A&E Exclusive: Recognition Roundtable Holds 17th Annual Vendor Appreciation Breakfast

On the morning of Valentine’s Day 2019, members of the Recognition Roundtable reunited for the 17th year at the Annual Vendor Appreciation Breakfast at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Each year, outstanding companies and members are recognized while members catch up with old friends and connect with new over coffee and breakfast. 

Three awards were presented to top recognition companies and specialists during the breakfast. The Vendor Staff Person of the Year was awarded to the Identification Plates Customer Service team; Jim Spearman of PDU CAT took home Vendor Sales Person of the Year; and Vendor Partner of the Year went to Marco Awards Group – Marcel Bizier, CEO, and his wife Barbara accepted the award.

Stephen Capper and Pat Holley, membership chairman, introduced new members to the Recognition Roundtable, of which there were quite a few this year. The new member lineup includes: 

• Blue Sky Apparel & Promotions LLC from Bridgeton, Missouri
• Rallye Productions Inc. from Waukesha, Wisconsin
• Quick Trophy LLC from Marquette, Michigan
• Trophy Mart from Alexandra, Virginia
• Rixstine Trophy Co. Inc. from Lincoln, Nebraska
• Boulevard Trophy from Las Vegas, Nevada
• New River Engraving Inc. from Christianburg, Virginia 

Following the awards presentation and new member recognition, Capper honed in on the “Heartbeat of Our Industry,” speaking about how those in the industry cannot do what they do (run an awards and personalization shop) without passion. 

What makes the annual breakfast special, according to Capper, is “the fact that we keep getting people. We had about 125 people there this year, and if we opened it up, I think we could have 200-300 people. There is an interest and people want to come.” 

The Recognition Roundtable was first established nearly 20 years ago, with the first meeting being held on February 19, 1999 in Las Vegas. The intention of the Recognition Roundtable is to provide education for larger dealers, according to Capper, who explains, “There were elementary and startup seminars and education, but those people that had been in business for any length of time really didn’t have much education.”

In the past 20 years, the Recognition Roundtable has held 12 educational conferences and 17 breakfasts, with the first breakfast taking place 17 years ago at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. 

“There is no paid person in the roundtable, as such, everything is volunteer work. It’s kind of neat to be around a group of people that believe in something as much as you do, that can follow through, get a lot done, and make a nice event,” Capper states. 

Currently, the group is around 30 members, with about one from each state and two in Canada. “As a group, we do just a little over $50 million worth of business, and the average dealer has been in business 30 years,” Capper explains. 

When it comes to the future of the Recognition Roundtable, Capper is positive it will grow more members, saying that it would like to expand to close to 50 members. “I’d like to expand into other markets, see how we can grow it together,” Capper elaborates. “The apparel end of it seems to be growing in some of our people; banner digital printing seems to be an area that is growing; the awards recognition is still growing, but there are so many other areas because everyone has four walls to their operation, and as a result, we’ve got to fill them with the things that our clients need and want.”