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Wednesday, August 19
 

8:00am EDT

Breakfast
Wednesday August 19, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am EDT
Medallion Foyer
Wednesday August 19, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am EDT
Medallion Foyer
  Meal, Full Conference

8:30am EDT

Rethinking Your Business Model to Unlock Relevance, Margin, and Growth Across Your Supply Chain
Wednesday August 19, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am EDT
Medallion ABCD
This session challenges traditional thinking by exploring how companies can approach their business differently looking beyond individual components and instead at how paper, envelopes, print, and fulfillment work together as a system. Panelists will share how smarter decisions across these four core areas can drive efficiency, reduce costs, and better align with today’s retail demands. By rethinking how products are sourced, produced, packaged, and delivered, attendees will gain new ideas for protecting margins, improving flexibility, and finding fresh opportunities for growth.
Speakers
avatar for Mike Smith

Mike Smith

Crown Point Graphics
Mike Smith is the head floor sweeper and chief dishwasher at Crown Point Graphics.  He openly admits that he cannot draw a straight line without the assistance of a ruler.  Due to an unfortunate interaction with AI, he has 5 thumbs now and even using a ruler is a challenge.
When... Read More →
avatar for Kim Shannon

Kim Shannon

National Sales Manager, Neenah Paper
Kim Shannon is a National Sales Manager at Neenah Paper with over 20 years of experience driving growth and building strong client relationships. She works with greeting card publishers of all sizes—from major brands to independent companies—helping them identify opportunities... Read More →
avatar for Sue Charlier

Sue Charlier

Greeting Card and Stationery Specialist, Leader Paper
Sue Charlier is an avid greeting card sender with more than 30 years’ experience in printing, paper, finishing, packaging, fulfillment, and envelopes.Throughout her career, she has partnered with greeting card publishers on product development, optimizing print and finishing operations... Read More →
avatar for Liz Richardson

Liz Richardson

Co-Founder, Indigo Ink
Liz Richardson is a co-founder and Co-CEO of Indigo Ink Digital Printing Inc., a full-service print shop located in Columbia, Md.   Liz, along with her husband and business partner, Matt, launched Indigo Ink in 2003, believing this new company could better serve quality driven clients... Read More →
GV

Gerard Vail

French and Finch Paper
Wednesday August 19, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am EDT
Medallion ABCD
  General Session, Full Conference

9:30am EDT

Break
Wednesday August 19, 2026 9:30am - 9:45am EDT
Medallion Foyer
Wednesday August 19, 2026 9:30am - 9:45am EDT
Medallion Foyer
  Break, Full Conference

9:45am EDT

Breakout Session 1: Getting Started with AI, Safely
Wednesday August 19, 2026 9:45am - 10:30am EDT
Mezzanine AB
Artificial intelligence is changing how businesses operate, and the greeting card industry is no exception. Whether you have never used an AI tool or you are already putting it to work every day, this session is designed to meet you where you are. We will start with the basics: what AI is, how to get started, and simple first steps you can take right away. From there, we will talk about using AI safely, from the everyday risks of free chatbots to the guardrails and human oversight that keep your business protected. The heart of the session is practical use cases you can take back and apply immediately, real examples relevant to companies in our space. We will close by looking ahead at where AI is going, from AI assistants to agent-to-agent commerce, so you leave with a sense of both what is possible today and what is coming next. To keep it useful for everyone in the room, we will open with a quick poll to gauge experience levels and tailor the conversation accordingly. You will walk away with a simple, one-page takeaway of ideas you can try the very next day. Come with your questions. This is meant to be a practical, approachable conversation about putting AI to work in your business, wherever you are starting from.
Speakers
avatar for Phani Parlapalli

Phani Parlapalli

Founder & CEO, AITOMIC, Inc.
Phanindra "Phani" Parlapalli is the CEO and co-founder of Aitomic, the first AI technology company built specifically for the gift and home industry, which he launched on January 1, 2026. Based in Pittsfield Township, Michigan, he brings almost 30 years of experience spanning technology... Read More →
avatar for Matt Darr

Matt Darr

Co-Founder & CRO, AITOMIC, Inc.
Matt Darr, a Certified Management Accountant, has spent 27 years in the gift and home industry including as Controller at Young's Inc, leading their finance, customer service and logistics. He's now Co-Founder & CRO of AITOMIC Inc 
Wednesday August 19, 2026 9:45am - 10:30am EDT
Mezzanine AB
  Breakout Session, Full Conference

9:45am EDT

Breakout Session 2: Social Media; Connecting with Authenticity
Wednesday August 19, 2026 9:45am - 10:30am EDT
Mezzanine CD
Mary Beth Sibert will facilitate this break out session as a follow up to American Greetings Presentation, “Building a scroll-stopping Brand; Launching & Growing on social media. Companies of all sizes will benefit.
Join Adriana Tescut and Victoria Pacino along with Vicky Barone Founder/Creative Director Barone & Co, for an engaging conversation on connecting with your consumers in an authentic and inspiring way. You’ll hear practical ideas, lessons learned, best practices.

We’ll keep it casual and will save time for questions.
Speakers
avatar for Victoria Pacino

Victoria Pacino

Manager Social Media & Content Strategy, American Greetings
Victoria Pacino is the Manager of Social Media and Content Strategy at American Greetings, where she works across both the American Greetings and Papyrus brands. With 12 years of experience in brand management, she specializes in building engaging digital campaigns and driving brand... Read More →
avatar for Adriana Tescut

Adriana Tescut

Director Brand Marketing, American Greetings & Papyrus
Adriana is a brand marketing and social media leader with over a decade of experience spanning data, strategy, and storytelling. She has spent the past 11 years at American Greetings, where she has evolved from a foundation in business intelligence into leading brand and social marketing... Read More →
avatar for Vicky Barone

Vicky Barone

Founder/Creative Director, Barone & Co

Wednesday August 19, 2026 9:45am - 10:30am EDT
Mezzanine CD
  Breakout Session, Full Conference

10:30am EDT

Break
Wednesday August 19, 2026 10:30am - 10:45am EDT
Medallion Foyer
Wednesday August 19, 2026 10:30am - 10:45am EDT
Medallion Foyer
  Break, Full Conference

10:45am EDT

Shop Talk: Small Group Discussions
Wednesday August 19, 2026 10:45am - 11:30am EDT
Medallion ABCD
Choose two discussion tables based on your interests and join a facilitated conversation with industry peers and experts. These interactive small-group sessions are designed to encourage idea sharing, practical learning, and meaningful connections.  
    • What Retailers Look For - Lauren Harms
    • Licensing Your Art & Brand - Mary Beth Sibert & Brad Woods
    • Marketing & Outreach for Card Companies - Kate Murray & Kim Dettmer
    • Financial Management: Which Numbers to Sweat – James Anderson
    • When to Outsource & Add Help – Carlos Llanso


    Plus, additional options including:
    • Sourcing with Associate Members – Associate Members 
    • Networking Opportunity – Open table for anyone

Wednesday August 19, 2026 10:45am - 11:30am EDT
Medallion ABCD
  Breakout Session, Full Conference

11:30am EDT

Break
Wednesday August 19, 2026 11:30am - 11:45am EDT
Medallion Foyer
Wednesday August 19, 2026 11:30am - 11:45am EDT
Medallion Foyer
  Break, Full Conference

11:45am EDT

Lunch and Closing Keynote: Connection Starts With Us
Wednesday August 19, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm EDT
Medallion ABCD
A look at how the greeting card industry can foster stronger communities through the simple, powerful act of sending greeting cards. This session highlights the real-world impact of connection and reminds us why the work we do matters every day.
Speakers
avatar for Jory Kate Haslett

Jory Kate Haslett

Leanin' Tree
Jory Kate Haslett is the Senior Product Manager at Leanin' Tree, where she has spent more than 15 years developing greeting card and gift collections that connect with consumers in meaningful ways. A lifelong card sender, she still keeps a cherished box of cards received on her first... Read More →
Wednesday August 19, 2026 11:45am - 1:00pm EDT
Medallion ABCD
  General Session, Full Conference

2:00pm EDT

Optional Activity: Kentucky Derby Tour
Wednesday August 19, 2026 2:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Book your own ticket here for the 2:30pm time slot. We’ll meet in the lobby at 2pm to head over together! If you buy a ticket, email [email protected] so we can make sure you get the information about the day of.
Speakers
avatar for Doris Webb

Doris Webb

Tree Free Greetings
Doris Webb is a greeting card industry professional with more than 20 years of experience in sales, account management, and retail channel development. As part of the Tree-Free Greetings team, she works closely with sales representatives and retail partners to identify consumer trends... Read More →
Wednesday August 19, 2026 2:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
 

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