Meet our Instructors and Staff!
Tom Newell Tom was the founder of Espresso Stop Coffee House and Bakery located in Canton, Ohio as well as a co-founder of Baskets To Go and International BasketFanFare® both located in Canton, Ohio. Tom owned Newell's Home Improvements and Newell's Wood Shop both located in Canton, Ohio. He comes from a Contractor background with sales and marketing know how that will not stop! Tom was in charge of sales floor, warehouse, deliveries, and everyday baking in the coffee house for over 2 decades! Tom was CEO Display Manager for Montgomery Wards for 3 states. His design ideas are amazing. He will join the teaching staff for 2010 at the Fancy Food Show in NY and The World Tea Expo in Las Vegas. Tom has also taught seminars at Atlanta Mart, Columbus Gift Mart, Western New York gift Mart, Minneapolis gift Mart, Kansas City Gift Mart, Pittsburgh Gift Mart, Denver Gift Mart, Nashville, Las Vegas Jubilee, Cincinnati – Jubilee, Chicago- Basket Connection, Aces – New Orleans, Aces – St. Petersburg, Columbus, Tradeshows, Temporary Shows, & Personal Consulting. Tom has been on the advisory board for Gift Basket Review, Columbus Gift Mart, Country Life, ACES, Columbus Retail Association, and more.  He has appeared on TV 8 and TV3 morning show and news for their Design ability. He has been National Design Winners and nominated for designer of the year 5 times. Award winners for Ohio & Stark County Business of the year and nominated for Ernest Young award 3 years in a row. Tom is active in the retail, coffee, and gift basket industry and will continue for years to come.	Tom Newell
Pam Newell Pam started her relationship with the gift basket industry in 1979 when she opened their home-based business, Baskets-To-Go. Pam previously worked for Roadway Express for over 20 years in Payroll and sold Real estate for over 13 years. In 1982 Tom Joined Pam at Baskets-To-Go and added a warehouse to support her growing commercial accounts. In 1993 they established an additional retail location that included an Espresso Stop Coffee House & Bakery. By 1997 these operations, which included the Gift Basket Shop, Coffee Shop, Warehouse, Bakery and Corporate Offices doubled in size. In June of 2001 they opened their new international company, BasketFanFare®. That new company was housed in a 7500 Sq. Ft. Corporate Office, Bakery, and Warehouse location. In 2004 BasketFanfare moved to West Tuscarawas Street, Canton, Ohio to provide a better storefront location closer to Aultman Hospital.  In 2004 they together started Gift Basket School and decided to help the industry by teaching their own style of workshops and seminars! In 2005 they sold their retail location to dedicate their lives to education and helping others in the industry achieve their dreams! In 2009 they saw a need for an Affordable Convention and are doing this today! Pam has taught seminars at Atlanta Mart, Columbus Gift Mart, Western New York gift Mart, Minneapolis gift Mart, Kansas City Gift Mart, Pittsburgh Gift Mart, Denver Gift Mart, Nashville, Las Vegas Jubilee, Cincinnati – Jubilee, Chicago- Basket Connection, Aces – New Orleans, Aces – St. Petersburg, Columbus, Tradeshows, Temporary Shows, & Personal Consulting. Tom & Pam will be joining the teaching staff for 2010 Spring Fancy Food Show, World Tea Expo, and the Ultimate Gift Show. Pam is also on the advisory board for GBA. Pam has written for many Gift Basket and Craft magazines helping others grow their business with marketing tips! Her passion is to see other gift basket professionals achieve their own dreams and she wants to help the industry re-define with professionalism and style. Pam is a mom, grandmother, and wife with a love of GOD and Family!	Pam Newell
Derek Thielke Derek Thielke’s 20 years in the specialty food industry comes from working for Mille-Lacs, Drangle Foods, Lactoprot USA, Owl’s Nest Cheese and Swiss Colony.  Derek’s expertise includes developing package designs and product formulation for the gift industry and selling to the specialty food trade.	Derek Thielke
Mary Ann Jacobs Mary Ann Jacobs has had a gift basket business in Tuscon, Arizona since 1988. Prior to becoming an award winning designer, she was an accounting with a desire to use her creativity. Her accounting background has provided her with great business knowledge, which she shares with her audiences worldwide. Her professional excellence has established her as one of America's top designers. Her business was featured in the books The Best Home-based Businesses Of The 90s, and The Best Home-based Businesses Of The New Millennium, as one of the most exemplary gift basket businesses in the country. Her corporate customization and marketing concepts have earned her international recognition. Designers around the world who have implemented her design and marketing ideas report significant success. MaryAnn's innovative gift basket designs are continuously featured in trade magazines, as are the cutting edge articles that she submits as a contributing editor. Mary Ann's innovative gift basket designs are continuously featured in trade magazines, as are the cutting edge articles that she submits as a contributing editor. She has appeared on television talk shows, and shares her expertise at national markets, conferences and trade shows throughout the country.  Now, you can learn from her at this year’s convention!	Mary Ann Jacobs
Ben Jacobs Ben Jacobs has been in the photo and video business for over forty years. Ben has a Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) degree with a Masters of education. Before retiring, he taught graphic arts and photography at the high school and college levels, and he was the educational TV station manager for a college for 32 years. Ben makes Photograph look easy with his demos and how to add digital images to your promotions. His wife Mary Ann has put Ben’s talents to good use since the inception of her gift basket business in 1988. The photos that he’s taken of her baskets have been showcased in every gift basket trade magazine. They’ve been used to promote her seminars at the esteemed Fancy Food Show. His photography has been the source of all of her marketing materials, as well as her videos.	Ben Jacobs
Sarah Botchick Sarah is the Vice President of Marketing at Pioneer Wholesale Co. a wholesaler/importer of baskets and gift baskets supplies. Sarah has been involved with the gift basket industry most all of her life, as her parents started the company in 1977. In 1996 she officially joined the company as an employee, and upon graduation from college, where she majored in graphic and internet design, Sarah worked with developing catalogs and the website for Pioneer Wholesale Co. As the world has changed, Sarah’s focus has switched from design to marketing. Her main priority now is all forms of marketing, including printed promotions, magazine advertisements, product releases, and internet marketing, including sponsored search, email marketing, and social media marketing.	Sarah Botchick
Emmitt Holtzclaw Emmitt Holtzclaw is a 30 year veteran of the gift and floral industry.  His retail career began in 1973 when he opened a floral shop in Richmond, Ky.  In 1984, he sold the flower shop and accepted a management position with The Walt Disney World Florist.  The following year he assumed operational responsibility for the entire floral division.  During his tenure, the floral department grew to 58 full-time designers and established a reputation for innovation and creativity.  In 1993, he played a major role in developing the The Walt Disney World Wedding Department.  In the first year, his division serviced over 1,100 weddings. In 1995, Emmitt left Disney and accepted a Director’s position with Florafax International.  Founded in 1966, Florafax was a flowers-by-wire company servicing over 10,000 florist.  The following year, Emmitt established The Gift Basket Club.  The Club supported retail members and specialized in pre-made gift baskets shipped directly to the gift recipient.  The drop-ship program became an immediate success; 1st year sales exceeded $3,000,000.  In 1997, Emmitt was promoted to Vice-President for National Sales and Membership. In 2002, Florafax was acquired by (Teleflora) an industry competitor.  The operational centers were merged and Florafax’s offices were closed. Emmitt was determined to continue the gift basket program.  In the fall of 2002, he founded Gift Marketing Alliance.  The Alliance was based on his original concept, with an expanded product line.  In addition to gift baskets, GMA offered fresh flowers, fruit and wine baskets, gourmet chocolates, cookie bouquets, and assorted specialty foods.  In 2005, web-site development and hosting was added as a member option.  Since its inception, GMA has continued to evolve and expand member services.	Emmitt Holtzclaw
Lisa Bevan Lisa has been an IT Consultant for 12 years - specializing in web application and online stores. She founded MyGiftBasketIdeas.com in 2007. She has been doing SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for 4 years - and is also coaching other companies on how to optimize their sites. She has a great Social Networking Blog and she has set up and coached other business owners on how Social Networking can increase sales with success rates. Lisa is on the Advisory Board of The Gift Basket Assoiciation. She is the Ohio Chapter President of The Women's Network Alliance - Westerville. Lisa will be offering FREE one on one web checks for 10 minutes at the trade show with scheduled appointments to help our attendee's this year Grow their websites.	Lisa Bevan
Beverly Coggins Beverly Coggins, professional organizing expert, speaker and author, has been organizing herself and others for over 30 years, inspiring her authorship of the 1-2-3 … Get Organized series. These books and workbooks are written for the organizationally overwhelmed. Each one addresses only one organizing topic and has three steps to complete the task at hand. “My passions are to help people make home a refuge, and to help people function in peace rather than chaos, whether at home or at work,“ says Coggins. She lives with her husband in Ohio, where they are foster parents for teenage girls. They have two grown daughters. She is the time management expert for Campus Calm, dedicated to distressing college students. She is one of the co-authors of Campus Calm University: The college student’s 10-step blueprint to stop stressing and create a happy, purposeful life. She has been featured in Family Circle Magazine, Woman's day Magazine, Better Homes and gardens, The Washington Post, Fox 5 News - Washington DC, WKYC News Cleveland Ohio, The Psychology of Clutter, I'm An Organizing Junkie, Christian Women Online magazine, Campus Calm, Organizing Playground radio show, The Efficiency Corner Radio Show, Senior Citizens Guide to Cleveland, Akron Beacon Journal, The Norman Transcript and others. Bev is new to our team but will excite you with her fun seminar with Passion.	Bev Coggins
Debbie Quintana Debbie Quintana is the president of Gourmet Gifts LLC, The Spirit of Wellness, The Gift Basket Association and The Women's Networking Alliance. As a small business consultant, Debbie has worked with small business owners to create, rejuvenate and launch their businesses by focusing on the customer experience, taking the right risks and demonstrating excellence. With over 100 clients under her belt, she’s developed a humble reputation for helping those with a vision of realizing their dreams. Debbie lives in San Jose, California with her husband Alex and son, Travis. Debbie is also the creator of Trends and Tips Magazine the new business and industry information source!	Debbie Quintana
Kris Kalb Since 1991, Kris has been immersed in the gourmet food industry in many aspects, from manufacturing and product design to gift basket design.  Kris started chocolate manufacturing with Clasen’s Chocolate Company in 1991 and then moved into chocolate and candy production for The Wisconsin Cheeseman in 1993.  From there, Kris moved into sales and development for the Scott’s fundraising division and then became the Director of Product Development for the Mille Lacs division.  In 2001, Kris started on his own endeavor forming Kristopher Thomas Gifts of Distinction to focus on the local corporate gift market.  Kris developed the business over the course of three years and eventually merged his business and helped build Northwoods Cheese Company with Derek Thielke.  Kris was instrumental in developing new products, catalogs for Northwoods as well as continuing to serve his corporate clients gift needs.  In 2007, Kris ventured back out and partnered with a former gift basket competitor in the Madison market, Basketree Gifts, Inc.  With this merger, Kris was able to expand his offerings to include fresh flowers, fruit baskets, as well as a renewed vision for corporate business development.  Kris formed in 2009, a second entity, The Spirit of Wisconsin Gourmet Foods, Inc. with a focus on creating high quality Chocolates, Jams and other gourmet foods using local ingredients and spirits from Madison to be marketed nationally and with the ability to be personalized for corporate clients.  Kris is a wonderful and exciting Designer adding alot to our teaching team of experts!	Kris Kalb
Ben Weidner Ben has spent most of his life in customer service. He started in the back room at his parents retail business, served coffee at the Espresso Stop, Became office manger and account manger at Baskets To Go and the International BasketFanfare, Manage over 4 businesses, and has successfully turned complaints into sales over the last 12 years. He mixes humor with sales and has been a leader in business management for years. He is a great example of salemanship for todays business world. Ben is currently managing a Italian Eatery and a team of employee's.	Ben Weidner
Christa Andreotti Christa Andreotti is your registration, go for it girl, and spokes person for this years Gift Basket Convention. She has spent a life time in the industry from the backroom prep area to Corporate Sales Manager. She represented a large number of corporate clients to help make Baskets To Go a success with the Medical division. She represented many drug represenitives, doctors, and hospitals to give them the best gift service for their gift needs. She is now working at the area hospital completing her life time dream of nursing. She has been a very big part of Gift Basket School success with her sales ability. She will help out in presenting seminars and working our registration desk. She will also work in our booth helping with your educational needs.	Christa Andreotti
Michael Gruber A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Gruber obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Cincinnati in June 1973 and his Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in June 1977. Mike was admitted to the Ohio Bar in November 1977. A founding principal of the firm, Mike practices in real estate law, small business law, construction and development law and related issues. He has been a licensed title insurance agent for approximately twenty (20) years. Mike also has an extensive arbitration practice representing clients throughout Ohio, and he has also handled arbitration cases in Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Michigan. Mike is a member of the Stark County Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, The American Bar Association, The Ohio Land Title Association, and Ohio State Bar Association Real Property Board of Governors. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Stark County Association of Realtors and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Building Industry Association of Stark County. Mike is actively involved in his community. He is a longstanding member of the Board of Directors of The Twelve, Inc., a child services organization. He served as president of The North Canton Chamber of Commerce, has taught real estate law at Malone College, and has lectured on many seminar topics for organizations such as the Stark County Bar Association, the Ohio Legal Institute, the Stark County Association of Realtors, the Akron Area Board of Realtors, the Ohio Association of Realtors, and private seminar companies. He also lectured at the Title Tech National Convention.	Ben and Christa at 2009 Convention Challenge
Loads of Fun to be had by ALL!