PPAI has proposed that regional associations join PPAI as business service members.

  • The goal of this proposal is to create ongoing alignment between PPAI and the regional associations while creating pathways for PPAI to help strengthen each region they represent.
  • Membership will cost an annual fee and will come with a long list of benefits, as well as a Regional Rewards Program.
  • Three regional associations, the Michigan Promotional Professionals Association (MiPPA), Special Advertising of California (SAAC) and PPAChicago have already accepted the proposal and officially become members of PPAI.

“The idea of transitioning from the Regional Affiliate Program to Regional Associations becoming members of PPAI is designed to lessen the red tape involved in and encourage more thoughtful collaboration between PPAI and the 26 regional associations,” says Kara Keister, Regional Relations Committee delegate to the PPAI Board of Directors and promise keeper at distributor Social Good Promotions. “Change is not always easy. The Regional Relations Committee and PPAI staff have been hard at work researching, creating, and acknowledging feedback on what is now the final 2023 benefit and rewards listing for our newest subsection of business services members, the regional associations.

“It’s been a long road, but overall conversations have been positive and thought provoking. I am hopeful that this first year brings success stories that only further enhance the bond between our membership organizations.”   

MiPPA, SAAC and PPAChicago Join PPAI

Regional associations like MiPPA, SAAC and PPAChicago share many of the same strategic goals for the promo industry. Now both can access the many resources available through PPAI.

“I’m grateful to MIPPA for the support of PPAI over the years, including their leadership around government advocacy and end buyer advocacy, among many other areas of support,” says PPAI President and CEO Dale Denham, MAS+. “PPAI is looking forward to working even closer with MiPPA, who are committed to the vision of ensuring promotional products are universally valued and essential to every brand.”

Along with a number of specific benefits, regional associations can draw from the resources that PPAI offers, including best practices. Much of what is required of a thriving regional association has crossover with how PPAI operates on a larger scale.

“This relationship gives our leadership access to important industry benchmarks and best practices to help us train our board members, keep our governance and polices current and participation in the annual Leadership Development Conference,” says Glenn Miotke, MiPPA president and chief storyteller at distributor Unfolding Communications.

“This new relationship with PPAI replaces and enhances the previous regional association relationship,” says Jeff Stevens, president of SAAC and owner of WesCo Marketing, a supplier rep. “Some benefits include training new SAAC board members, collaborating with PPAI for needed strategic committees, promoting the SAAC tradeshow and sending SAAC board members to the annual Leadership Development Conference.

“This new affiliation brings our regional community together again to network, collaborate and share best practices. This partnership will be a win-win for the SAAC board and SAAC members by strengthening our association.”

In addition to MiPPA and SAAC, PPAChicago has also agreed to become a business service member of PPAI.

“PPAChicago is looking forward to furthering our relationship with PPAI through becoming a business services member,” says Stacey Felice, executive director of PPAChicago. “The membership provides a working relationship between both PPAI and PPAChicago to continue to strengthen the benefits that we provide to our valued members through education, board member training, industry news, accreditation, speakers for our events and for the board to attend Leadership Development Workshop.”

Benefits And Details

As part of the membership, regional associations are encouraged, but not required, to advance the PPAI Strategic Plan and incorporate as many of the strategic pillars as possible.

Membership for regional associations will include a long list of benefits, including but not limited to:

  • Dedicated support person
  • Meaningful and useful benchmarking for the regional community
  • Virtual training to onboard new directors and evaluate executive directors
  • Professional education perks
  • Discounts for regional members to attend The PPAI Expo

Becoming PPAI members will cost regional associations an annual fee of $1,000.

  • If not satisfied with their membership experience, PPAI will refund their dues one time.

Additionally, PPAI will implement a Regional Reward Program, which allows associations to save money from the LDW attendee fees by participating in Promotional Products Work, L.E.A.D. or other PPAI opportunities.