3 replies to this topic

[imcreativejane]

I was reading the posts about ASI and SAGE and saw PPAI thrown in there a bit. I do have a question about PPAI if anyone can make it more clear to me the benefit. We joined PPAI two years ago because I thought we might be more accepted by vendors and not have to prepay by credit card if PPAI had approved us and given us the once-over. That was not so. Truthfully, I have not found any real benefit to PPAI. We have been SAGE members for years, probably 8 or 9 years, and have never belonged to ASI. Is there something I'm missing to being a member of PPAI?

[conunlim]

Pardon me for climbing up on my soapbox for a second...but no one is a "member" of Sage or ASI. Neither one is a membership organization - they are both providers of services and catalogs to the industry. PPAI, on the other hand, is a membership based non-profit trade association. The benefits may seem less tangible, in that they do not offer a research tool and will not sell you a catalog, but they offer benefits that only a trade association can offer.

PPAI monitors legislative activity and (at least attempts to) represent the industry's best interests when conditions arise. They tried - albeit unsuccessfully - to work with PhARMA on the new code that took affect on January 1. They train speakers to make presentations to end-user groups about the industry through their Advocate program. They offer excellent educational programs at their show and at stand-alone events. They offer discounted pricing on a variety of services.

I will tell you that my dues are unquestionably paid for each year by taking advantage of their FedEx discount program and the use of the coupon book theyt publish in December...and most years I probably save at least twice as much as I pay in dues just from these two areas alone. That does not place any value on the ebenfits I receive from attending the Las Vegas show, the networking opportunities, etc.

Sage and ASI are both good at what they do...but neither one is a trade association and their purposes are entirely different.

[Skip Mays]

It's tough to compare PPAI with ASI or SAGE because they are different breeds of cats. Although PPAI now offers many of the same services offered by others (Listings, credit reporting, etc.) they are primarly a not-for-profit industry association comprised of members (key word). SAGE and ASI are both for-profit organizations that provide a number of industry services but do so on a subscription (another key word) basis.
PPAI as an organization represents the Promotional Products Industry on a wide variety of national and regional issues that have an impact on the industry. In that regard, PPAI ofers lobbying efforts on behalf of its members. Within the last decade, PPAI has expanded it's range of service offerings to inmclude many services previously only offered by SAGE and/or ASI.
Membership or subscription to any or all of these organizations does not guarantee any form of credit worthiness. Credit is an earned commodity and is granted on a case by case basis, generally based on experience and credit worthiness as viewed by individual suppliers.
You should look at membership or subscription to any of these organizations with an eye on return on investment, and then select the ones who provide you with the greatest return on your investment (and that may include all three, depending on your particular needs as a subscriber or member.)
As usual, it's a straight-forward business choice that only you can make.
Skip Mays
Northeast Promotions
Corporate Signatures, Inc.

[forefront]

Jane, being a member of PPAI does not automatically guarantee 30 day net terms with every supplier out there. You will still have to fill out credit applications and go through the same process of providing trade credit references to show you pay your bills promptly. Bottom line is, no supplier (or profit-making entity, yourself included) wants to do business with anyone they feel may not meet their obligations. Granted there might be some suppliers out there who are more willing to give you credit because they see you are supporting PPAI and have a UPIC identifier. But they are few, I believe.

That said, I believe the real true benefits are, for instance, (and there are several more under the 'Prospective Members' link at ppai.org) having a not-for-profit trade organization working for YOU. One of the more frequently mentioned benefits is the great FedEx discounts that members receive- and there are other discounts, too. There are also the educational benefits, including webinars, research materials, the PPAI bookstore, PPB magazine, Promotional Consultant magazine, the PPB Navigator, and the trade shows.

There is also the added advantage of becoming a member of a Regional Association that works to your advantage. Our regional association organizes several events during the year in our area, including a spring and a fall expo, and provides free MAS/CAS education as well as valuable networking opportunities.

But you can't take my word for it. You'll have to give the folks over at PPAI a call. And they are always ever so helpful and willing to answer any questions. But you won't know all the real benefits unless you actually make the investment and join.