From PPAI Drew Holmgreen, CAS President & CEO, PPAI 03.26 A Defining Moment THE PPAI EXPO 2026 delivered what makes this event so essential to our industry: meaningful connection, powerful education and a collective focus on advancing merch into its next era. For decades, this has been the place where our community comes together, but this year carried a deeper sense of intention. The design of The PPAI Expo 2026 was deliberate, ensuring that every room, every conversation and every moment sought to elevate branded merch. It felt like a reflection of who we are today and a preview of who we’re becoming. Standing in that environment, I found myself thinking back a year to The PPAI Expo 2025. It was my very first week not only as CEO but my first week in merch, too. I was told, with a knowing smile, that this is an industry where you should “expect hugs.” And it was true. Those early welcomes were my introduction to a community built on connection, continuity and a kind of shared understanding you rarely find elsewhere. Over the past year, as I listened, learned and traveled across this community, what stood out most was how deeply our longterm success is rooted in a generational legacy paired with entrepreneurial grit. Whether it’s a firsttime solopreneur or a centuryold family company, the throughline is the same: People here build, rebuild, collaborate and help each other rise. Competitive collaboration isn’t a catchphrase in merch – it’s a lived reality. And it’s one of the reasons this industry continues to endure and evolve. But 2025 was also a year of navigating challenges and reestablishing norms. We had to regain our footing in places, redefine expectations and recalibrate around new realities. Yet the strength of this community showed itself. The optimism and appetite for growth was apparent, and it’s carrying into 2026. Still, we know the pattern. Our industry has seen steady, moderate growth for years. Steady is respectable. Steady is reliable. But steady won’t get us where we’re going next. To truly elevate merch to the role it deserves, as a marketing channel core to every brand strategy, we need bold positioning and a unified vision. That’s why the debut of PPAI’s 2026-2030 Strategic Plan at The PPAI Expo was such a defining moment. This plan was built with insights from our members, our Board and our staff. It reflects truths, data and desires from across our community. It’s informed by lived experience, grounded in realworld needs and designed to guide the industry through its next great leap. At its heart, the plan centers on a clear direction – repositioning merch from a supporting tactic to a premier driver of brand connection and marketing impact. And as the industry’s largest notforprofit, PPAI is uniquely equipped to lead that shift. Our mission isn’t to generate profit but to invest resources into the success of our members and the advancement of this industry. With the talent of our staff, the vision of our Board and the unwavering dedication of our volunteers, we are prepared to ignite the momentum already underway. The PPAI Expo 2026 showed us what happens when intention meets opportunity. Now it’s time to accelerate. So … let’s go! To truly elevate merch to the role it deserves, as a marketing channel core to every brand strategy, we need bold positioning and a unified vision. 4 • MARCH 2026 • PPAI
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