Reflecting on 2024: Insights and Connections from Key Industry Events

As 2024 draws to a close, four Production Solutions team members reflect on the invaluable connections made and insights gained through key industry events this past year. Read more on shared team experiences, strengthening connections, educating fellow industry colleagues and celebrating one another’s successes.

CC Corpuz, Senior Resource Manager

The PS Sourcing Team attended the 2024 Bridge Conference, the nation’s largest professional gathering in the fundraising marketing industry. It was a great shared team experience, offering a unique blend of networking and learning.

This year’s event brought together industry leaders and innovators eager to explore the latest trends and best practices. Networking opportunities were abundant, and the Solutions Showcase was full of activity with plentiful cutting-edge solutions and services from leading suppliers.

The opportunities for the PS Resource team to meet with our valued suppliers in person allowed us to strengthen our relationships and discuss new capabilities and technologies to offer to our clients. Leveraging a digital solution for direct mail is becoming the norm, and it was great to discuss many of our partners’ continued investments in the latest equipment. We also saw many suppliers offering Artificial Intelligence or AI and direct mail automation products.

We enjoyed meeting potential new suppliers and learning about their capabilities as well. There was also a bounty of tchotchkes, and as always, we all had fun collecting them as a team! As the conference wound down, we attended a sponsored event party, allowing us to catch up with industry colleagues and partners personally.

Not only is Bridge a must-attend for nonprofit fundraisers and direct marketers, communicators, executives and supplier partners, but it was also great to experience it as a team. I look forward to bringing our team together in the new year ahead.

CC Corpuz is a Senior Resource Manager with 17 years in the industry. His attention to detail, genuine desire to deliver impeccable customer service and dedication to meeting deadlines has made him a valuable team member at PS and an enormous asset to the clients he serves.

Joe Gomez, Business Development Director

Attending industry events is all about connecting with people. In our industry, building relationships and trust is a must. It paves the way for long-term partnerships, mutual growth and shared successes. This stands out the most when reflecting on this past year.

There’s no replacement for being face-to-face. There are fewer in-person events than in previous years, so attending as many as possible and volunteering is more important than ever.

Throughout my time in this industry, I served on the board and as a president of the Direct Marketing Fundraisers Association, DMFA. You get to know people not only professionally but personally, too. By being actively engaged, listening, and understanding the needs and aspirations of colleagues, I’ve been able to help celebrate success in their careers. Not to mention gaining lifelong friends in the process.

This year, I attended Bridge, the TNPA Fundraisers Symposium and DMAW’s MC2, Multi-Channel Mini-Con, as well as DMFA’s Year-End Luncheon. All these events had some great education and were beneficial from a learning perspective but, to me, it’s the people that stand out.

I’d like to give a shout-out to a few friends who received well-deserved accolades in 2024. It was great to see Jill Burkhardt, North Shore Animal League America, receive the Silver Apple Award. This award has been given out for over 40 years by the Marketing Club of New York, celebrating and recognizing career achievement, as well as giving back to industry and the community.

A special congratulations goes out to Karin Kirchoff for her recognition from DMFA, receiving the Marketer of the Year Award and to Kathy Swayze, being honored with the Industry Allstar Award.

As we enter the new year, I encourage you to stay actively engaged by attending events and being involved in our industry. I look forward to seeing you in person, growing relationships, and celebrating everyone’s successes!

Joe Gomez, Business Development Director, has over 40 years of experience in the print and direct mail industry. Joe offers a unique and valuable perspective and communicates authentically while practicing a positive and personal approach daily.

Michelle Johnston, Senior Manager of Strategic Development

As 2024 comes to a close, it provides an opportunity to reflect on the valuable insights gained from key industry events this past year. One notable event is DMAW Production Day. Since its inception in 2021, I’ve been involved as a speaker, committee member, lifelong learner, and supportive colleague. Learning occurs not only from experts but also from those new to the industry. My varying involvement has provided a unique perspective, offering a better understanding of the information most relevant to others and the questions they may have. This context is valuable when sharing and explaining industry insights to clients.

I also attended DMAW’s MC2, Multi-Channel Mini-Con, this year. The world of fundraising is shifting, and having a greater understanding of the importance of direct mail in multi-channel marketing was a key takeaway. Not only hearing successful strategies first-hand, what’s been tested or implemented, but also coming away with a better sense of how all the marketing channels work together. Often times, I’m very focused on key details of our clients’ direct mail plans, but this event gave me a sense of the overall big picture. From this event, I gained an even clearer understanding of the importance of where direct mail fits alongside other channels, what’s driving our clients, the pressures they may be under and much more.

As we enter into a new year ahead, I look forward to continuing to stay on top of the latest industry trends and taking these valuable insights into consideration with our clients.

Michelle Johnston is the Senior Manager of Strategic Development in the Resource Department at PS with 15 years of industry experience. Her expertise allows her to advise clients on direct mail trends that are successful and strategic.

Meredith Piemme, Business Development Director

Reflecting on this past year, it’s exciting to see the growth and success of certain industry events. It was the second year for DMAW’s MC2, Multi-Channel Mini-Con, and it proved to be an industry-essential event with increased attendance, a wide variety of topics from expert speakers and an array of fantastic networking opportunities.

Being involved in this event as a moderator for the All-Star Panel: Innovation in Action was certainly memorable, as well as invaluable, having an even better understanding of how the industry is prioritizing innovation. This year’s Mini-Con also featured tactical workshops for hands-on learning, which were well-received. The dynamic discussions covering topics like data utilization, outreach techniques, and innovative formats, alongside its notable increased attendance of industry learners and leaders, make it a “can’t-miss” event for next year.

Production Day, in its fourth year, was memorable as well, proving to be another successful educational event. This hands-on learning opportunity reflects that industry events are key for continued growth.

It’s an honor to be included alongside so many amazing thought leaders who work to educate our industry. Volunteering to serve DMAW events and the DMFA Board ensures we continue to work together toward our collective success.

Looking into the new year, I encourage you to attend these and other industry events while contributing to educating our industry through volunteering. Looking forward to seeing you “out there”!

Meredith Piemme, Business Development Director, has over 25 years of experience in graphic design and print, and over 15 years of experience in the direct mail and nonprofit industry. Meredith has an unending determination to ensure that each of her clients has an impeccable service experience.

Want to put our team to work for yours? Contact us to get started!