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Wilson Brim, CRS, Southern Trophy House President, APA - Where Personalization Pros Connect
(March/April 2025) I am honored to serve as your APA president, stepping up as Dan Messerschmidt concluded his term during the International Personalization Expo in Las Vegas. This year, I’ll build on the themes of Dan’s presidency: Awareness. Engagement. Connection. It’s not a refrain but a call to action, one that resonates with me because I’ve seen how connections lead to relationships.
The 2025 APA International Personalization Expo brought together an engaged and dynamic community of makers and personalization professionals, marking another milestone for the industry.
This year, we were proud to welcome: 1,712 total attendees, 533 First-Time attendees, 82 Exhibitors, and 20 First-Time Exhibitors.
First time attendance increased 48% while exhibitor booths increased 20%. The energy on the show floor was unparalleled, with vibrant exhibits, meaningful connections, and exciting innovations and products shaping the future of personalization.
Dan Messerschmidt, JDS Industries President, APA - Where Personalization Pros Connect
(January/February 2025) At my first APA board meeting as president, I set the tone for the year by showing Simon Sinek’s TEDxPuget Sound talk “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Action.”
Sinek presented that TED Talk in 2009, but the concept is always relevant because it’s based on how people think. On the TED website alone, the talk has been viewed more than 66 million times, becoming the third most-watched on TED.com—and many millions more have watched it on YouTube.
(November/December 2024) We’ll be walking the show floor of the International Personalization Expo in Las Vegas before you know it. Thousands of personalization pros will join us at the Horseshoe Las Vegas for the biggest show in the industry, Feb. 4–7. We will be there because we are all investing in the success of our companies—regardless of your business type or size.
(September/October 2024) APA’s roots are carrots. Allow me to explain. APA members have deep roots in corporate recog-nition. And in corporate recognition, the phrase “carrot and stick” describes the use of a mix of rewards (carrots) and punishments (sticks). You and I know that in the workplace, carrots are more effective motivators than sticks.
APA was founded in that belief. Sixty years ago, our association was started “when visionary Stan Seaman brought together 12 awards retailers and one supplier to form the Northern California Trophy Dealers Association,” APA’s website explains.
Get the latest industry news and a sneak peek at innovative products coming to the 2025 APA Expo in our latest issue!
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