PPAI announced today that it has entered into an agreement with the American Marketing Association (AMA), the largest professional marketing association in the world, to offer PPAI members access to exclusive AMA memberships and benefits.

“For more than 10 years, the PPAI and AMA alliance has engaged and educated professional marketers, college professors and students on the power of promotional products, as well as on the many career opportunities our industry offers,” says Paul Bellantone, CAE, PPAI president and CEO. “We are excited to strengthen our longstanding, positive partnership with the AMA. Giving PPAI members the opportunity to grow their network and build their businesses is incredibly important, and we’re confident that the value of AMA membership can do just that. In times of major market changes, it is important to build strategic alliances that create member value and future success.”

PPAI members now have exclusive access to individual and corporate group AMA memberships and benefits at special rates, as well as no application fee and a $200 credit for new AMA members for use on attendance at the AMA Marketing Week, training series or marketing workshop event. Also, a 15 percent discount off retail price for corporate exhibit booth space at one AMA conference is available to new exhibitors.

“Today’s marketer has to be a skilled connector and integrator—a systems thinker. Thoughtful strategic alliances are accelerators for brands in today’s network-based world,” says AMA CEO Russ Klein. “The AMA and PPAI partnership is a shining example of two venerable brands becoming stronger together to develop and equip today’s marketer with future-forward innovation in promotional products. We’re grateful for the PPAI relationship that allows the AMA to bring fresh and valuable perspectives to the marketing community.”

AMA membership benefits include:

  • Conferences and training events: Members save 20 percent or more on all national AMA events. AMA conferences cover a broad cross-section of industries and provide networking opportunities and access to industry leaders. The AMA Training Series helps professionals get intensive, in-depth learning on a specific topic through hands-on learning.
  • Exclusive tools and resources: Members receive access to over 100 ready-to-use, downloadable tools and templates in the AMA Marketer's Toolkit to make quicker, smarter business decisions.
  • Local chapter networking: The AMA has more than 70 local chapters where members can gain insight and find volunteer opportunities.
  • PCM® professional certification: The AMA Professional Certified Marketer® program has tracks in digital marketing, content marketing and marketing management. Members save on exam fees.
  • Unique AMA content: AMA members get access to exclusive webcasts, articles, e-books and more. Plus, the AMA publishes the award-winning Marketing News magazine and several predominate academic journals including the Journal of Marketing and Journal of Marketing Research. Members get free subscriptions of Marketing News and a journal of their choice.

The American Marketing Association is the largest professional marketing association in the world, with members who work, teach and study in the field. By becoming an AMA member, PPAI members gain access to a vast body of marketing knowledge, high-quality training programs, the latest tools and tactics, exposure to leading-edge thinking, and opportunities to interact with marketing peers around the world.