Another “NATCON” is on the books.

This week, Promotional Products Professionals of Canada (PPPC) hosted its 66^th annual National Convention at the International Centre in Mississauga, ON, which featured three days of education, networking and a trade show with the theme, “Promoting a Better Tomorrow: Environmental. Social. Governance.” Organizers told ASI Media that the number of attendees exceeded 1,000 people for the first time since the COVID pandemic.

The PPPC National Board of Directors and (at right) Jonathan Strauss, president and CEO of PPPC, officially open the trade show floor on Tuesday, Sept. 10. Photo: William Meijer

To kick off the busy show, which took place from Sept. 9-11, the sold-out “Supplier Sip & See” on Monday (a new event for NATCON) spotlighted four area suppliers. Participants enjoyed guided tours of new products and decorating processes at Trimark Canada (asi/92122), part of Counselor Top 40 supplier PCNA (asi/66887); Debco, part of Top 40 supplier HPG (asi/61966; Canada, 48886); Cutter & Buck Canada (asi/47967), part of Top 40 supplier Cutter & Buck (asi/47965); and FIEL – Fairtrade Import & Export Ltd. (asi/53509).

That evening, PPPC and PromoKitchen, an all-volunteer group of industry members that offers education, mentoring and networking, celebrated their recently announced strategic partnership with a “Perfect Pairing” mixer at the NATCON host hotel.

During the “Supplier Sip & See,” Mark Alexander, CEO of Cutter & Buck Canada (asi/47967), gave a tour of the company’s state-of-the-art warehouse, which features battery-powered order-pickers that efficiently navigate the massive pallet shelves with GPS particles embedded in the floor.

Heidi Reimer-Epp, CEO and co-founder of Botanical PaperWorks (asi/41273), a certified woman-owned B Corp. in Winnipeg, introduced the first day of the trade show on Tuesday, Sept. 10 with a new NATCON event, titled “Coffee & Conversations: A Sustainability Framework Masterclass.” Reimer-Epp encouraged session attendees to think about the benefits of running and working with sustainable businesses, and to brainstorm ways to become more sustainability-conscious back home.

“I had to choose what to do with my business,” said Reimer-Epp. “I wanted to use it to do good. We’ve spent the last 20 years scaling and growing while leaving the earth a better place. You have to ask yourself, ‘What’s my why?’”

Heidi Reimer-Epp of certified B Corp Botanical PaperWorks (asi/41273) makes the case for running a sustainable business at the “Sustainability Framework Masterclass” that ushered in first day of the trade show floor being open.

She went on to lay out how a sustainable business is a win-win for shareholders, customers, employees, communities and the environment. And in a time when working at mission-based and socially conscious businesses is gaining traction among younger employees, sustainable companies can successfully attract and retain talent.

“Take deliberate actions and reposition your mindset,” said Paul Wieleba, owner of multi-line agency {WE} Promotional Advertising and PPPC board chair, at the conclusion of the session. “Sustainability is not an expense, it’s an investment.”

The first exhibit day wrapped up with the annual PPPC Awards and afterparty, held at the Royal Woodbine Golf Club and co-hosted by Wieleba and Michèle Boucher of distributor Créapub, which celebrated more than 30 suppliers and distributors for their innovative campaigns and dedication to the industry.

Among the honorees were Promotional Source (asi/301292), named both the Large Enterprise Distributor and the National Distributor of the Year, and Debco, the Large Enterprise Supplier. Tommy Roy, manager of distributor Sumacom, received the Humanitarian Award, and David Lewenberg, executive vice president and COO of Counselor Top 40 distributor Genumark (asi/204588), was inducted into the PPPC Hall of Fame. Lewenberg has more than three decades of industry experience and served on the PPPC Board from 2009 to 2016.

Lewenberg, executive vice president and COO of Top 40 distributor Genumark (asi/204588), is the 2024 PPPC Hall of Fame inductee. Photo: William Meijer

“Mark and Mitch [Freed] have allowed me to be me,” said Lewenberg about the executive chairman and CEO, respectively, of Genumark, who are also members of the Counselor Power 50. “They’ve created an environment that allows all of us to succeed. I also think about what my late father would say: ‘Work hard, care about people and work harder.’”

Trends From the Floor

This was the first NATCON for Monique Zizzy, co-owner of Fuse & Sip, a British Columbia-based supplier of premium drink infusion kits made with fruits, flowers and herbs with names like Nacho Average Spicy Margarita and Moira Rosé Sangria. The boxes and plastic bags are domestically made and completely compostable.

“Everything is sourced from small farms in Canada,” said Zizzy, who started the company with her college friend during COVID. “The boxes can be branded, or we can put a customized belly band on each. The mixes are great for cocktails or mocktails and they’re all-natural – for example, our Aperitivo Spritz infusion kit doesn’t have the food dye that’s in Aperol liqueur.”

Monique Zizzy, co-owner of Fuse & Sip, attended NATCON for the first time this week. Her company’s drink infusion kits are comprised of fruits, flowers and herbs sourced from Canadian farms in domestically made compostable packaging.

It was also the first NATCON for supplier Foli, which ships live plants to end-users. The small team operates a greenhouse in Ontario and offers about a dozen different plants, from mini cacti to large monsteras.

“They’re popular for employee engagement, campaigns with a ‘grow with us’ message and real estate agents,” says Director of Sales Alicia Heine, who ran her own florist shop before joining the company. “The ones we offer are low-maintenance and forgiving, and come with a slew of health benefits, like purifying the air and lowering cortisol levels.” Imprint options include laser-engraved pots and wooden soil sticks.

Inna Lugovska, corporate relations specialist at Grosche, also attended NATCON for the first time. Certified woman-owned Grosche is a B Corp and retail brand based in Cambridge, ON, that focuses on an extensive line of high-end drinkware, from moka pots to glass bottles. Purchases fund the building of water filtration systems in countries around the world. Owners Mehreen and Helmi Sait founded the company in 2006 with a small line of teapots and have since vastly expanded the collections while overseeing construction of more than 2,800 water filtration systems in India, Malawi, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Sudan and Uganda.

The Grosche product line, also available in stores like Whole Foods and Target, includes moka pots, stainless-steel tumblers and glass bottles.

“Our experience at the show was fantastic,” said Lugovska. “Distributors were enthusiastic about our story, and it was inspiring to see such strong support for businesses committed to sustainability, social impact and environmental good. I’m excited to return next year and help customers make a difference by choosing a brand that gives back.”

Suppliers also leaned into their Canadian roots – Debco recently underwent a Canada-inspired rebrand, and Chilly Moose, a husband-and-wife-owned drinkware supplier that partnered with Curling Canada earlier this year, has expanded into blankets and custom-cut marine foam for its cooler lids.

Debco’s 24-oz. Larkin bottle (WB9727) – a gift for Sip & See guests – and a custom beaded friendship bracelet (BFRBR825) from BCG. Both companies are part of Top 40 supplier HPG (asi/61966; Canada, 48886).

Meanwhile, L. May MFG brought classic miners’ lunch boxes to the show for the first time. Handmade in Sudbury, ON, for the past 60 years, since miner Leo May made the first one at his home and brought it to work, the company offers heavy-duty metal boxes in six sizes and a variety of colors, including camo and glow-in-the-dark. On the more whimsical side, ASOBU Bestie Bottles (SBV44) from ADNART (asi/31518) feature lids in a variety of shapes and characters, including polar bears, Santa hats and spaceships.

Victoria Varela, marketing coordinator, and Kayla Nestler, general manager, represented classic Canadian brand L. May MFG at the show.

Nostalgia reigned supreme in apparel as well – a number of suppliers like Lane Seven (asi/66246); Top 40 supplier alphabroder (asi/34063); S&S Canada (asi/90703), part of Top 40 supplier S&S Activewear (asi/84358); and retail company LazyPants (attending NATCON for the first time) showcased matching sweatshirt/sweatpant sets in heavyweight fleece, hearkening back to ‘90s streetwear. The latter also showed off its rain jackets that fold into a pillow and puffer jackets, especially popular among Canadians. ADG Canada (asi/97249) has also now partnered with DMR Creative Marketing to offer retail-inspired resort wear with high-end imprints in addition to hard goods.

ADG Canada (asi/97249) offers resort-inspired apparel and premium imprints thanks to its partnership with DMR Creative Marketing.

“It’s been amazing,” said Darryn Cross, sales director at Top 40 supplier ADG Promotional Products (asi/97270), parent company of ADG Canada. “Customers want a one-stop shop, and now we can offer all types of decoration on resort apparel.”

Melissa Bevins, account manager at Muldoon Marketing in Aurora, ON, appreciated the high-energy show floor that included a DJ at the entrance. “I love catching up with the suppliers we’ve worked with for years, but there were also a lot of interesting new suppliers to meet,” she says. “They were eager to chat about products and trends, and excited to offer suggestions.”

A welcome trend, she says, were the premium housewares that she’s often had to source from outside the industry – like moka pots from Grosche, jewelry dishes from Lynn & Liana Designs (asi/67499) and S’well salad bowls from Top 40 supplier St Regis Group (asi/84592; Canada, 84595), which has partnered with a number of retail brands over the past few years.

Grosche offers a variety of moka pots, in different sizes and finishes.

“I also noticed a return to loud-and-proud logos on classic items like drinkware and apparel,” said Bevins. “Many suppliers featured full-colour capabilities and larger decorating areas.”

Carol de Ville, president of The Branding Company (asi/145376) in Brantford, ON, and the recipient of Counselor’s Woman of Distinction award in 2020, also cited the show floor’s energy. “Distributors and suppliers shared a great vision for our industry,” she said. “There were new suppliers, which was a welcome sight, along with core suppliers that shared innovative solutions plus their dedication to investing in deep inventory. We’re looking forward to closing out the year strong.”

Jonathan Strauss, president and CEO of PPPC, said the week’s new events, namely the supplier tours, PromoKitchen mixer and Reimer-Epp’s sustainability session, in addition to a number of new suppliers, is evidence of PPPC’s commitment to welcoming attendees from across Canada. “All of these initiatives helped to make the trip to Toronto for our members outside of the province worth the time and expense,” he said. “Now we’re focused on how to further elevate NATCON 2025.”

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