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Tuesday
January 19, 2010

PSI’s Dusseldorf Show Gets Its Gold On!

Filed under: PSI Shows, Travel

Hi Everyone!

Just got back from the 48th PSI Show in Dusseldorf, Germany, which was quite the success! The show, the largest ad specialty trade show in the world, attracted 883 exhibitors, nearly 19,000 distributor attendees from all over the world, and took up more than 370,000 square feet of exhibition space.

It was a special year for my PSI friends, as the organization is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The show’s exhibitors seemed to give a nod both to PSI’s golden year and the hot commodity that is gold, as that was the predominant color most items were shown in. My favorite new items? A pocket, portable GPS device for those walking around a city, personalized logos to customize bottles of beer and wine with one’s face, a motorized mini-hovercraft toy that can be controlled by your iPhone, BlackBerry, etc., and a watch that doubles as a phone… How cool and secret agent-ish is that?  

Other news included the announcement of ProPSI — an alliance of Pro Exhibitors & Publishers and PSI, who are joining forces to create a new show that will be held from August 25-27, 2010 in Amsterdam. (Will I be there? That’s a “hell to the yeah!”) For more information go to http://www.pro-8.eu/page/news/155

I took some photos, below, but here are some from PSI’s professional photographer of the 48th PSI Dusseldorf Fair: http://www.psionline.de/bildergalerie_messe_1-946.html

The 49th installment of the PSI Dusseldorf Show will be held from January 12-14, 2011. For more information go to www.psionline.de.

Cheers, and more from the PPAC Show in Toronto next week!

– M

Here’s my travel pal Ed Koehler, ASI associate publisher and an all-around super guy! My favorite thing about Ed? He has a voice like Lurch from the Addams Family. Listen here: http://www.addamsfamily.com/addams/yourang.wav. In this photo, we were at a fabulous Mongolian barbeque restaurant in Düsseldorf called Mongo’s, where they have intensifying degrees of hot-sauce marinade. Special Ed went for the hottest, called “The Bomb.” This is his reaction after taking his first forkful. Me? I drank my weight in Riesling… ; ) (From left): My boss, ASI executive vice president & publisher, Rich Fairfield, Polyconcept’s CFO and member of ASI Advisory Board, Yann Leca (have I told you all lately how much I adore Yann???) and Ed Koehler, having dinner aboard Polyconcept’s boat which they keep docked on the River Rhine for the duration of the show. The Polyconcept staff — about 100 people — stay on the boat, and clients and special guests are invited to join them each night for dinner.
Why do I love Europe? Because the boys look like this… Meet Francois Vehoeven (left) of the Netherlands-based company Big Bang and Albert van der Veen, PF Concept’s director of product development. They were as charming as they are adorable… These sparkly white winter woodland sprites were the spokesmodels for the Thermo Togo booth at the PSI Show. They looked like the ice princesses from fairyland, and as though they needed some Irish coffee to warm up…
A unique way to exhibit promotional displays, these life-size cut-outs were eye-catching and drew lots of traffic to the supplier’s booth. The Polyconcept team invited their friends and clients from Staples Promotional Products for dinner on their boat and graciously invited me along too. It was a relaxed, fun and interesting evening, and meeting Nina was highlight — she’s one of my new favorite industry people. (From left): Graham Winter, managing director of PF Concept UK Limited; Yann Leca; U.K.-based Nina Lyons, purchasing manager for Staples Promotional Products; U.S.-based Howard Trilling, vice president of international sales for Staples Promotional Products; Polyconcept’s chairman of the board, Philippe Varnier; and U.K.-based Rod Cullen, managing director of Staples Promotional Products.
The PSI lounge, a rest area for attendees, was tres cool and came complete with squishy beanbag chairs, hanging beads (which reminded me of the kind you used to have to walk through to get into that Den of Iniquity of 70s retail stores, Spencer’s Gifts, where my mother was convinced orgies were being held under the black lights and velvet posters of nymphs riding unicorns) and a bar. I sank into one of the bean bag chairs and wallowed in the comfort, until it was time to get up again. Then, I struggled like an upside-down turtle on its shell… 
The Macma booth — which, with its partner company’s booth, Easy Gifts, costs over $1 million (US) — is spectacularly baroque/rococo, in a red and black velvet, True Blood/Marie Antoinette kind of way. After the second day of the show, a party was held in the Macma booth, featuring a band, open bar, hors d’oeuvres and many smoking (both in the aesthetic and inhaling sense) Europeans.
Philippe Varnier, Polyconcept’s chairman of the board and the suavest man alive, and me during dinner. Jeff Kramer, the founder and former owner of Bullet Line — which was sold to Polyconcept in 2006 — recently bought a thoroughbred race horse. Its name? “Thank You, Philippe.” (See images, below) 
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Friday
January 8, 2010

Hot Times in Chilly Orlando…

Filed under: ASI Shows, Editorial, Fun

Happy 2010, Everyone!

I’m just back from the ASI Orlando Show, where — despite record cold temps (in the ’30s!), the show was a huge success. From Education Day, to General Colin Powell’s keynote address, to the sizzling fashion show and rollicking amusement park gala, the show was a fantastic way to kick off a new year and decade.

There were tons of creative, wow-worthy new products introduced by our industry’s ingenious suppliers and everyone’s mood was positive, upbeat and optimistic.

Here are some quick photos from the trip, and more next week when I’m in Dusseldorf, Germany for the PSI Show — the world’s largest ad specialty event.

Cheers!

– M

Dave Saracino, one of the industry’s favorite personalities and the man at the helm of Counselor Top 40 supplier BIC Graphic, held court at an Orlando establishment — Aw Schucks — with as much character as he has. The highlight? Senoir Saracino did a rousing rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” When you’ve loved and lost like the Chairman of the Board and the vice president of BIC, you bring down the house.  (From left): The always-charming president of Counselor Top 40 supplier Polyconcept North America David Nicholson, Counselor Top 40 distributor Gateway/CDI’s CEO Chuck “Chuckles” Fandos and Polyconcept North America’s national sales manager, Scott Anderson, my new favorite person. David graciously invited us all to dinner and that evening was the highlight of the show for me. Rock on, revelers.
Counselor Top 40 supplier Gemline’s national sales manager, Steve Hettrick (center) and Chuckles Fandos — someone who just makes me happier whenever I’m around him — pose with a friend at Aw Shucks. If you ever get a chance to have some cocktails with Chuck or his partner at Gateway/CDI, Conrad Franey, run, do not walk.
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Wednesday
December 23, 2009

See You in Orlando!

Filed under: ASI Shows, Editorial

Hi Everyone!

I hope you’re enjoying this fabulous holiday season and are getting ready for a new year and decade so awesome that it’ll erase all the angst, stress and hardships of the last one.

Are you going to be in Orlando for the ASI Show from January 3-5? I am! If you’re there, please join me on Education Day (Sunday, 1/3) for two panel discussions I’ll be moderating.

If you’re an exhibitor, take a break from setting up your booth on Sunday for a free luncheon panel just for suppliers featuring four top distributor salespeople: Dan Jellinek from Touchstone Marketing — one of Counselor magazine’s Fastest Growing Distributors; Mercy Crespo from Counselor Top 40 distributor HALO/Lee Wayne; Burke Buchanan from Counselor Top 40 distributor Vernon; and Joe George from Counselor Top 40 distributor American Solutions for Business. They’ll share with you what it takes to win and keep their business, and their stance on topics like who’s responsible for product safety, what makes a great supplier and what they’d like to see from trade show exhibitors. This exhibitors-only luncheon discussion, “What Distributors Want From You,” will be held from 12:00-1:30 p.m. in room 202AB of the Orlando Convention Center.

If you’re a distributor, join me for a panel discussion on a topic near and dear to my heart: “The Fine Art of Creative Self-Promotion.” To be held on Sunday, 1/3, from 2:45-3:45 p.m. in room 104 of the Orlando Convention Center, this panel will feature: Power 50 member Greg Muzzillo, co-CEO of Counselor Top 40 distributor Proforma — a company that’s won numerous awards for its phenomenal self-promo campaigns; Leo Eisner, a 50-year industry veteran and top sales rep with CounselorTop 40 distributor HALO/Lee Wayne who’s generated a majority of his business over the years through self-promo initiatives; and Jake Krolick, ASI’s new media marketing guru, who’s an expert at using tools like video, Facebook and Twitter to boost sales and business.  

I look forward to seeing you all at the first national ad specialty trade show of the year, and hope you can make it to one of my panel discussions. 

Have a very Merry Christmas and a spectacular 2010!

Cheers,

M  

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Wednesday
December 9, 2009

Be a Giver!

Filed under: Editorial, Fun

Hi Everyone! 

I hope you’re all doing well and embracing the spirit of the holiday season. I love this time of year for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is that festive benders are sanctioned as “yuletide cheer.” ; ) 

Another reason I love the holidays is that everyone seems so much more giving and altruistic. Not so altruistically, I ramp up my charitable efforts in December because I know that as the year comes to a close I’ll be needing a Silkwood shower-style karmic cleansing and will have to do lots of good deeds to neutralize 12 months of toxic, self-indulgent antics. Let’s just say that I’m a charter member of Santa’s “bad” list. (Yet another example why I prefer the Easter Bunny… He’s not so big into the pesky judgements.)

Here’s a cool way you can share the holiday spirit: As one of the hosts of ASI Radio (www.asicentral.com/radio), I — along with Melinda Ligos, Joe Haley, Kathy Huston and Andy Cohen — will be doing a radiothon on ASI Radio this Tuesday (12/15) at 10:30 a.m. to raise money for members of the military transitioning back to life in the U.S. after their service overseas. See below for more details and to find out about some of the cool items we’ll be auctioning off from my beloved BFFs at Gemline, IMC, Leed’s, Logomark and Sweda, among others. Big kudos to those companies for being so gracious and generous. 

So, if you can donate an item, please do; if you can pledge money, that’d be super too. ‘Tis the season to be ginchy, not Grinchy! ; )

Cheers!

– M

PS: Here, for you viewing pleasure, one of my favorites of the Christmas season: The “Mr. Heatmiser” song from The Year Without a Santa, as sung by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMjAf8Nwohs

ASIRadiothon: Help ASI Raise Money For The G.I. Go Fund
The hosts of ASI Internet Radio’s Tuesday Morning Show are getting their charitable vibe on this week. Just launched yesterday, we’re introducing the first-ever ASIRadiothon. The live event will take place next Tuesday, December 15, at 10:30 a.m. eastern time when we’ll dedicate our regular radio show to a charity drive to benefit The G.I. Go Fund, a great organization that assists veterans when they return to the United States.
 
In conjunction with the live Radiothon, there’s a silent auction taking place this week. Go to www.gigofund.org/asiradio now to check out the items up for bid (high-end promotional products all donated by industry suppliers). There are watches, sleek pens, gift sets, sunglasses, digital photo frames, and more. In this silent auction, items will go to the highest bidder and the top bid each day will be updated on the Web site. Check back often. It’s a great way to donate to charity and do your holiday shopping at the same time.
 
The G.I. Go Fund is definitely a worthy cause to donate to this holiday season. The organization helps veterans with financial and medical assistance upon their return from overseas. And it even sets up job fairs exclusively for returning veterans so they can find work and acclimate quicker into everyday life. Jack Fanous, the executive director of The G.I. Go Fund, will join ASIRadio on the phone next Tuesday to share stories of veterans he’s encountered and tell our audience exactly how his organization helps these people. It’s sure to be a revealing phone call to start of our Radiothon show.
 
So, join in on the charity drive and help us raise money for this valuable cause. Go to www.gigofund.org/asiradio now to bid on items in the auction or to make a donation. And make sure to log-on to www.asicentral.com/radio on Tuesday, December 15 at 10:30 a.m.eastern time to take part in the live Radiothon. Call the show at (215) 953-4979 or e-mail us at radio@asicentral.com to pledge your donation – and help us make the lives of returning veterans that much better.

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Monday
November 30, 2009

Break Out the Crystal Ball!

Filed under: Editorial

Hi Everyone!

I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving and didn’t pass out in a tryptophan-induced coma face down in a Jell-O mold. ; )

As we enter the last month of 2009, it’s a natural time to look ahead and try to prepare for what 2010 has in store for us. In that vein, I’ll be moderating a Webinar this Thursday, 12/3, from 2 p.m.-3 p.m. (ET) called, “Get Ready for 2010: Top Sales and Market Trends.”

My whip-smart panelists are three of my favorite people in the industry, all of whom are at the helm of distinguished supplier companies and each of whom is on this year’s Counselor Power 50 list.

My pal Bonni Shevin-Sandy is the executive vice president of Counselor Top 40 supplier Dard and this year’s Counselor International Person of the Year. My girl knows her stuff, and is so savvy when it comes to finding new markets into which to sell that the international and custom division of Dard, of which Bonni is president, was up double-digits in 2009.

Bill Korowitz, president of Counselor Top 40 supplier The Magnet Group, is a new friend of mine. He’s very much the renaissance man — a trained economist as well as a guitar aficionado (he’s been known to stay up til 2 a.m. jamming, with his amp cranked “to 11″). Bill has one of the driest, most sardonic wits I’ve come across in some time and is equally astute at reading sales and marketing indicators both for our industry and the U.S. economy.

And last but not least, we have Ira Neaman, owner of Counselor Top 40 supplier Vantage. Ira is one of my oldest friends in the industry, and the person who — when I was new to the ad specialty business nearly 13 years ago and knew nothing about imprinted apparel — was patient enough to give me many in-depth tutorials. Still, to this day, when I have an apparel-related question and need someone to explain the intricacies to me, Ira — who was one of the youngest people ever to graduate from Harvard Business School — is first on my list. For that reason, I have always called him my wearables “Yoda.” As apparel constitutes the largest category of product sales in our industry, Ira the Yoda is an expert on the latest trends and applications. Learn from him, you will.

If you’d like to listen in to the Webinar this Thursday to hear Bonni, Bill and Ira discuss such topics as keeping your company competitive in a down economy, where industry sales will be in 2010, new growth markets for ad specialties and the smartest thing companies can do in the upcoming year to be successful, click on the link below to register.

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/174512624

 Cheers, and more next week!

– M

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Tuesday
November 3, 2009

Photos From This Year’s ASI Power Summit!

Filed under: Travel

ASI’s third annual Power Summit is in full swing at La Costa Resort & Spa in sunny Carlsbad, CA. Two hundred of the industry’s most prominent professionals are here, taking part in panel discussions on topics like safety and legislation issues, new media for marketing and challenges for the industry for 2010 and enjoying many great networking events.

I’m moderating a panel at 8:30 am, Cali time, on the topic of keeping employees motivated in a down economy with Lon McGowan, owner of iClick, my pal Eric Johnson (aka, “E”), executive vice president of Halls & Co., Tina Montgomery, president/CEO of L.W. Barrett Co. Inc., Fred Albrecht, founder and co-owner of Proforma Albrecht Co. and Mark Ziskind, COO of Counselor Top 40 distributor Caliendo-Savio Enterprises (CSE) — all of whom have been on Counselor’s “Best Places to Work” list for the past two years. With this fabulous panelists, it should be awesome

More later and enjoy the photos!
Cheers!
– M

When last year’s Power Summit attendees said they wanted more networking time, we responded with our own version of “speed dating” for networkers, in which people sat at a circular table and rotated seats so they could meet 10 new people in 20 minutes. It was a hit! (From left): Here’s my BFF Jim Hagan, president of Counselor Top 40 supplier Sweda and a member of Counselor’s Power 50 this year; Neal Harper, Logomark’s COO and owner Trevor Gnesin’s consigliere; and the illustrious Trevor himself. LOVE these guys!!!
Scott Pearson, vice president of merchandising for Sweda and the genius behind their “24″-themed YouTube videos touting the company’s 24-hour service, gets ready to show Trevor Gnesin, owner of Logomark and a member of Counselor’s Power 50, the love. On the second night of the Power Summit, I hosted a table of some of my industry favorites including, from the left, Scott Siegel, owner of R.S. Owens; Todd Singleton, owner of The Singleton Co. Inc. — who was on our “Marketing with New Media” panel and did an awesome job; and the lovely and talented Laura Holt, a Geiger MVP.
A view of La Costa’s spectacular golf course from view on the patio of the resort’s Legends Grille. When we arrived on Friday and took a tour of the facility, ASI executive vice president/publisher Rich Fairfield, Counselor editor Andy Cohen and education coordinator Dana Reaume and I came upon an Oktoberfest Party, complete with lederhosen-clad musicians playing polka.
Here’s Rich Fairfield, Dana Reaume and Andy Cohen, posing with the Oktoberfest mascot. A view of the Resort Pool, where dinner will be held on Monday night and this year’s Counselor “Power 50″ will be announced.
Because we were here on Halloween, the fun and festive staff at La Costa got into the spirit by donning costumes. “Medusa” was our cocktail waitress at the Blue Fire Grille. ASI Show director of operations Cheryl Childers, senior vice president/editor-in-chief Melinda Ligos and Rich Fairfield at La Costa’s Blue Fire Grille the night before ASI’s third annual Power Summit began.
ASI vice president of supplier sales Ron Ball and Dana Reaume at dinner on Saturday night. Jo-an Lantz, executive vice president of Counselor Top 40 distributor Geiger (left) and Vera Muzzillo, co-CEO of Counselor Top 40 distributor Proforma. LOVE my pal Jo-an’s butterscotch leather jacket!
A group shot of all industry attendees at ASI’s Power Summit, for an upcoming issue of Counselor. Sunday night’s dinner was held outdoors, on La Costa’s Terrace Lawn. It was chilly, but fun!
Industry BFF’s Marc Simon, president of Counselor Top 40 distributor HALO/Lee Wayne (left) and Jonathan Isaacson, president of Counselor Top 40 supplier Gemline. Suzie Gunsauls, vice president of sales for Counselor Top 40 supplier Sweda (left) and Tina Montgomery, president/CEO of distributor company L.W. Barrett.
Barry Deutsch, vice president of sales for Counselor Top 40 distributor BDA (left) and Memo Kahan, owner of Counselor Top 40 distributor PromoShop. (From left): Ira Neaman, president of Counselor Top 40 supplier Vantage; Kris Robinson, vice president of Counselor Top 40 distributor PromoShop, ASI’s Melinda Ligos and Andy Cohen.
(From left): Shepenco’s Dan Townes, Todd Singleton, owner of distributor The Singleton Co. Inc., and PromoShop’s Memo Kahan.
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Wednesday
October 7, 2009

In Praise of Spongy Girl Parts & Walks of Shame …

Filed under: Editorial, Personal

Hi Everyone!

I’m heading off to Shelbyville, TN, tomorrow to celebrate the wedding of Andy Townes, the oldest son of Dan Townes, legendary industry luminary and owner/president of Shepenco/Shelbyville Pencil (asi/86850). I’ve been to Shelbyville to stay with the Towneses before and they party on a whole different level down there in the South. Can. Not. Wait.

Before I leave for the long weekend, I wanted to send shout-outs to everyone doing creative promotions and giving their time and resources for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Cancer is such a horrible, insidious disease, and more than any other group, breast cancer awareness advocates are really experts at mobilizing the masses to raise funds and spread the word about early screenings and self-education. 

As the proud owner of spongy girl parts, I’m always happy to support friends and colleagues who do breast cancer walks for the Susan G. Komen foundation and other entities, and have received my fair share of pink-hued ad specialties — caps, T-shirts, mugs, water bottles — for my donations. However, as I always lean sharply to the irreverent side, I recently came across three items that just slayed me due to their sheer sassiness. Laughter, as they say, is potent medicine.

The first is this double-sided Scoop ColorBrights Rollerball/Highligher Combo Pen from my pals Michael and Matt Linderman at Express Pens (asi/53411) in Austin, TX. Michael and Matt did this particular pen for a group located in Austin called Planet Cancer, which offers support to young adults, ages 18-40, with cancer. Being in Austin – a city that’s so delightfully eccentric and idiosyncratic that the slogan for its business association is “Keep Austin Weird” — this group has taken a decidedly “F-You” attitude toward cancer. Their message, imprinted on Michael and Matt’s pen, is deliciously defiant and a hit product among visitors to Planet Cancer’s site. (As a rabid Stones fan and Keith fanatic from way back, I covet these pens!)

Another favorite item on the Planet Cancer site (www.planetcancer.org)? This T-shirt for women, emblazoned with the phrase “Crazy, Sexy Cancer Goddess.” LOVE IT.

The next item, which ASI’s editorial creative director Jim Lang clued me in to, may be The Best Thing Ever Invented. Ladies and Gentleman, I give you the Walk of Shame Kit. Now, I don’t know about you, but where I spend my summers in Avalon, NJ, walks of shame are practically an Olympic sport. (For those of you who aren’t degenerates, a “walk of shame” is what you do the morning after hooking up with someone, when you have to sheepishly shuffle back to your own home in the cold, harsh light of day — usually with throngs of smirking onlookers present — with your eyelashes stuck together, your tongue fuzzy, your shoes in your hand and other articles of clothing crammed into your purse …). Again, being the eternal optimist, I’ve always tried to put a positive spin on it, declaring my morning-after hikes home the “Strides of Pride” and adding a bouncy little jaunt to my step — until the inevitable tumble off the curb, into the gutter.

Complete with everything a dehydrated diva could need, the Walk of Shame Kit comes with sunglasses (to simultaneously keep the pesky glare of sunlight from exacerbating your crushing hangover and camouflage smudgy makeup), a beach cover-up-like dress, flip-flops, a drawstring duffel to carry your clothes from the previous night, a pre-pasted toothbrush, and my personal favorite, a note card that can be left behind that says, “Call me” on one side and ”Thanks for nothing” on the other. Lastly, there’s a pink breast cancer awareness bracelet to remind you that you should always balance out an act of blatant SHEdonism with one of altruism. For each kit sold, a portion of the proceeds are donated on the buyer’s behalf to a breast cancer awareness foundation. Kits can also be customized (ideal for sororities!), either by imprinting the dress, duffel and flip-flops or the tin the kit comes in. For more information on this item intended to help regain a little dignity the morning after and do a little good in the meantime, go to www.walkofshamekit.com.

Cheers, and more next week!

– M

PS: Since I turned 40 two years ago, I make sure to get a mammogram every October. If you haven’t already, sign up for one soon … It’s what all the cheeky chicas who love their spongy parts are doing! ; )

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Monday
September 28, 2009

With Glasses Half Full …

Filed under: Editorial, Fun, Personal

Happy Autumn!

As summer is my favorite season, I’m less than thrilled to see it go but welcome the positive aspects of fall, like the latest crop of shoes and boots and the premier of some great new TV shows (more on that later)! 

Here at Counselor, we’re beginning to think about our awards season and have decided to add a new category to our Spirit Awards to honor industry pros who are using new media platforms for their self-promo campaigns. As an example, check out the latest in a series of Sweda’s hysterical YouTube videos for its 24-hour service. [Click here to watch.]

I’m sure there are many companies in the industry crafting cool, creative self-promos using innovative forms of multi-media, so keep an eye out for our call for nominations in February. Here at ASI, one of my favorites is this video on the subject of athletic apparel for Wearables magazine, starring staff writer and our reigning editorial department kook, Matt George. Matt, who’s in his early 20s, reminds me of a big, goofy chocolate lab who pants and gets all excited at the idea of chasing a stray ball or having his belly rubbed. The last 30 seconds of this video make me cackle each time I watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2g1bBzKdDE&feature=player_embedded

Speaking of fun, I — and my colleagues here at ASI — always try to stay positive and look on the bright side, despite turbulent financial and market conditions for the economy and our industry. We’re definitely glass-half-full kind of people. As an example, ASI president/CEO Tim Andrews graciously hosted a soiree at his home in Princeton, NJ, last week for the company’s senior leaders. It was a fun and festive occasion, and a great opportunity to relax with work friends you’re too busy to spend time with on a daily basis. I’ve been invited to Tim’s house before, but wasn’t able to make it due to traveling. As Tim greeted me at the door, I told him it was “my first time” and we both burst out laughing, knowing I don’t get to utter a phrase like that too often.

Tim’s reason for hosting the party was quite simple: “In an uncertain time, and certainly these have been uncertain times, it’s more important than ever to thank the people who matter — and for me there’s hardly a better way I know than to invite them to come over for a little food, some drink and to be able to spend some time with their colleagues in a social environment,” he says.

Here are some photos from the party, featuring some of your favorite ASI characters, I’m sure. Post a comment and let me know who your favorite ASI staffer is and why!

(From left): Randi Bromberg, director of marketing for the ASI Show; Karen DiTomasso, director of sales for the ASI Show; Chris Lovell, senior vice president of sales; and Jodi Tashman, assistant director of ASI’s coordination department enjoy the afternoon and the sounds of the jazz trio in Tim’s backyard. Keith Tuskey (left), ASI’s chief technology officer, and Tim Andrews, ASI’s president/CEO, have known each other for years — they worked together prior to ASI at Dow Jones and Primedia.
This jazz trio played at Tim’s garden soiree. Their official name is Michael Yang Trio, but I will be calling them “The Three Adorable Yet Annoyingly Young Band Boys.” Representing the second and third generation of family ownership of ASI are Matthew Cohn (left), the company’s vice chairman, and Norman Cohn, its chairman of the board.
Dan Dienna (left), ASI’s associate publisher of digital products & catalogs, shown here with Andy Hornstein, director of business applications. Making Dan laugh is one of my favorite things to do here at ASI, because for a guy who’s 6′ tall, he has a giggle like a 12-year-old schoolgirl. Leo Peysakhovich, who has the coolest-sounding title — chief data architect; Alex Khais, director of project management; Keith Tuskey, chief technology officer; and Seth Kusiak, director of Web infrastructure. As all my favorite techies at ASI report to Keith, I hereby crown him, “The King of the Coders, Tech Geeks & Data Nerds.”
Scott Fuhr (left), director of corporate communications and Ron Ball, ASI’s chronically eccentric vice president of supplier sales. Ron has a singular talent of taking a word as innocuous as “the” and finding a way to make it a saucy double entendre. Gene Rahill (left), sales director of membership and ASI CreditConnect, and Dan “The Man” Brown, director of distributor services. Should any of you see Gene at a show, step aside and let him pass so you can take a gander at his very distinctive stragger — a new word I’m making up to describe his strut and swagger. His walk deserves its own theme song, perhaps something like this.
Gene, apparently mesmerized by shiny lights, and Jake Krolick, ASI’s marketing manager for online products and services. In every picture I take of Jakey, he either looks like a degenerate rock star or a crazed loon. Switching things up, he looks relatively normal here — but wait for it … . Dale Denham, ASI’s senior vice president, and Candace Hershey, executive director of the ESPOnline Information Team and everyone’s favorite industry celebutante.
Jonathon Schwartz (left), operations manager for ASI’s membership information team, and Haitham Barakat, director of production. Sometimes when I see Jonathon in the halls here at ASI, he throws me a smirk as if to say, “What the hell kind of trouble are you up to???” Jake “Captain Excess” Krolick, doing his best salty pirate face, and my editorial pal Kathy Huston, editor of Advantages magazine. As Kathy’s office is right next to mine, managing editor and star of The Joe Show Joe Haley refers to our area as, “The Bat Cave.”
(From left): Karen DiTomasso; Karyn Coates, executive director of E-Media and Member Benefits; and Randi Bromberg. I call Karyn “Six” because she reminds me of the femme fatale Cylon from Battlestar Galactica. Gary Alexis (left), ASI’s director of information technology and my pal Seth Kusiak. Seth is really very nice and very sweet — despite the fact that in this photo, he looks as though he’s draining what’s left of my soul with his eyes.
Here’s my pal Colin Graf, who’s so even-keel and mild-mannered I’m often tempted to take his pulse. Colin is ASI’s marketing manager for supplier sales and always looks as though he just swallowed the canary in photos. (From left, standing): Larry Basinait aka, “The Basinaitor,” director of ASI’s research services; Tim Andrews; Steve Oswald, an art director for ASI’s marketing department; and Jack Flohr (seated), director of marketing for membership services.
Tom Augeri (left), director of marketing for supplier services, and Vince Bucolo, ASI’s chief operating officer. Vince has always been one of my favorites at ASI (and not just because he’s a Stones fan and a Dead Head from way back) but because for years, I’ve been telling him I’m going to marry his very cute and much-younger-than-me son (he’s a college senior… MEOW, says this lazy cougar!). The thought of me as a daughter-in-law always produces a look of profound terror on Vince’s face. Party-goers enjoying Tim’s beautifully-landscaped back yard.
My editorial handler Joe Haley, striking his superhero stance, is able to leap (very) small buildings in a single bound. Last, but certainly not least, we have two of my favorite BFFs at ASI: Ron Ball (left) and Christian “Tigerbeat” Brandt, executive director of distributor services. As Tim Andrews is fond of saying, these are the only two people who, by comparison, make me seem respectable. ; )

Cheers, and more next week! – M

PS: By now those of you who read my blog and my tweets (@ASI_MBell) know that I’m a TV junkie. As I promised myself I would only add two new shows to my already-crowded roster (really, more than that and I would qualify as a crazy cat-lady recluse, just to keep up with all the TV I watch!), here are my picks: For a sitcom, the show Modern Family is hil-arious. It premiered last Tuesday and “The Lion King” moment at the end had me roaring… Click here to watch the 30-minute episode (it’s worth it). For a drama, I went with FlashForward, which premiered last Thursday. I vacillated about whether or not to commit to this one, because it’s premise is a little unnerving, creepy and disjointed and I already get my weekly mind-f**k from Lost. However, having watched the premier, I’m in. In the show, everyone in the world passes out at exactly the same time for two minutes and 17 seconds, which — as you can imagine — wreaks widespread havoc. The last scene from Thursday’s episode alone had me hooked.

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