September 15 - 18

@ Virgin Hotels Nashville

skucamp Nashville main logo gif

skucamp is A One-of-a-Kind Business Boot Camp Experience

Welcome to skucamp!

If you’re new to skucamp, know that this is the place where the brightest thinkers, both inside and outside the industry, gather together to deep-dive into the hottest topics for today’s most progressive promo pros.

Join best-selling author Lia Garvin as she helps you learn how build a high-impact, Unstoppable Team and gives you the tools to do it! Tools like rethinking compensation through the lens of motivation over outcome, inspiring buy-in from your selling teams, and the step-by-step checklist to building a thriving team. Join Stephen Shedletzky, author of the book Speak-Up Culture who teaches you how to amplify your team’s best ideas, how to be bold with disagreements and feedback, and how to encourage innovation that creates outsized momentum for you and your team!

Join us for the best of peer-led learning from seasoned pros: from selling to the enterprise client to creating a strategy that actually works, to crafting a team-compensation plan that drives growth and more.

skucamp is: bold insights from outside experts, an idea-exchange with the smartest minds in the branded merch biz, and the perfect opportunity to step away from the day-to-day grind to spend 3 concentrated days focusing on building a business that matters to you! Join us and all the other hitmakers in the biz – in Smashville!

Ticket Info

What's Included:

  • Ticket to skucamp Nashville at the Virgin Hotel including 3 days of networking, socials, speakers, panels, workshops, and breakout sessions
  • skucamp Nashville merch kit
  • All meals including dine-around costs
  • Opening and closing party meals, drinks, and activities

Meet Our Speakers

Keynote Speakers

Schedule

Practical, tactical, & real: Here’s what attendees at skucamp can expect!

  • Outside Experts on Building Great Teams: Stephen Shedletzky & Lia Garvin will help you build an unstoppable team and an amazing culture!
  • Real-time Peer-led Learning: From breakouts to stage, industry experiences shared by those leading the most vibrant businesses today, not just strategy but “here’s how we did it”.
  • Macro Vision: Future-minded insight into sustainability, impact, supply chain, and industry trends.
  • Hands-On Tools for Leaders by Leaders: From tech to tips, skucamp is a boot camp built for leaders by leaders with plenty of time for best-practice sharing.

12:00 - 4:00 PM

12:00 - 4:00 PM

Registration

1:00 - 4:00 PM

1:00 - 4:00 PM

commonsku 30-Min Focus Groups with Charlie Moscoe

Charlie Moscoe
Charlie Moscoe

Join Charlie Moscoe, commonsku’s Vice President of Product Management, for 30 min sessions as he shares how we make decisions about where to focus our feature development efforts and how we provide visibility into our product roadmap. Charlie will also lead an open discussion to get feedback and input on future development priorities.

Register

6:00 - 9:00 PM

6:00 - 9:00 PM

Opening Party (Dinner, Drinks, Fun and Networking)

Virgin Hotel, Rooftop Pooldeck

6:30 - 7:30 AM

6:30 - 7:30 AM

Yoga Club

Roni Wright
Roni Wright | The Book Co.

Kick off your mornings at skucamp refreshed and renewed! Join Roni Wright for a gentle, guided Yoga experience. This session will incorporate breath and body awareness as you move through sun salutations and various postures based on the foundation of Ashtanga. The goal - to find the balance between effort and ease. Whether you are new to yoga or a pro, Roni’s yoga session will help you:

  1. Open and calm your mind and body for a day of learning
  2. Tap into the power of yoga inside and out
  3. Learn how to incorporate the practice of yoga into your busy day

7:30 - 8:50 AM

7:30 - 8:50 AM

Breakfast

9:00 - 9:10 AM

9:00 - 9:10 AM

Welcome to skucamp!

Mark Graham
Mark Graham
Catherine Graham
Catherine Graham

9:10 - 10:40 AM

9:10 - 10:40 AM

How to Bring a Speak-Up Culture to Life

Stephen Shedletzky
Stephen Shedletzky

As the Andy Stanley quote goes, “Leaders who don’t listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say.” And, that silence is dangerous. Cultures of silence lead to missed opportunities, failure, and sometimes even disaster. Part of the problem is that the more senior a leader becomes, the more removed they can get from the truth—the experiences of team members and customers alike. These are the very people who make their organization a success. A leader’s whisper is heard as a shout and the silence and nodding heads that often follows are falsely considered consensus.

In his workshop, speaker, coach, advisor, and author Stephen Shedletzky—or “Shed” to his friends—demonstrates that in a speak-up culture, not only do leaders have the skills and attributes to hear ideas, concerns, voices of dissent, and even mistakes, they also encourage, acknowledge, reward, and act upon them. This fundamental ability to create a culture where it’s safe and worth it to speak up—and to view the organization and the people in it as a living, breathing organism they are meant to support (rather than as cogs in a machine to operate)—is vital to the long-term success of any organization.

Speak-Up Culture shows you how creating such an environment is the responsibility and the advantage of every leader who wants to be great at leading, and who wants to create a better version of humanity while they do.

Workshop Objectives:

  • Unpack the two main questions of a speak-up culture: Is it safe? Is it worth it?
  • Explore why speak-up cultures are good for people and good for business
  • Discover the two components of a speak-up culture – Encourage & Reward
  • Learn tactical and proven methods to listen to your people and cultivate feedback
  • Explore the destructive impact of toxic positivity and gaslighting on people, teams, and cultures
  • Unpack leaders' responsibility and advantage in building a speak-up culture

10:40 - 11:10 AM

10:40 - 11:10 AM

Break

Stretch those legs, grab a coffee, high-five a new friend!

11:10 - 11:30 AM

11:10 - 11:30 AM

Build a Purpose-Driven Culture That Drives Results

Andrea Kramer
Andrea Kramer | City Apparel + Merch

Culture is much more than creating a positive environment, it’s building an environment that adapts to change and creates magic for customers. When Andrea Kramer first started in the business, like many, she was sales and marketing driven, but as the company grew, she shifted her focus to become more of what the business needed: A leader who would help drive organizational change. At City Apparel + Merch, Andrea and her team came up with 30 organizational habits that reflect their mission and purpose and propel growth forward, plus, a scorecard that would help them, quarter-by-quarter, evaluate their progress. In this skucamp talk, Andrea will unpack how she and her team take these big ideas like “purpose” and “mission” and “values” and make them practical in working with clients, supplier partners, and colleagues. Join us as Andrea shares how to build a purpose-driven culture that drives results!

11:30 - 11:50 AM

11:30 - 11:50 AM

A Journey toward Building a Great Place to Work

Michael Wolaver
Michael Wolaver | Magellan Promotions

Building a great place to work is much more than doughnuts on Fridays and a ping pong table. When Michael Wolaver began his business journey he can admit it now: his employee retention was awful and they had poor team culture. But in time, with a focus on system changes and leadership improvements, Michael and his team at Magellan Promotions in 2023 earned a "Greatest Companies To Work For" nod from PPAI and were recognized as one of Milwaukee’s “Future 50” companies. Join Michael as he walks through the crucial process of identifying what makes a best place to work, and more importantly, how they at Magellan made small adjustments that would amount to big changes. Every organization has a culture, but it is up to leadership to consistently focus on outcomes that will drive the change needed to build a winning culture.

11:50 - 12:50 PM

11:50 - 12:50 PM

Lunch

12:50 - 1:10 PM

12:50 - 1:10 PM

Behind the skucamp Merch Collection

Sarah Remple
Sarah Remple | commonsku

There’s more to merch than just a product! Everyone at skucamp raves about our event merch and every skucamper loves a good merch story! In this brief session, Sarah Remple will unpack what’s behind the skucamp merch, the values that drove our product selection, the style decisions that helped decide which product worked best, the suppliers who make it happen and our lessons learned that you can apply to your next campaign.

1:10 - 1:40 PM

1:10 - 1:40 PM

Table Talk: Tools to Building a Strong Culture

The power of commonsku has always been the community and the heart of the community has been collaboration, the sharing of ideas. In this rapid-fire session, you’ll be able to trade tactics that have fueled your success and ideas that will help shape your future. We’ll jump-start the conversation by providing key questions and it’s a great time to take advantage of the experts sitting all around you. Join us as we connect, contribute, and inspire!

1:40 - 2:10 PM

1:40 - 2:10 PM

Shedding Light on Supply Chain Transparency

Elizabeth Wimbush
Host: Elizabeth Wimbush | PPAI
Céline Juppeau
Panelist: Céline Juppeau | Kotmo
Pierre Martichoux
Panelist: Pierre Martichoux | Chameleon Like

If the new end-client demands more transparency, what does that mean for a supply chain that is growing increasingly complex and also traditionally is … guarded? Join Liz Wimbush as she explores how both suppliers and distributors can provide more insight into the supply chain for customers by revealing not just product and materials information but processes and partnerships that reveal impact in a sustainable way. In addition, we’ll unpack the latest news in sustainability such as EU rulings that will impact the US supply chain, scope 3 emissions, and more!

2:10 - 2:40 PM

2:10 - 2:40 PM

Break

Stretch those legs, grab a coffee, high-five a new friend!

2:40 - 3:10 PM

2:40 - 3:10 PM

Table Talk: Supplier Partnerships, Sustainability, & Transparency

The power of commonsku has always been the community and the heart of the community has been collaboration, the sharing of ideas. In this rapid-fire session, you’ll be able to trade tactics that have fueled your success and ideas that will help shape your future. We’ll jump-start the conversation by providing key questions and it’s a great time to take advantage of the experts sitting all around you. Join us as we connect, contribute, and inspire!

3:10 - 3:40 PM

3:10 - 3:40 PM

Supplier CEO Panel: A Supplier’s High-Pressure Stakes

Clive Goldberg
Clive Goldberg | Logomark
Rob Spector
Rob Spector | Spector & Co.

Two main spheres make up a successful supplier’s core business: product and production. In this session with two of the industry’s leading CEO’s, we’re going to unpack the unique expertise of two brands that have mastered both: Logomark and Spector and Co. Since suppliers are (quite literally) a distributor’s supply chain, we’ll dive deep into the challenges faced today in product selection, compliance, sourcing, and supply chain. Plus, the increasingly high-pressured demands of fast turn-times and accuracy in a world that keeps spinning faster.

3:40 - 6:30 PM

3:40 - 6:30 PM

Chill

6:30 PM onwards

6:30 PM onwards

Dinner (Dine Around Groups)

Various Restaurants around Nashville

6:30 - 7:30 AM

6:30 - 7:30 AM

Yoga Club

Roni Wright
Roni Wright | The Book Co.

Kick off your mornings at skucamp refreshed and renewed! Join Roni Wright for a gentle, guided Yoga experience. This session will incorporate breath and body awareness as you move through sun salutations and various postures based on the foundation of Ashtanga. The goal - to find the balance between effort and ease. Whether you are new to yoga or a pro, Roni’s yoga session will help you:

  1. Open and calm your mind and body for a day of learning
  2. Tap into the power of yoga inside and out
  3. Learn how to incorporate the practice of yoga into your busy day

7:30 - 8:50 AM

7:30 - 8:50 AM

Breakfast

9:00 - 10:15 AM

9:00 - 10:15 AM

Creating Your Unstoppable Team

Lia Garvin
Lia Garvin

What’s the real secret behind doing more with less? Making it easier to get work done on your team and in your business. The good news is this is also the secret to scaling your business. In this talk, I dive into the six areas to simplify and optimize on your team that will save you countless hours of wasted time every single month, drive a stronger sense of accountability on your team, and turn your employees into profit-generating machines - all without burning people out.

We’ll discuss how to onboard team members effectively so they’re making an impact from day one, how to connect the dots between job responsibilities and company priorities, how to establish clear expectations and working norms that reduce miscommunications and duplication of efforts, how to track work in a way that doesn’t create too much overhead while still giving you the information you need, how to delegate decisions and work effectively, and how to evaluate performance in a way that motivates your team members to grow your business. Together, these six areas set you on a trajectory to scale to heights you never thought possible, and cultivate your own unstoppable team.

10:15 - 10:45 AM

10:15 - 10:45 AM

Break

Stretch those legs, grab a coffee, high-five a new friend!

10:45 - 11:05 AM

10:45 - 11:05 AM

From Goal Setting to GSD (Get Sh*t Done)

Benji Bearman
Benji Bearman | Liquid Screen Design

Most distributors don’t struggle with vision or strategy, they struggle making vision and strategy a reality through execution. Starting in 1993, American Online sent out over a billion CD's. Why does this matter to us in promo? Fast forward seven years and in 2000, AOL bought Time Warner for $183 billion dollars.

To accomplish this required a vision to attract new members, a plan to budget creative and acquisition, and most importantly: execution, how to not just dream it, but how to actually get sh*t done. We can each replicate this 3-part plan within our own organizations. Learn how to take your goal setting from a wish list to actually getting sh*t done. Join Benji Bearman as he unpacks how he and his team at Liquid Screen Designs created a bold strategic vision, how they mapped that to planning, and then finally, how they realized their vision through quarterly execution to drive results.

11:05 - 11:25 PM

11:05 - 11:25 PM

How to Create a High-Performance Sales Team

Dominique Volker
Dominique Volker | Whitestone Branding

Hiring a sales team is easy. Building a thriving sales force is hard but incredibly rewarding! Dominique Volker built a $7MM annual book of business and has sold over $20MM over her career, but her biggest challenge came when she began repeating her success at scale! Join Dominique as she walks through how she built a sales team structure, how she set thresholds for sales growth, and her best tips on how to maximize your top performers’ potential. In this session, Dominique will not only share a framework for creating high-performance sales producers but also how to train, inspire, and motivate your sales team to win!

11:25 - 11:55 PM

11:25 - 11:55 PM

Table Talk: Goal Setting & The High Performance Team

The power of commonsku has always been the community and the heart of the community has been collaboration, the sharing of ideas. In this rapid-fire session, you’ll be able to trade tactics that have fueled your success and ideas that will help shape your future. We’ll jump-start the conversation by providing key questions and it’s a great time to take advantage of the experts sitting all around you. Join us as we connect, contribute, and inspire!

11:55 - 12:55 PM

11:55 - 12:55 PM

Lunch

12:55 - 1:15 PM

12:55 - 1:15 PM

The Road Ahead

Charlie Moscoe
Charlie Moscoe | commonsku

Charlie Moscoe, commonsku’s Vice President of Product Management, will share highlights from recent developments on the commonsku platform and provide a glimpse ahead into commonsku’s immediate and future roadmap!

1:15 - 1:35 PM

1:15 - 1:35 PM

The Connector’s Playbook: Win Business Through Thoughtful Engagement & Human Connection

Dean Caravelis
Dean Caravelis | Blezoo

When Dean Caravelis, CEO & Founder of Blezoo, launched his promotional marketing agency he started with a blank sheet of paper. No partners, no funding, and no experience in the industry. He did have one advantage: As a former CMO, he knew the ideal customer well. In this session, Dean will share tactics from his first book, The Connector’s Playbook, that will help you build a brand that people love, trust, and want to connect with (through every business touchpoint). From the way your team communicates to generous marketing to tactical insights through strategic selling, Dean will combine his experience as both client and distributor to help you build a brand your customers will like, love, and trust!

1:35 - 2:05 PM

1:35 - 2:05 PM

An Exclusive Interview with Dan Pantano on the S&S + alphabroder Acquisition

Dan Pantano
Dan Pantano | alphabroder

S&S Activewear + alphabroder made historic news when they announced that S&S Activewear would be acquiring alphabroder creating a powerhouse $4.1 billion dollar brand. Join us as we chat with Dan Pantano about the massive merger between these two giants and what this means for distributors, the market, and the industry!

2:05 - 2:35 PM

2:05 - 2:35 PM

Break

Stretch those legs, grab a coffee, high-five a new friend!

2:35 - 2:55 PM

2:35 - 2:55 PM

Creating a Compensation Plan to Crush Your Goals

Ryan Paules
Ryan Paules | Radar Promotions

When Ryan Paules looked at traditional compensation structures in our industry, he noticed one glaring omission: Most comp plans didn’t foster teamwork to inspire growth. PPAI reported that the industry grew 2.25% in 2023 in a 3+% inflation landscape, but Ryan wasn’t content with “industry average growth.” After setting up (and working under) about a dozen different comp plans (across 20 years of sales in just about every industry besides promo!), he tweaked their comp plan to something he describes as “painfully simple,” but it works, netting a 900% increase from 2020-2023. Join Ryan as he shares a glimpse into his journey (including rising from the ashes of a bankruptcy) to motivating himself and his team by setting quarterly and annual targets to crush their goals!

2:55 - 3:25 PM

2:55 - 3:25 PM

Table Talk: Client Connections and Comp!

The power of commonsku has always been the community and the heart of the community has been collaboration, the sharing of ideas. In this rapid-fire session, you’ll be able to trade tactics that have fueled your success and ideas that will help shape your future. We’ll jump-start the conversation by providing key questions and it’s a great time to take advantage of the experts sitting all around you. Join us as we connect, contribute, and inspire!

3:25 - 3:55 PM

3:25 - 3:55 PM

skucamp: The Highlights!

Aaron Kucherawy
Aaron Kucherawy

We’re going to end our learning together by hitting the highlights! Join Aaron Kucheraway as he leads an open chat with everyone about your top tips learned and the best ideas you’ll put into practice when you return. Join us for this last chat, an open lab and open confab to help you crystalize your action plan when you get home!

3:55 - 6:30 PM

3:55 - 6:30 PM

Chill

6:30 PM onwards

6:30 PM onwards

Closing Party (Dinner, Drinks, and Fun)

Join us to close down skucamp in style!

11:00 AM ~

11:00 AM ~

Everyone departs (no programming)

Venue

skucamp will be hosted at Virgin Hotels Nashville. Located in the heart of Nashville’s Music Row, you’re just steps away from all the sights, sounds and tastes that make this vibrant city a ‘must visit’ destination. The Virgin Hotels is the perfect home for skucamp 2024, with everything you expect from a commonsku event: classy, cool and jam packed with fun.

We have a special room rate at The Virgin Hotel for all skucampers booking rooms from Sept 15-18, 2024.

You can book your rooms using the booking link here. skucampers receive a discounted room rate of $309/night + tax.

If you wish to stay extra nights beyond Sept 15-18, please contact Bobby Breese, Bobby.breese@virginhotels.com and mention you are with commonsku/skucamp. This is subject to availability.

Merch Kit

Each year our skucamp attendees receive a collection of curated products that we select and design with our supplier partners. This year, we’re approaching the 2024 collection with a fresh lens. Our skucamp 2024 merch kit will be focused on 4 pillars:

  1. Longevity of the Product
  2. Social and Environmental Impact
  3. Inclusivity
  4. Impeccable Design

We are committed to creating the most meaningful and impactful merch experience for you. While the details of our skucamp merch collection are a closely guarded secret, take a look at some past merchandise to give you a sense of what you can expect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is skucamp designed for?

skucamp is designed for the owner, C-level manager or senior-level staff within a supplier or a distributor. If you are on the upswing of your career and are making waves in your organization, you should be at skucamp.

Is there a maximum number of tickets for skucamp?

There is a maximum of 2 tickets per distributor company at skucamp.

How much does skucamp cost?

The registration fee for skucamp 2024 is $1595/person (USD) + tax.

Why am I being charged State Tax?

State Tax is required by law in Tennessee for events held within its jurisdiction. It helps fund various state services and initiatives, and ensures compliance with state regulations.

What’s included in my registration fee?

Your registration fee includes all workshops, entertainment, gifts, drinks, and all meals. Travel to/from Nashville and hotel costs are not included.

Included meals:
Sept 15 - dinner
Sept 16 - breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner
Sept 17 - breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner

I am not a customer of commonsku, can I still come to skucamp?

skucamp is open to customers of the commonsku software platform.

Is there a cancellation policy on my skucamp tickets?

Yes, we will issue a full refund if you cancel before August 1, 2024 (less Eventbrite service fees). There are no refunds after August 1, 2024 under any circumstances.

We offer free ticket transfers to a colleague (within the same company) at any time.

We cannot resell the tickets on your behalf.

How do I book my hotel room?

We have a special room rate at The Virgin Hotel for all skucampers booking rooms from Sept 15-18, 2024.

You can book your rooms using the booking link here. skucampers receive a discounted room rate of $309/night + tax.

If you wish to stay extra nights beyond Sept 15-18, please contact Bobby Breese, Bobby.breese@virginhotels.com and mention you are with commonsku/skucamp. This is subject to availability.

How does the dine-around work?

skucamp is all about the power of connections and meeting new and interesting people. One of the ways we do this is by having a dine-around on our 2nd night, September 16th. We assign small groups of 8-10 people to various restaurants in town. The cost of your dine around dinner is included in your registration fee. (Transportation to/from dinners is done by Ubers and is not covered in your registration fee).

What costs are excluded?

Travel to/from Nashville and hotel accommodations are excluded.

How is skucamp different from your other events?

Each of our events is designed with different themes in mind. Many people will attend all events as they all offer something unique.

skucamp is a 3-day business planning boot camp for executive-level distributors and suppliers to plan their year ahead.

skucon focuses on high-level education and inspiration for any role, distributors or suppliers. It is hosted the day before the PPAI Expo in Las Vegas.

commonsku University is a half-day education session for distributor customers of commonsku to learn how to use the platform.

When should I arrive/depart?

We encourage you to arrive before 5 PM on Sunday, September 15th so you are checked in and registered for our kick-off party that evening. If you can arrive earlier in the day, even better.

skucamp ends after our closing party on September 17th. We recommend catching a flight on the morning of September 18th.

What should I wear?

skucamp is a very casual event so please dress comfortably.

  • There will be a mix of outdoors events in the evenings where you will want to dress for the warm Nashville weather. During the day, we will be indoors in an air conditioned space.
  • Bring your bathing suit to take advantage of the beautiful pool.

Sponsors

Presenting Sponsors

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Supporting Sponsors

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Association Sponsor