Kicking off The PPAI Expo 2026, PPAI President and CEO Drew Holmgreen, CAS, unveiled the organization’s 2026-2030 Strategic Plan, a five-year framework designed to sharpen the industry’s positioning, strengthen its sense of community and equip members for sustained success in an increasingly competitive marketing landscape.

The plan, developed through a months-long process involving PPAI’s Board of Directors, staff and member input, is intended to be both aspirational and operational – articulating where the branded merchandise industry should be headed, while outlining how PPAI will help get it there.

The framework for the new plan was developed with support from strategy and change consultancy Coraggio Group. Visually, its structure takes the form of a pyramid, with PPAI’s new vision statement as its apex, and supported by a strong association at the foundation.

Elevate The Industry

Member Success

The heart of the plan is organized around three strategic pillars, which define PPAI’s core imperatives for the next five years.

One of those pillars is Member Success, which is aimed at equipping companies with the research, education, advocacy and connections needed to compete and grow. From enhanced educational resources to trend insights and deep member benefits, the pillar is designed to deliver tangible, practical value.

Of course, developing research and educational content is essential to helping the industry grow, says PPAI Board Chair-Elect Zack Ottenstein, president of The Image Group, PPAI 100’s No. 66 distributor.

When we provide great educational content, we become a more attractive industry to young people looking to build a career.”

Zack Ottenstein

PPAI Board Chair-Elect

“When we provide great educational content, we become a more attractive industry to young people looking to build a career,” Ottenstein says. “Every industry will be in a race for talent, and PPAI plays an important role in making our industry attractive to great people.  

“Moreover, research helps stakeholders, including investors, understand our industry better. For a long time, we’ve known that the data available about our industry falls short of what the institutional capital community is looking for.  I hope PPAI will be able to tackle data-sharing initiatives that have eluded the industry for years.”

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PPAI’s director of professional development, Jessica Gibbons-Rauch, MAS, emphasizes the Association’s big focus for the year is increasing depth of knowledge, which includes adding more intense coursework, deeper subjects, microcredentials and more support from subject-matter experts.

This is going to help position our overall education portfolio (PPAI Advance) to support our members at any stage of their career.”

Jessica Gibbons-Rauch, MAS

Director of Professional Development, PPAI

“This is going to help position our overall education portfolio (PPAI Advance) to support our members at any stage of their career, in all positions and no matter their growth goals,” Gibbons-Rauch says. “This will help us add that mid layer of expertise so that in 2027 we are well equipped to focus on expanding our reach to help set up our members to grow our industry, whether that be at universities, high schools or other programs.

“Our goal is to provide resources for our membership to accomplish whatever their professional development needs are.”