PPAI® has entered into an agreement with Specialty Advertising Association of California (SAAC) to provide the regional association with management services, as announced earlier today in a Breaking News alert. SAAC will continue to work under the stewardship of its board of directors and will maintain autonomy and a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit status as a professional trade association. A dedicated PPAI representative will serve as SAAC’s executive director and will be supported by additional staff resources.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with PPAI as our chosen association management company,” says SAAC Board President Rhett Todd. “The level of support PPAI will provide is much more robust than that of a standard association management company. They are on the forefront of legislative and regulatory matters, and we believe working together in California will not only be beneficial for SAAC members but will ultimately help pioneer initiatives that will positively affect the industry at large.”

Paul Bellantone, CAE, PPAI president and CEO, adds, “PPAI is committed to investing resources and time to serve the promotional product industry at every level, specifically the regional community. We continue to explore ways to support the unique culture of each regional association and their members. The opportunity to serve SAAC as an association manager and a partner, in many ways, is no doubt unprecedented in our industry. I believe it is an exciting time to bring more opportunities to both SAAC and PPAI members in the region.”

PPAI and SAAC operate under separate missions designed to serve the promotional products industry at the international and regional levels, respectively. This shared vision and natural alignment strengthens the presence of SAAC in the region, while creating more opportunities for SAAC and PPAI members.

“This is a tremendous win for both SAAC and PPAI,” says Bill Petrie, Regional Association Council (RAC) board president. “PPAI has been both communicative to and transparent with the RAC board during the evolution of this agreement and we are thrilled about the possibilities it holds. PPAI has long been supportive of the regional community and the fact that they’ve been chosen to serve as the association management company for SAAC only serves to underscore that commitment.”

PPAI will immediately begin work with SAAC and its board to bring the news of this partnership to SAAC members. One of the priorities of the PPAI team is to work with the board to solidify the calendar of events. SAAC members are invited to join the SAAC board and PPAI leadership at the board installation dinner on March 7 at Café Santorini in Old Town Pasadena. Details are available on the SAAC website.