Promotional Products Around the Globe: A Two-Part Series
In 2005, the 7,000+ member PPAI reported $18.1 billion in promotional products sales in the United States, and Slagle anticipates the number increasing for 2006.
As far as differences in the associations, Reckziegel said PPAC’s Traveling Optimum Promotional Show (TOPS) provides a different flavor to that of its North American counterparts. “We take the show on the road in the spring to about seven cities across Canada,” he said. “In the fall, we take the TOPS Plus show to three other cities, where in some cases, it is a two-day show, and we generally have more eduction sessions in major cities, including Toronto, Montreal, and either Calgary, Edmonton or Vancouver. We allow added-fee, non-member distributors to attend our traveling shows, which we don’t allow in our national show. We also allow distributors to bring their clients on a strictly invitational basis.”