In the past when people have asked why I volunteer I’m sure that I just rattled off the first answer that came to my head (sorry!) but as I working on a CAPPA project late last night I really started to ask myself why I do this?

This is what motivates me:

Money- The next time you have a spare second make of list of how much it would cost you to attend the PPAI or ASI shows in Las Vegas or even Dallas for that matter. If you have office staff or sales people that you would take with you, then double that number. Are the zero’s adding up yet? CAPPA hosts an annual EXPO with over 100 national suppliers and multi-line reps as exhibitors. All it costs me is a tank of gas to get to San Antonio!  On the flip side of that coin….Oprah once said “It takes a village to raise kids” well I don’t have kids but I can tell you without a doubt that it takes months and hundreds of hours behind the scenes planning to offer you “The Best Little Show in Texas!” and it’s all done by volunteers.

Relationships- The standard answer is that you can build relationships with suppliers which is true (& VERY helpful) but it’s not my answer. For me, it’s about the relationships that I have built with other distributors (Yes, my competitors!). There are times when I just can’t find what I’m looking for, I run into a client or employee situation where I’m not exactly sure what to do or maybe I’ve just had a tough day and need somebody to listen who can relate. Guess what…I now have a group of other distributors whom I meet through volunteering for CAPPA that I am proud to call my friends. We are not worried about stealing each others business or that if we if we help each other with ideas for clients and business that it’s going to put one of us out of business! I can reach out to these people at any time and I know that they will help me and vice versa! That’s priceless if you ask me…

United we stand, Divided we fall- Let’s face it…the last year has been rocky and there are lots of things going on right now that are changing the landscape of our industry. When we finally get out of the recession that we are in, I think not only the promotional products industry but business in general will be different. Recent legislation regarding safety standards and laws that being debated right now in Congress will affect all of us. I am a distributorship of 2 and by standing alone I don’t make that big of an impact but if we come together, as a united industry, to stand up for what we believe in, we are a strong and powerful voice. Regional associations in conjunction with PPAI are leading the way to make sure our voices are heard. By volunteering to help i’m ensuring that CAPPA can provide opportunities to educate myself and make sure that I am a top-notch professional within my industry – my clients expect it and my livelihood depends on it.

What motivates you to volunteer?

By: Jennifer Brown, 360 Promotions

Last night at about 3:45 am my eyes flew open and I thought “Oh goodness, I really need to post on CAPPAChat!” So here I am and I apologize for the inconsistency over the last month. We are working to get back on a better schedule so look for posts at least 2-3 times per week. Better yet, use the ‘subscribe via email’ feature in the upper left corner and you will get an email when there is a new post! 

The summer is a busy time for CAPPA and I want to update you with everything we have in the pipelines…

CAPPA EXPO- Mark your calendars, Aug. 13th, in San Antonio, from 11:30-2pm. We had a CAPPA board meeting last week at the new facility, Live Oak Civic Center and I know you’re going to be happy with the venue. It’s right at the corner of IH-35 and Loop 1604 and it offers *free* parking right in the front. We are having lunch catered for all attendees by Picnikins. At our meeting last week they brought over samples… It’s finger lickin’ good!  Exhibitor registration is going great and I believe at last count we had 70% of our booths spoken for. You can count on all your favorite brands being there such as: Leeds, Logomark, Norwood, 3M Post-It Notes, Prime Line and many more. Distributor registration starts in about 2 weeks and our goal this year is 300+ attendees. From now until show day we will be working round-the-clock to make sure the show is a success beacuse you know what they say “The devil is in the details!” 

Corpus Christi Lunch & Learn- June 17th from 11:30 – 1:30. For more details click here. 

McAllen Lunch & Learn- June 18th from 11:30 – 1:3-. For more details click here. 

*These two events are going to be awesome! Ruth (Membership Chair) has 10-15 suppliers tabletops and presenters at each event. If you live in the Valley, we would love to see you there! Contact Debra Stovall with questions at cappa@gvtc.com  

2010 Incomming Board- Melinda Chandler (Director) of Vitronic, Heather Nigh (Director) of Leed’s and Rick Sepulvado (Education Chair) of Custom Crest will all complete their board service at the end of 2009. Ballots and details will be coming to your inbox in the next month to vote on the new slate of officers for 2010. Note: If you would like to volunteer or nominate somebody to serve on the 2010 board, please email Debra Stovall at cappa@gvtc.com  

I think that’s about it for current updates… we are already planning our fall events and holiday party. I will post updates on those as they become available. 

Don’t forget the CAPPAConnection will be available online on June 17th. To download the newsletter please click here. 

If there is anything we can do to help you or if you would like to help us by volunteering at an upcoming event, please post a comment below.