Community | Inside PPAI PPAI Lends Its Support As European Promo Associations Unite In Stockholm Representatives from 10 European countries and the United States converged in Stockholm, Sweden, in May to discuss advancing the promotional products industry, leading to the formation of the European Associations Cooperation, a formal coalition intended to better coordinate efforts and address common challenges within the industry. Dale Denham, MAS+, PPAI’s president and CEO, was present for the proceedings on behalf of the Association. Although this year PPAI 100 expanded its eligibility to include international promo companies, PPAI is not a formal member of the EAC. However, the Association actively supports the co-op, as it is an example of and in alignment with PPAI’s vision and mission of advancing the promotional products industry. Countries represented in the EAC include Germany, Belgium, Poland, Spain, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Italy and the United Kingdom. The EAC intends to shift Europe’s traditional country-by-country approach to the promo industry in order to create common benefits for the industry in each country. “Collaboration between promo associations representing these countries strengthens the entire industry,” says Denham. “Solutions to shared challenges come out of intentional relationships like the ones formed through the EAC. With a growing number of PPAI members supporting clients with needs for shipping to Europe, this is a positive step forward in establishing beneficial industry likemindedness and standards.” In meetings over the course of two days, the representatives formalized the creation of the EAC. With an eye toward addressing current and future issues, attendees also established task forces for individual countries within the EAC to focus on specific areas for the benefit of the entire cooperation and industry. These task forces include: • Fiscal/Legal (Austria) • Politics/Lobby (Belgium) • Communication/Marketing/Shows/Fairs (Germany) • Education/Academy (Netherlands) • Digitalization (Switzerland) • European/Global Monitor/ Numbers (France) • Sustainability (Sweden) EAC participants have flagged sustainability and compliance as two critical issues facing the promotional product market in the European Union going forward, and the group is dedicated to providing leadership and forming standards to promote sustainable practices across the industry. 80 • JULY 2024 • PPAI
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