6:30 - 7:30 AM |
6:30 - 7:30 AM
Run and Walk Club
Our run club will meet each morning in the lobby of the Line Hotel. We will have group leaders who will guide you through your 5KM run/walk route.
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7:30 - 8:45 AM |
7:30 - 8:45 AM
Breakfast @ Arlo Grey (main floor The Line)
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9:00 - 9:10 AM |
9:00 - 9:10 AM
Welcome to skucamp 2023!
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9:10 - 10:40 AM |
9:10 - 10:40 AM
The Good Fight: Build a Productive Conflict Culture
Business today is more competitive than ever. Getting ahead and staying ahead requires your teams to make tough calls, face hard choices, and to work through conflict. But no matter how much you invest in conflict workshops and training, productive conflict is still rare. Why? Because productive conflict is about more than the right skill set. It requires the right mindset and the right processes, neither of which come naturally. In this session, Liane will walk you through a six-step process for creating a culture of productive conflict that will improve results and enhance engagement. You will walk away being able to make the case to your organization for why conflict is not only inevitable but valuable; target the key skills that will allow your team to have conflict productively; and prepare your employees to work through resistance on the path to resolution!
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10:40 - 11:10 AM |
10:40 - 11:10 AM
Morning Break
Stretch those legs, grab a coffee, high-five a new friend!
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11:10 - 11:30 AM |
11:10 - 11:30 AM
The Vegetarian’s Guide (No, Seriously) to Promo Sales
Stephen Musgrave | Genumark
We all want sales growth, but often, we’re looking for it through the wrong end of the telescope. We flack on about new business, new salespeople, new accounts, but practically ignore the most profitable growth opportunity right beneath us: organic growth on our own turf. It’s faster, healthier (profitable), and good for the environment (culture)! Despite our wishes to the contrary, this industry is full of farmers and gatherers, not hunters. So, rather than exhausting ourselves by trying to transform vegetarians into meat-eaters, why not harness the power of the farmer and yield a return that actually grows! Join Stephen Musgrave, EVP of Sales and Marketing at Top 40 Distrib Genumark, as he unpacks the problem you and I face and the tools and tactics that make for real, long-lasting, and tastier organic growth. (This is an inclusive talk: All carnivores, omnivores, vegetarians, pescetarians, and flexitarians are welcome).
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11:30 - 11:50 AM |
11:30 - 11:50 AM
How Leaders Create a Startup Mentality
Jenna Quaranta | Knoss Apparel
Elson Yeung | Knoss Apparel
The pandemic had a profound impact on the way we acted in sales: We (all) acted like tomorrow depended on it. Because it did then, and it does now. Start-up mentality works the same way: every day, every decision, every tactic, is executed quickly, and if there are mistakes, you move fast and iterate again. In this session, we’ll explore how leaders can promote a start-up mentality to drive growth and accountability, and we’ll dive deep into two perspectives: a Design Mind and a Sales Mind. We’ll share how these worlds intersect and how it enhances your relationship with your sales leaders. Join JQ and Elson as they share the essential energy and high-velocity thinking needed to create a start-up mentality with your team!
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11:50 - 12:25 PM |
11:50 - 12:25 PM
Table Talk
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!
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12:25 - 1:25 PM |
12:25 - 1:25 PM
Lunch @ Arlo Grey (main floor The Line)
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1:25 - 2:25 PM |
1:25 - 2:25 PM
An Exclusive Interview with Supplier CEOs
Dan Pantano | alphabroder
Moderated by Catherine Graham
As the post-covid supply chain has settled, a renewed focus on operations and sourcing has emerged for suppliers. In this interview with leaders of three of the industry’s largest suppliers --PCNA, alphabroder, and Hit Promotional Products – we’ll discuss the state of the industry now and their perspective on the future, including topics regarding the new challenges for our supply chain plus the impact of inflation, and the possibility of a recession, and how to shape our decisions in light of it. We’ll also explore how these suppliers are innovating with product, tech, and processes. Join us for an open mic opportunity, and bring your questions for CJ, Dan, and Neil!
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2:25 - 2:55 PM |
2:25 - 2:55 PM
Table Talk
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!
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2:55 - 3:25 PM |
2:55 - 3:25 PM
Afternoon Break
Stretch those legs, grab a coffee, high-five a new friend!
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3:25 - 3:45 PM |
3:25 - 3:45 PM
More Than Just Merch: Who Are You and What Impact Do You Bring To Clients?
Beyond solely selling physical merch, distributors now have a greater opportunity to use data and insights to form creative and strategic partnerships that drive growth while providing clients with more meaning-driven offerings. In this session, we will dive deep into the importance of supplementing your merch sourcing and fulfillment services with alternative services, and how this approach can give your business a competitive edge. You’ll hear about how the shift towards more conscious production, more service-oriented sales, and selling your clients on less — can actually deliver more. Join us on this journey toward providing meaningful solutions instead of merch alone!
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3:45 - 4:05 PM |
3:45 - 4:05 PM
Moving Your Brand Beyond a Stereotype
Jessica Blanchfield | Archer & Hound
Dave Blanchfield | Archer & Hound
As we emerged from the pandemic, many distributors transformed into a different type of company: they started offering more services, some ventured into production, and others into direct sourcing. And though we’ve changed, our clients and prospects might still view us through the lens of a stereotype. Every industry struggles with stereotypes because most businesses fail to create something better: an archetype. Jessica and Dave Blanchfield have crafted a unique strategy and position with their agency, Archer & Hound, and guide clients, in various industries, through creating authentic brands. Join Jessica and Dave as they unpack one part of building an effective brand and how your brand voice, tone, personality, and archetype ultimately affect your brand identity. Who you are at your core matters, and how you express that matters even more.
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4:05 - 4:45 PM |
4:05 - 4:45 PM
A Fireside Chat with Derek Block
Derek Block | Touchstone Merchandise Group
Resilience doesn’t even come close to describing Derek’s passion for life and this industry. A revolutionary builder of brands and an experienced, self-made business development leader, Derek has also overcome a battle with cancer and open heart surgery – all while leading Touchstone to become one of the industry’s Top 25 Distributors serving a stellar client list such as Pure Romance, Progressive, Barstool Sports, and Kroger. In 2022, Derek was listed on ASI’s Power 50 as one of the “innovators, risk-takers and visionaries who are defining the future of promo," and Touchstone was recognized as a Top Workplace in Cincinnati. Never one to let obstacles slow him down, Block and team recently moved into their Design & Development BrandEQ® studio as well as a new state-of-the-art 400,000-square-foot warehouse. In this fireside chat, we’ll talk with Derek about the challenges he and his team have overcome to become one of the most successful distributorships today.
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6:30 - 9:30 PM |
6:30 - 9:30 PM
Dine-Arounds @ Various Restaurants
skucamp attendees are to meet in the lobby at 6:00 pm to meet their groups and walk/Uber to their restaurants. After dinner, attendees can head to The White Horse for line dancing/live music. Please wear your skucamp badges for free cover.
If you didn't receive an email with your group and reservation details, please contact Talia at talia@commonsku.com.
The White Horse
500 Comal St
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