The Advertising Specialty Institute® (ASI) of Trevose, PA, kicked off the 2017 trade show season with a three-day event in Orlando that featured a lively keynote by former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, who told a packed house of enthusiastic football fans that the key to success is passion.“The best advice I can give you is have passion for something, that’s really the key to success,” Marino said. “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it.”
In a free-wheeling Q&A with ASI President and Chief Executive Officer Timothy M. Andrews, Marino wowed a crowd of entrepreneurs from throughout the $23 billion promotional products industry, tossing out life lessons, business advice, a few laughs and four autographed footballs to anyone correctly answering a trivia question about his life and career.
Discussing appearing in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective alongside Jim Carrey, Marino joked: “I take full credit for his career. If it weren’t for me, nobody would know who the hell he is.”
Drafted by Don Shula’s Dolphins, Marino went on to become one of the most prolific passers ever, winning the NFL’s MVP award in his second season and breaking scores of NFL records – 11 of which are still active. When asked about never winning a Super Bowl, Marino admitted, “It’s the one feeling – winning a championship – that I didn’t get. But I got to play 17 years, and a lot of guys only get to play two, so I wouldn’t trade that career.”
The Marino keynote, which attracted nearly 500 people, was a highlight of ASI Show® Orlando (#asiorlando), held Wednesday, January 18 through Friday, January 20. The trade show drew close to 700 exhibitors and distributors from 47 states and 22 countries, along with 69 companies from Florida, 65 women-owned and 87 minority-owned companies.
Nineteen distributors chose Orlando to host sales meetings, including many Counselor Top 40 companies.
“The keynote was great, a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Steve Leachman, of Express Press Printing. “The fact that I got to ask a question was outstanding, but what I took away from him was about leadership – you just have to do your job better than anyone else. You have to be a high achiever every day, regardless of who is watching or what’s going on around you.” MORE INFO