Our new Association's goal is to host a two day Pre-National Trade Show Conference before each NASFT Trade Show and the Philadelphia National Candy and Gift Show in a relaxed no rush environment close to the Show. We want to bring to you the Newest Trade Secrets of E-Commerce, E-Digital and E-profit technology so you can put it to work for you everyday to help meet the competitions crunch. You know so well that costs are always rising. These conferences are not, Reading, Writing and Arithmetic any more. It's now the three Big E's. E-Commerce, E-Digital and E-Profit. The Internet is in its infancy, and this is the beginning of a futuristic technology that will advance Humankind in ways that we can only begin to imagine. And YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS IT, because it will be filled with Great Profits. Your Computer will be able to print MONEY from the Internet and E-Commerce sales just like a MONEY printing press

We are already contacting Leading Corporations in the E-Commerce Sector who will present these programs. NGPAA is not part of The International Fancy Food and Confection Show or the Philadelphia National Candy and Gift Show. But many of the Charter Members attend these shows each year. Only the top Industry Members who are Retailers and Manufacturers who are part of the industry for at least 15 years are invited to join on a select basis.
Manufacturers will be invited to join in the Future.
Listed below are many of the Leading Technology Corporations who we will call on to present Profit producing Seminars at the Conferences held across the country. We will invite their IT departments to provide us with leading edge Technology. We want to know what they are working on for the near future. Our group will be very unique and will be able to tap into this E-Profit Age.

Hewlett- Packard Microsoft Canon Compaq Ebay Oracle Xerox Iomega Kinko's Cingular
America Online Overture Comcast Yahoo Logitech Real Player Webex American Express

Each day of the year our Businesses face New Challenges, New Problems, and New Frontiers. If we are to stay
ahead of the competition we must follow the leaders in the Tech Industry and get as close to the Future as we can.

We all know that four minds are better than two and twenty minds are better than ten.
But how about 150 Very Smart People in the same business in the same Conference Room to together with you sharing 150 other Great Ideas, Concepts and Methodology about their stores operation and how it can effect your stores operations and challenges.

Think about the Buying Power of 150 Retail Merchants approaching their favorite Manufacturer or Vendor to bargain for better pricing. You could buy like a Distributor and save thousands of dollars a year because of the membership size.

Imagine walking into a Conference Room with 150 Gift Basket Catalogs displayed from across the country from it's members.
Imagine walking into a Conference Room and seeing 150 Gift Baskets and Gift Creations on display that you could take pictures of with your New Digital Camera and E-Mail them back to your Store for your employees to see that very same day.
Imagine recording all the conferences programs on your own recording device so you could share them with your staff.
Imagine the value of calling a member who you met at a conference who could help you solve a difficult problem.
Talk about Synergy, you will be able to feel it when you walk in to the conference rooms. Don't wait to join, it could be too late.

Can you see the unbelievable Synergy in this Conference Room where everyone attending does the same thing you do.
They sell Gift Baskets, Gift Creations and Giftware's to the Market Place just like you.
We will invite Industry Experts and Vendors alike to present programs dedicated just to our group.
We can ask for Special Product Promotions that will come to us first before it launches in other Stores.
We will have the buying power of a 150 Store Chain but we will still be independent merchants with our own identity.

The Future is the Internet and if you do not want to be left behind act now because in the first three years we will only take 150 members. We have mailed out 300 invitations to the Cream of the Gift Basket Industry, to the top 300 Gift Basket Retailers in America. You are one of these Very Select Retailers. The First 150 Companies to respond will make up the core membership. Once 150 Retailers respond membership will close for three years. If you started your business after 1988 you are not eligible to join. Enclosed you will find an Application for membership, don't miss this opportunity to become a Charter Member of NGPAA today. The annual dues will be $179.00 a year. This will help fund an Association Director. As a member you will receive a Newsletter that will be filled with very profitable and time savings concepts each year plus you will mingle with the Top one- half of one percent of the Retail Industries minds at upscale Hotels and Resorts in North America and Europe. The National Gift Packaging Association is a Non-Profit Association.

We will provide Leadership and Body of Industry Work Awards to members who will be selected by a National Grand Jury of Industry Experts and Peers. These Awards will take place at the Conferences held across the country before the National Trade Shows in San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Philadelphia.

The "Gifty Gold Medal Award" will be presented to worthy Men or Women who have served in the Industry for many years in 9 different Industries we serve, The Specialty Food, The Gift Basket, The Giftware, The Floral, The Wine and Spirit, The Cheese, Supermarket, Hotel Hospitality and the Bakery Industries.

When you receive this Award you will be filled with a Personal Joy of Success, Pride and Happiness. The many years of hard work, long hours and Good Deeds done will be recalled. This Award is a Life Time Achievement Award. You have been chosen by your Industries peers who have proclaimed you worthy of a "Gifty Gold Medal Award". Your family will also share in this Award. You will have won the right to display this Award Symbol in all your printed materials, Brochures, Advertising and Public Relations articles and announcements in the local newspaper. This Award will bring to you New Customers and New Business and New Profits. Because you have been Awarded the "Gifty Gold Medal" you will also be placed in the; "American Gift Packaging Hall of Fame" records. This is another Award Value that goes hand in hand with the" Gifty Award".

2005 Conference Sites 2006 Conference Sites

Tom Catanese, Chairman, NGPAA

The Chairman's Credentials

If the name Thomas Catanese is new to you then we feel we should present you with his Primary Profile. Tom has presented over 80 Gift Basket Business, Design and Packaging Seminars and Symposiums in the US, London and Paris. He has been Awarded a Gold Medal for his Body of Work in the International Specialty Food, Wine and Confection industries at Carnegie Hall in 1998. He has designed over 800 Original Gift Baskets and Gift Creations for nine different industries. He has designed three Rolls Royce Convertible Gifts filled with Giant Champagne Bottles and Fancy Foods. He has also designed ten Golf Carts Gifts for Charity and Profit. In 1992 Beverage Media Magazine placed his picture on their front page because of his Wine and Spirit Designs he has created. The French Confection Industry invited him to present his Gift Packaging Symposium to the International Confection Exposition in Paris in 1990. He also has designed Gifts for many Nationally known brand name corporations.

The Award and Recognition Committee also known as the National Grand Jury will be made up of members from Nine different industries. The Specialty Foods, the Gift Basket Industry, the Wine and Spirits, the Fruit and Produce the Floral Industry, the Cheese Industry, the Supermarket Industry, the Perfume and Cosmetic Industry and the Hotel Hospitality Industries. At present the names of the members of this committee will be confidential..
We can say that each member has been in business for over 30 years and is a respected Member of the Industries that they serve.

Application for Membership in the National Gift Packaging Association of America. Date
This information is confidential and will not be shared with any member of the Group. If you are uncomfortable answering
any of the questions below do not answer them.

Company Name __________________________________Owner, Principals Name _________________________________

President _____________________________ Vice Pres. _________________________ GM. ___________________________

Address ______________________________________ City ________________________________ State ___ Zip ________

Phone ____________________ Fax _________________ E-Mail ____________________ Website_______________________

Cell Phone ______________________ Years in the Business _______ Locations ________ Number of Employee's _____

Type of Business __________________________ How many Gifts do you produce in a year? _________________________

Community Service _______________________________________________________________________________________

3 Industry References,

1. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

3._____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Education______________________________________________________________________________________________

Talents / Skills _________________________________________________________________________________________

Hobbies_______________________________________________________________________________________________

What E-Commerce Programs would you like to see______________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Year 2004 Dues $179.00 person. Only one person per store need be a member. Members may bring up to 8 guests with them to any Conferences. Please mail your Check Today. We are not set up for Credit Card Acceptance at this date. Please do not fax your Application, they are not totally readable. Simply enclose it with you check.
Mail to; National Gift Packaging Association of America, Mailing Address: P.O. Box 633, Blue Bell, PA 19433.
We will use the post mark dates as we close in to the final number of 150 members.

Company History _________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(note use other side or a separate sheet to add more information if necessary)

Personal History__________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
(note use other side or a separate sheet to add more information if necessary)

Comments______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
(note use other side or a separate sheet to add more information if necessary)

Signed __________________________

To better serve you with the New Electronic and Digital Information highway we need this very important
Information below to structure our E-Commerce programs for the up coming Conferences. This information is confidential and will not be shared in any way with other members. Only NGPAA staff Member will have access to this form. Please include any special requests for programs that you believe would benefit all the membership.

Name __________________________________ Store Name ___________________________________

Phone ________________________ Fax ____________________ E-Mail __________________________

Website ____________________________

1. How many computers do you use in your business? ____________________________________

2. What is the name of your Business Computer? Mac ____ PC ____ Unix ___ Example, Compaq _____

Dell ____ , Gateway, ____ IBM ____, Other _________________________________________________

3. What is your operating software system, OS ____, Win 3.1, ___ Win 3.11,_____ Win 95_____

Windows 2000 ______ Win XP _____ Other ____________________________________________

4. Do you have the Standard Desktop with Tower? ____________ Do you have a Laptop? _____________

Do you have a Color Printer? Yes ___ No ___ What Brand ? ____________________________________

5. How old is your Computer? Estimate _______________________________________

6. Is your Computer Slow, Medium, or Fast? ________________________________________________

7. What is your Storage area size? ________________________________________________________

8. Do you believe you are in need of a Faster Computer? ______________________________________

9.Do you presently have Internet Access? ________ What Lines do you have? Dial Up __ DSL __

Broadband ____ ADSL ______

10. Who is your Internet Provider? AOL. ___,Comcast ____, Verizon _____ Other _________________

11. What software do you presently have on your Computer? __________________________________

12. What type of Data Base Software or System do you have? ___________________________________

How do you back up your documents? Floppy Disk ______ Tape _____ Zip Drive _____ CD ______

We don't presently backup our data.__________

13. What software program do you use to communicate to your customer's? Outlook____ Eudora _____

Outlook Express _______ Other _________________________________________________________

14. Do you have a Internet Website? Yes ____ No ____ What is the address _______________________

Who maintains the Site? _______________________ Who edits you site? ______________________

Does any one on Staff edit the Content? __________________________________________________

15. What Software do you use for the Internet Site? Dreamweaver ____Frontpage _____Golive _____
other names ______________________________________________________________________

16. How do you place your Graphic and Pictures on the site? ___________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

17. Do you have a Digital Camera? Yes ___ No ___ Do you know it's functions? ____________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

18. Do you have a scanner and does your staff use it? _________________________________________

19. Do you use E-Mail to place orders, communicate with customers? Yes ___ No ____

20. Software Competencies, Evaluate your Computer Skills. On a scale of 1 to 10 ___________________

21. Evaluate your Company employee and their Computer Skills. 1 to 10 __________________________

22. Can you use your operating System to open Files, Folders, Do backup etc.? Yes ___ No ____

Can your Employee do all of the above? Yes ____ No ____

23. Do you or your staff member use, Word, Power Point, Excel? Yes ___ No ___

24. Do you have any Anti-Virus Software on your computer now? ________________________________

25. Can your Database interact with your Accounting System? Yes ___ No ____

26. Do you presently receive any Audio and Video through your Computer? Yes ____ No ____

27. Have you used Video Professor now or in the past? Yes ___ No ___, Did it help you Start? Yes _No __

28. Can you send out an E-Mail Blast? Yes ___ No ____

29. How many customers can you E-Mail at the touch of one button? _____________________________

30. What is the primary use of your computer? Accounting ____________ Billing _____________

Inventory Management ___________ Spread Sheet Review ___________ Cash Flow Projections

_________________ Sales and Marketing __________________ E- Commerce ________________

Customer Contact _________________ Vendor Orders _________________

31. Can you or you staff member scan a photo and send a Jpeg photo by E-Mail to anyone
in the world? ________________________________________________________

32. Do you have a cell-Phone? Yes __ No ___ Do you have a Picture Phone? Yes ____ No _____

Thank you for spending the time to fill out this report, it will help us plan our future Conferences for the coming years.

Please mail Application to: NGPAA, P.O. Box 633, Blue Bell, PA 19422

The Gifty Gold Medal Award is a Registered trade mark of NGPAA