12 replies to this topic

[FGR]

I just received an email from PPAI that says:
Beginning in 2008, PPAI welcomes all nonmember companies to preview the benefits of membership by attending The PPAI Expo twice, free of charge. After two visits, companies must join PPAI to continue taking advantage of these benefits, including The PPAI Expo.

I belong to ASI, UPIC & Sage, and quite frankly I do not want to abandon my ASI number and pay the PPAI fees just to attend their show.

Do you feel that this is a move to force distributors who prefer the PPAI show to the ASI shows to give up their membership and change to PPAI?

[Chris Miller]

Don't feel bad.. apparently you cannot be on the advisory board without being a member either :D

Quote

Chris,

I'm sorry I have to retract the invite I sent you yesterday. It appears your PPAI membership has lapsed. If you decide to renew your membership please let me know and I'll add you back to our advisory list.

Thank you,

Paul

[aapromotions]

Marty: The MARTY FELDMAN. I talked with PPAI this week and was under the impression that as long as one had a UPIC indicator, one could register for the show. And if I'm not forgetting, a couple of years ago, maybe many years ago, they did charge for entry to the show if you were a non member.

Chris: Being on an advisory board and being a member of the organization that the board is a part of only make sense. But you knew that anyways.

[dusty]

Marty:

As much as I don't want to, I must agree with Allan Clair. All you are required to have for entrance to the PPAI Las Vegas is a UPIC designation. That is at no charge from PPAI/UPIC.

On another subject, just curious, with SAGE as a search engine, what value is there for you to maintain a number with asi? Seems redundant.
And as mentioned in many dt forums, one does not need an asi number with suppliers just a credit card number.
I dumped asi six years ago and never looked back. No supplier has ever denied me business for lack of it.
(Allan Clair will disagree, but he is old and senile!)

[aapromotions]

And jerkoffsky is just cheap

[FGR]

The email that I received from PPAI was very specific, that my firm can no longer attend the PPAI Expo unless we are members of PPAI, PERIOD! It did not offer the option to attend for an entrance fee and made no mention of UPIC being relevant. It said that non-members are only allowed to attend twice and since we attended in 2008 and will attend in 2009, we are no longer entitled to attend without being members of PPAI.

Actually, we are just as content to attend the SAAC show and a few of the many traveling road shows that come our way. Besides, from what I can tell many suppliers and distributors are opting out of the PPAI Expo this year, basically for financial reasons I assume. If the PPAI Expo has a very low attendance, this may end up being it's last show anyway, at least it will be the last one for us!

[aapromotions]

Marty is quite correct. Using my UPIC I enrolled a new rep so that they could have some walking fun at the expo. On the print out it is very specific about the number of expos one can attend free of charge.

On the other hand, didn't at one time PPAI once charge a nominal fee for non members to attend?

And as to attendance, I talked to one West Coast manager of a large distributor who was quite emphatic that because of the economy many of his local reps wouldn't be attending, even if it was only a drive.

[jacquez]

Mr. Feldman,
You mentioned that you attended the SAAC show. I believe if you are a member of SAAC you may attend the PPAI show at no charge - for as long as there is a RAC.
One issue I am not sure of is did SAAC sign the affiliate contract with PPAI. Check with you SAAC office to verify that you may attend the PPAI show.
Let us know how this worked out for you.

[aapromotions]

Jacque-it isn't necessary to be a member of SAAC in order to attend the show.

[jacquez]

Allan,
Sorry you I wasn't clear. A membership in SAAC is like being an affiliate of PPAI so if a member in an affiliated regional one should be able to attend the PPAI show free of charge.

Even if you are not a member of PPAI.

I think????? I will check our regional web site.

[lindaneu]

I talked with PPAI and initially they were not allowing non-members to attend if they had attended the two previous years. At some point closer to the show they changed that and made numerous calls encouraging attendance and "waiving" their previous standing. I think perhaps membership was down and they decided to allow them after all. They were very aggressive after they changed their mind.

[gfinelogo]

Dropped my membership two years ago. Was up 15% in 2009.......
End of story........

[admaven5050]

I don't mean to stir the coals of insanity......but the complaints about free attendance seem to all be coming from distributors in California who live in the backyard of Sin City. If the PPAI show wasn't in Vegas.....let's say it was in Chicago as it was for all the years before moving to Dallas.....would any of you Californians be complaining about a charge to go to the show? Would you even be thinking about attending?
I am a member of PPAI because it is our International Association and it is controlled and directed by members. It is an association of member companies.
I pay my dues to be a part of the association and to take part in the benefits it has to offer.
No one is forcing anyone to join PPAI.
If you wish to participate in an association pay the dues.
And please stop confusing ASI, Sage, or even UPIC as associations. And please stop referring to users or subscribers to ASI and Sage as members.
They are not members. They are customers. And as customers you pay for the services you receive.
I did not attend the PPAI show in Vegas. It just didn't work out for me this year, but I am proud to be a member of PPAI and happy to pay my dues. I also pay my dues to the VFW where I am also proud to be a member.
I have written on DT numerous times about ASI and that (private) company's desire to confuse the unwashed and make new entrants in the industry believe they have to join ASI and be a member and get their secret decoder number etc. For the record I say again even though ASI wants to label you a member you are not a member. You are a customer....a subscriber to their published materials and services.
The term "member" is bandied about freely in our society. Look at your VISA card or AMEX. Both cards show you as being members, but what really are you a member of? You are a client or customer. And VISA and AMEX and yes ASI are all private companies driven by the same motive that drives all of us in business and that is to turn a profit. We are all in business to generate profit.
PPAI, is a not for profit trade association.
Please note the difference.
And for those who wish to continue to carp....on this thread....."PPAI now forces to you (sic) to join PPAI to attend Expo"...... remember you do not have to join PPAI and you don't have to attend the Expo.
Its a free world....and the choice is up to you.