, we strengthen not only our individual businesses, but the future of our industry across Canada.”

Exploring Data & Lessons in Leadership

Anil Arora, former chief statistician for Canada and a lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School, kicked off professional development sessions with key data on where Canada’s wealth distribution, demographics and productivity stand and how different factors – like affordability, the labour market and tech developments – impact spending habits. Arora said economically, promo companies are operating in two markets at the same time as some consumers stretch their budgets, while others want to spend liberally on premium products and high-end brands.

“The traditional middle, where many companies do business, is getting squeezed,” he said during his session, entitled “Canada at the Crossroads: Making Sense of it All.” “Customers are getting really intentional about promo. They want fewer, more meaningful products for specific audiences. Broad, but undistinctive doesn’t work – they’re demanding more.”

Arora said one opportunity for Canadian distributors is hyperlocal marketing that caters to distinct communities. “They’re built around cultural and linguistic preferences,” he said. “Success is understanding local and regional dynamics and vulnerabilities. … You have to position yourself to capture more value or you’ll be dependent on those who do.”

A panel discussion followed, moderated by Steve Pons, CEO of McCabe Promotional Advertising (asi/264901), and featuring Arora joined by Shane Brett, CEO of Counselor Top 40 supplier Stormtech (asi/89869); Neil Whelan, business development and sales strategy at Staples Promotional Products Canada, part of Counselor Top 40 distributor Staples Promotional Products (asi/120601); and Dave Rehg, chief operating officer of Facilisgroup, to further discuss the data.

“People are trying their best to pinch pennies,” said Whelan, in response to a question about changing product strategy amid affordability concerns. “They’re looking to optimize their budgets.”

Brett said Stormtech is evolving the conversation to navigate a changing market. “We’re moving away from cost per item and moving towards investing in the experience,” he said, in response to a query about intentional product design and positioning. “We’re changing how we go to market – people are looking at connection and engagement opportunities.”

Following the panel, Vanessa Ribreau, founder of V&Co and a leadership and performance coach, led attendees through decision-making exercises during “Unlocking a Culture of Performance.”

“The best-aligned leadership teams survive disruption,” she said. “Without alignment, strategy dies in the middle.”

Industry leaders participate in a panel discussion on how current economic data impacts the Canadian promo industry. From left: Shane Brett, Stormtech (asi/89869); Neil Whelan, Staples Promotional Products Canada (asi/120601); Anil Arora, former chief statistician for Canada; and Dave Rehg, Facilisgroup (photo courtesy of PPPC)

Clarity comes from the top, said Ribreau – it’s being explicit about what matters. That clarity leads to alignment, which leads to better performance. “So, what do we do about it?” she asked. “Insight without action is just good conversation.”

Brian Leigh, vice president of sales and marketing at Promotional Source (asi/301292) in Oakville, ON, appreciated Ribreau’s workshop session. “It taught us that we can have different thoughts, concerns and points of view, but we need to be aligned and committed as one team with a common goal even when you don’t have all of the information.”

Dr. Craig Dowden began afternoon programming with “Leadership From an Individual Perspective,” during which he shared insights on leveraging positive psychology to be a better leader and asked for live poll responses from the audience on self-awareness, empathy and leadership.

“Great leadership starts with great self-leadership,” he said, adding that empathy and trust are key characteristics in an authentic, ethical leader. “Top executives are skilled in giving and receiving feedback,” he said. “More feedback results in better effectiveness.”

Attendees marked the end of day two with dinner at nearby O’Reilly’s Pub – complete with live music and a “screech-in” ceremony, a Newfoundland tradition.

Insights Gleaned From Attendees

Professional development sessions on the final day of Catalyst began with “Transforming Crosbie: A Canadian Success Story,” a Q&A between Steve Pons and Mark Collett, CEO of St. John’s-based Crosbie Group, a firm that serves the real estate, construction and industrial services markets in Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Ontario, as well as joint-venture operations in Guyana.

When Collett joined Crosbie Group in 2016, the company was facing the loss of 20% of its business, represented by one contract. Collett helped them pivot and thrive.

“We had no choice – we had to grow or die,” said Collett. “We had to face the headwinds. We became laser-focused on our client because the company had lost track of that. … Now we’re three times the size we were in 2016.”

Following Collett, Elizabeth Wimbush, director of sustainability and responsibility at PPAI, spoke about the many pressures on industry companies to meet sustainability standards in the face of more regulation, buyer demand and expectations for hard numbers.

“Future-proofing isn’t about predicting the future,” she said in “Future-Proof With Sustainability: Prepared Beats Perfect.” “It’s building systems that work regardless of what comes next.”

Among her suggestions: Avoid significant eco commitments without measurement standards in place, build one internal standard that covers most regulatory cases (ideally, the strictest one) and make sure the entire team knows where to find data if asked for it, and fast.

“When you can say ‘yes’ to clients,” she said, “you quickly win the business.”

Alan Meinstein, CEO of Spector & Co. (asi/88660), shares his ideas for best practices in AI use during the closing Leadership Exchange. (photo courtesy of PPPC)

Attendees also spent time in roundtables discussing current challenges, like finding and retaining talent, consumer confidence, competition and disintermediation, as well as uses for AI in a special interactive “Leadership Exchange” session that closed the event.

“My big takeaway from the Leadership Exchange was, ‘AI provides data in the middle, but it will never be able to imagine,’” said Leigh. “This is why our industry has such a promising future.”

PPPC board member Morgan Edgecombe, chief operating officer at Edgecombes Marketing & Promotions (asi/185952) in Windsor, NS, noted the balance between top-level information sharing and peer networking. “Everyone I talked to wanted to share ideas and best practices,” he said. “It was great to see such a high caliber of professionals from across Canada come together with a genuine openness to helping one another. That level of collaboration is really special.”

Kyle Kannwischer, CEO and co-owner of Winnipeg-based Botanical PaperWorks (asi/41273), attended Catalyst for the first time.

“It was a privilege to gather with other leaders in the industry,” he said. “It was a good balance of formal speaker-led learning sessions with more informal collaborative sessions, and we had time in between to connect with our peers. In the current business climate, it’s important to be bold and lean into the headwinds – something we experienced quite literally in beautiful St. John’s.”