Bacara Resort & Spa
Santa Barbara, CA
Thursday, November 21, 2013, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Counselor^® Best Places to Work Conference

Date: Thursday, November 21, 2013, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Location: Bacara Resort & Spa, Santa Barbara, CA

Morning Sessions
Welcome by Tim Andrews
Discover the Secrets to Creating a High-Performing Culture (Interactive Session)
Caliendo Savio Enterprises' Mark Ziskind on Why Fit Employees = a Big Bottom Line (How Many Push-Ups Can You Do?)
Proforma Albrecht & Co.'s Fred Albrecht on Communicating at Warp Speed
Image Group's Laura Hansen on the Benefits of a Dog Culture (Canine Friends Invited!)
RIGHTSLEEVE's Mark Graham on the New Rules for Social Media

Networking Lunch/Outdoor Terrace Afternoon Sessions
Sunrise Identity's Mitch Mounger on Cultivating Entrepreneurialism Among the Ranks
Clean Fun Promotional Marketing's Greg Washer on Using Creativity to Win Fortune 500 Clients
Overture Promotions' Heather Sanderson on Root Beer Floats and Other Zany Perks (You’d Better Be Thirsty!)
Axis Promotions' Larry Cohen on Crafting an Ad Agency Approach
Crystal Impressions by Seaena's Allison Robbins on Creating a Family Atmosphere
Games as a Motivational Tool (You'll Have a Minute to Win It!) with Seth Weiner from Sonic Promos
CleggPromo's Michael Bistocchi on Sharing Success Stories to Drive Sales
iClick's Lon McGowan on Firing Up Sales Reps (Logoed Beer Mugs Included)

Cocktail Reception/Outdoor Terrace
Counselor Best Places to Work Awards

The Barcara Resort & Spa is located at 8301 Hollister Avenue in Goleta, California. For those who need to stay overnight, ASI has negotiated a rate of $265 per night.

Book Hotel By Phone

Please call the hotel at (877) 422-4245 and reference the group name, ASI. Hurry, the discount hotel rate is subject to availability.

Travel Arrangements

When booking flight arrangements, please arrange for arrival in time for the first session which starts at 10 a.m.

You could either fly into the Santa Barbara airport or LAX.

Directions from the Santa Barbara airport:

• Go North on William L. Moffett Place, which becomes Fowler Road (0.3 miles)
• Fowler Road becomes South Fairview Avenue (1.1 miles)
• Take US-101 North ramp (0.3 miles)
• Merge onto US-101 North (3.5 miles), and follow "From the South" directions below.
• For LAX airport you could go through the main Los Angeles area or take a more scenic route through Malibu.

Click here for directions for the main route through Los Angeles.

Click here for directions for the scenic route through Malibu.

Mark Ziskind, COO CSE Mark Ziskind is chief operating officer of Counselor Top 40 distributor CSE. The Wisconsin-based firm held a company-wide Biggest Loser competition last year to motivate employees to get in better shape.

Fred Albrecht, Founder and Co-owner Proforma Albrecht & Co. Fred Albrecht, founder and co-owner of Proforma Albrecht & Co., presides over 2012’s number-one Best Place to Work in the ad specialty market. The company’s family-like and fun atmosphere keeps employees connected and motivated.

Laura Hansen, President Image Group Laura Hansen, president of Vancouver distributor firm Image Group, runs a dog-friendly and collegial workplace. Employees gather for birthday celebrations, golf outings, Happy Hours – just about any occasion is a reason to celebrate at this firm.

Mitch Mounger, CEO Sunrise Identity Mitch Mounger is CEO of Sunrise Identity, a perennial member of the Best Places to Work list and winner of Counselor’s Family Business of the Year award in 2010. The company’s office is dog-friendly and open to flex schedules for employees.

Greg Washer, CEO Clean Fun Promotional Marketing Greg Washer is president of Clean Fun Promotional Marketing, a distributor firm in SoCal with an agency-type approach to its Hollywood clients. The open-air office at Clean Fun, not to mention Greg’s work space, aka converted garage with a bar acting as a desk, leads to a motivated and energized workforce.

Heather Sanderson, CEO Overture Premiums & Promotions Heather Sanderson, president of Overture Premiums & Promotions, believes in the work-hard, play-hard philosophy. With a bowling alley and relaxation room on-site, and every employee’s favorite movie depicted on a poster outside their work space, Overture is big on comfort – even offering root beer floats during birthday celebrations.

Allison Robbins, VP of Sales Crystal Impressions by Seaena Allison Robbins is the head of sales and marketing at Las Vegas-based supplier firm Crystal Impressions by Seaena. Her company, which encourages individual thinking among its employees, was the number-one Best Place to Work in the industry in 2011.

Larry Cohen, President & CEO Axis Promotions Larry Cohen is president and CEO of Counselor Top 40 distributor Axis Promotions. His cool, loft-like NYC office sets the stage for a highly creative and collaborative culture.

Michael Bistocchi, Senior VP of Sales and Marketing CleggPromo Michael Bistocchi, senior vice president of sales and marketing at CleggPromo, manages his staff in a highly communicative and fun atmosphere. He even meets with his salespeople twice a day to share challenges and success stories.

Mark Graham, Founder RIGHTSLEEVE Mark Graham is the founder of distributor firm RIGHTSLEEVE and winner of Counselor’s Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2011. A fun and laid-back culture rules this company, which even brings in a yoga instructor every Wednesday to help employees relax.

Seth Weiner, President Sonic Promos Seth Weiner, president of Maryland-based Sonic Promos, is a big believer in fun. The company even makes any visitor to its office play creative Minute-to-Win-it games that always involve promo products as props.

Lon McGowan, CEO iClick Lon McGowan is founder and CEO of iClick, a supplier firm in Seattle that is a veteran member of the Counselor Best Places to Work list. McGowan fully believes in providing a comfortable and collaborative workplace for his staffers. In fact, they work in an open loft environment where music can always be heard.

Sunday, September 15
1 p.m. Registration
4 p.m. Group Photo
4:30 p.m. Cocktails/Networking
6 p.m. Dinner

Monday, September 16
7 a.m. Breakfast
8 a.m. Opening Remarks
8:15 a.m. Technology Update
8:30 a.m. Inspire Employees to Excel & Engage – Adrian Gostick, author, The Carrot Principle
9:15 a.m. “What Motivates Me” – Young Sales Reps Speak Out
9:45 a.m. The Emergence of Domestic Manufacturing to Compete Against Asia
10:15 a.m. Break/Sponsorship Fair
10:45 a.m. Interactive Session: Put Your Listening Skills to the Test
11:30 a.m. Competitive Threats: Where They Are, How to Combat Them
12 p.m. Marketing Smackdown: Craft a Creative Campaign in 30 Minutes
12:30 p.m. Customer Service Exclusive: Secrets from Counselor Distributor Choice Awards Winners
1 p.m. Conclusion
1:15 p.m. Golf/Mountain Biking/Lunch/Tennis
7:30 p.m. Counselor Power 50 Dinner

Tuesday, September 17
7 a.m. Breakfast
8 a.m. Opening Remarks
8:15 a.m. Future of the Industry: Obstacles, Opportunities and Outlooks (exclusive interview with Polyconcept CEO Michael Bernstein)
8:45 a.m. Hot Data: ASI Ad Impressions Study 4.0 (featuring key new metro areas and selling opportunities)
9:15 a.m. Break
9:30 a.m. Meet Tomorrow’s Buyer: Capitalize on These New Demographic Trends
10 a.m. Strategic Planning Session
10:45 a.m. 2014 Forecast: Featuring the Counselor Power 50
11:30 a.m. Building Relationships through Video/Social Media – Devin Graham, videographer with millions of YouTube followers
12 p.m. Concluding Remarks