Presentations
Shops
Product Mockups
Client Portals
Product Search
CRM
Decorator Matrix
Suppliers
Navigation & Dashboards
Production Management
Reports & Analytics
Customer Stories
Events
Blog
eBooks
Podcast
FAQ
SECTIONS
RELATED RESOURCES
skucon 2025: The Bold Creative Visionaries
A crowd of the industry’s most creative pros filled the beautiful Keep Memory Alive Center in Las Vegas to hear a full day of inspiring insights from some of the most innovative leaders in the business.
“Don’t fear inefficiency, fear ineffectiveness!”
skucon kicked off with keynote speaker and creativity expert Todd Henry, best-selling author of books "The Accidental Creative" and "Brave Habit" who shared how to Identify and neutralize the three “assassins” of creativity that steal your focus and time.
Todd’s session was rich with practical tools and insight but one big take away that surprised everyone was this: Creative work is incredibly inefficient but wastes nothing. Todd encouraged everyone to invest in proactive creative work, reminding us all that good creative work takes time.
skucon Stories
skucon stories have become a staple of the skucon experience. skucon Stories are “ten-minute tales, told from the trenches” and are a way to see the promo world through someone else’s perspective. Nick Lateur, Brand Evangelist at Merch.ai talked about how friendship is the power that drives our industry forward; Kate Nash, Director of Promotional Sales and Director of Marketing at Raining Rose emphasized personal connection over brand moments and Mikas Agarwal, Chief Digital Officer at Akran Marketing shared the variety of AI tools they use in their business.
skummunity awards
skummunity awards were presented in five different categories, recognizing some of the most influential and successful entrepreneurs in the industry:
- Supplier Community Champion: Doug Jackson, Storm Creek
- Distributor Community Champion: Sarah Whitaker with The Branded Things
- Supplier Connected Workflow: The Cutter & Buck team, accepting the award were Jamie Trowbridge and Juan Sanchez.
- Shops Innovation Leader: Kelli Rosenfeld with Blue Rose Promotions
- Distributor Entrepreneur of the Year: Josh and Rachel Kozinski at Sky High Marketing
And thank you, Tom Warkel and the team at Crystal D for the gorgeous awards!
"In This Economy" author Kyla Scanlon
Kyla Scanlon, author of “In This Economy” and someone whom The Wall Street Journal calls “the 27-year old economic advisor to Gen-Z” is a rising voice who is so insightful on financial news that even the White House and Fed officials take her seriously!
Kyla’s talk was a deep dive into the shifting economic landscape of today but she helped attendees by emphasizing that they should focus on the one aspect that can withstand an unpredictable economy: client trust. “Pick one system,” she shared, “and map your trust touchpoints.”
PPAI's New President and CEO, Drew Holmgreen
commonsku CEO Catherine Graham was joined on stage by PPAI’s new CEO and President Drew Holmgreen, whose background in agency work and the meetings and events industry underscored a big leadership boost for promo:
Mergers and Acquisitions
One of the hottest topics for distributors is the rise of business mergers and acquisitions. A panel discussion on mergers and acquisitions featured three pros who have been through it: Tom Rector, Founder and CEO at Screenbroidery, Sandy Gonzalez, Chairman of the Board at Made-to-Order, and Shelley Stewart, CEO of Made-to-Order. Each shared insightful gems through their experience and their tips on how to bridge cultures and companies together in harmony, plus, a glimpse into why they decided to merge.
The Road Ahead
Charlie Moscoe, commonsku’s VP of Product Management, led the audience through the ambitious roadmap for 2025, giving a sneak-peek at upcoming platform developments and enhancements.
Ben Higgins, Generous Coffee
And the event closed with an inspiring talk on how to make an impact with author and Founder of Generous Coffee, Ben Higgins who rose to fame through ABC’s hit series “The Bachelor” and has since found his way into the promo industry by creating a business model that gives 100% of their profits to charity.
Mark Graham, commonsku’s President and Chief Brand Officer, stated, “The commonsku community and speakers together hit a whole new level at skucon this year, they challenged us all to dig deeper, to be more generous, and to make trust and creativity the focus of our growth together. We couldn’t be more proud of how this event continues to both challenge and inspire some of the brightest and boldest leaders in the business, we’re honored to play a part in kick-starting 2025!
skucon was proudly sponsored by SanMar, Chameleon Like, HPG, Outdoor Cap, Media Tree, ETS Express, PCNA, Numo, Hit Promotional Products, Gemline, EMT, Pop! Promos, Maple Ridge Farms, Ruckus, Delegate CX, Utees, Crystal D, and PPAI.
Miss skucon? No worries, you can join us at skucamp Scottsdale in September – tickets go fast so pre-register now!
RELATED RESOURCES