May 1, 2008    Big East Sales Team is Re-Hired by Eighth Floor Promotions, LLC 

The Big East Sales Team is pleased to announce we are, once again, representing Visions Awards.  In addition, we will also be responsible for the other three brands in the Eighth Floor Promotions, LLC family of companies. Now our line-up of top notch supplier brands includes Awardcraft, Craftsman Awards and the newly acquired AITG corporate gifts, along with Visions Awards.

These four brands offer the most comprehensive selection of recognition and employee gifts in the promotional products industry.  The parent company has also bolstered its distributor support capabilities by expanding its award-winning internal support team.  This will allow all of the Eighth Floor brands to offer a faster, more personal level of customer service.

Known for years as the leader in corporate recognition, the recent acquisition of AITG rounds out Eighth Floor’s product offering perfectly.  As Eighth Floor president Dave Willis acknowledges, “Bringing AITG under the Eighth Floor umbrella enables us to offer a broader selection of products and enhanced services to our distributors.  Our expansion into the business gift market will allow us to deliver high-quality gifts more quickly and cost effectively.  As a result, our distributors will have more options and more solutions to promote in their markets.”

For more information about Eighth Floor’s product lines or information regarding their strategic programming and communication solutions which strengthen recognition programs, please visit:  www.8thfloorpromotions.com

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR 2009 New Alliance Reduces Number of Trade Shows in the Northeast

May 1, 2008: In a major announcement the Chesapeake Promotional Products  Association (CPPA), Specialty Advertising Counselors of Delaware Valley (SACDV), Specialty Advertising Association of Greater New York (SAAGNY) and the Northeast Representatives Association (NERA) have joined together to reduce the number of trade shows in the Northeast. The alliance will reduce six Winter shows in the region to three. 

            The 26 year old NERA caravan has been combined with the shows produced by CPPA and SACDV while SAAGNY has taken the two NERA show dates in the New York/New Jersey area and combined them into one dynamic show. 

            The SACDV/NERA event will be held on Tuesday, January 27, 2009, the CPPA/NERA event will be held on Wednesday, January 28 and the SAAGNY/NERA event will be held on Thursday, January 29.

            In commenting on this major industry news CPPA's president Hersch Wellman, MAS  of HW & A Productions said "We are supporting our supplier members and giving them an opportunity to reach more distributors at a reduced cost. We are also answering the call from all of our members to reduce the number of shows.”  while Robert Schwarz, CAS, SAAGNY's president, of Ad Source Marketing (D) agreed that "this is one of the most important industry announcements in recent years. SAAGNY is committed to the success of this joint effort"   Andy Shuman, SACDV's president, of Rockland Embroidery echoed their comments and added that “SACDV will continue to lead the way in the Delaware Valley and are enthusiastic about this new opportunity.”

            NERA’s representative, Michele Jennrich, MAS, of Howard Miller Clock Co., echoed their sentiments. ‘While keeping our NERA identity traveling together as a group we are also embarking on a new journey with the regional associations. NERA’s three shows with our regional partners and our stand alone show in the New England area will produce important opportunities to bring suppliers, multi line reps and distributors together. “

1/16/08 PPAI 2008 SUPPLIER STAR AWARD WINNER- CROWN PRODUCTS

Announced at The PPAI Expo 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday, January 16, 2008, Crown Products was awarded the 2008 Supplier Star, recognized for delivering outstanding customer service and high quality products.  Winners are selected by PPAI distributor members.  This is the eighth time Crown Products has won the PPAI Supplier Star Award.

1/9/08 Custom HBC (asi 47934) joins forces with the Big East Sales Team in the northeastern U.S. promotional products marketplace

 

Custom HBC has hired the Big East Sales Team of Dan Pigott and Ron Remer to represent their rapidly growing product line of health, bath & beauty items in the northeastern United States.  Custom HBC is recognized as the leader and the most innovative company in this widely popular product category.  HBC president Larry Wilhelm utilized his 30+ years of experience on the consumer/retail side of the health & beauty care industry to present a comprehensive selection of over 1,600 different items for their 2008 promotional products line.  This is far and away the most diverse assortment of any supplier in this product category and, when coupled with their extensive custom capabilities, offers choices that no other promotional products supplier can match.

 

These are some of the products you'll find from Custom HBC: antibacterial sprays, wipes & gels, sunscreens, lip balms, first aid items, soaps & bath salts, aromatherapy products, cosmetics, oral & breath protection items, brand name toiletries, spa products, kids items, moisturizers, mints and gum, gifts sets....and more

Please click this link to view the entire product offering:  www.CustomHBC.com

 

Among the many recent accolades and accomplishments for Custom HBC:

May 17, 2007 - Custom HBC Corporation Wins Second Consecutive Spirit Award from Advertising Specialties Institute. Custom HBC Corporation, Waconia, Minn, was awarded a second consecutive ASI Spirit Award by the Advertising Specialty Institute® (ASI), the largest media and marketing organization serving the $18.6 billion advertising specialty industry.  The award was presented at the Annual Awards Banquet in the Las Vegas Convention Center to Custom HBC Corporation as the second fastest growing supplier in the industry with over 900% growth from 2004 to 2006. In 2006, Custom HBC won the ASI Spirit Award as the third fastest growing supplier in the industry. Custom HBC Corporation has distinguished itself as a premier supplier by being the 2nd supplier in the history of these awards to place in the top 10 fastest growing suppliers 2 years in a row.

 

March 22, 2006: Custom HBC Corporation Wins Spirit Award from Advertising Specialties Institute™. Custom HBC Corporation., Waconia, Minn, was awarded an ASI Spirit Award by the Advertising Specialty Institute of Trevose, Penn. The award was presented at the Annual Awards Banquet to Custom HBC Corporation as the third fastest growing supplier in the industry with over 800% growth from 2003 to 2005. 

 

For more information, catalogs, free samples, or a product line presentation, contact your Big East Sales Team representative:

Dan Pigott (NJ, PA, DE, MD, DC)

215-378-1653

dan@bigeastsalesteam.com

 

Ron Remer (NY, CT, RI, NA, VT, NH, ME)

203-214-2242

ron@bigeastsalesteam.com