In 1956, a group of people actively engaged in the promotional products business got together and legally formed a not-for-profit, federally chartered organization in Montreal called Specialty Advertising Counselors of Canada (SACC). The name was later changed to Specialty Advertising Association of Canada (SAAC) in 1982, updated to The Promotional Products Association of Canada (PPACanada) in 1992. On November 1st, 2007, the current name of Promotional Product Professionals of Canada Inc. (PPPC) was adopted.
The PPPC head office remains in Montreal today, staffed by twelve full time employees, each a professional in their field, to serve it’s over 1,700 members in both official languages. Reflecting the structure of the industry, PPPC has two main types of membership: Suppliers and Distributors.
PPPC gives its members a number of advantages over non-members:
National Convention - The National Convention, which takes place in Toronto, in January of each year, is the largest gathering all the members in one place, to do business, to learn, and to network over a five day period. It is the industry event of the year, with educational seminars, meetings, networking events and the trade show featuring over 600 booths and a total of 5,000 industry professionals. The trade show is open for 3 days and Distributors can invite their valued clients on the last day.
TOPS (Travelling Optimum Promotional Show) – a one day trade show which visits six major Canadian city centers in the spring: Halifax, Ottawa or Québec City, Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton and Vancouver. Member distributors can invite their clients to see, touch and feel the variety, quality and countless applications of promotional products. Subscriber distributors are invited to visit TOPS.
TOPS+ (Travelling Optimum Promotional Show) – a much larger version of the TOPS taking place in September in Montreal, Toronto and Calgary. This trade show is open for 2 days in Toronto and features 230+ booths. The Montreal and Calgary shows feature 120 booths each and are one-day events. Distributor members can invite their clients to what is considered the largest traveling showroom in Canada as well as have hospitality suites off the show floor to greet their clients. Subscriber distributors are invited to visit TOPS.
Publications (PPPC Weekly, promoVantage, promoXpert, Idea Book, Membership Directory) - The PPPC Weekly newsletter is sent electronically to over 5,000 recipients with news and updates. Printed quarterly, the promoVantage magazine is mailed to promotion buyers to promote the industry, while the promoXpert magazine is mailed to individuals within the membership to promote the Association and its many benefits. The Idea Book of promotional products is produced once a year for distributors to show promotion-buyers/clients the hundreds of promotional product ideas from suppliers. The annual Membership Directory contains the roster of current members.
Education (Certification, On-Line Education and Ambassadors) - PPPC provides seminars and workshops for the professional advancement of its members, leading to industry professional certifications – Certified Advertising Specialist (CAS) and Master Advertising Specialist (MAS). PPPC also offers on-line education towards CAS/MAS Certification. Audio sessions corresponding to the required courses are available on www.pppc.ca. Continue earning POINTS at your own pace, on your own time, at a reasonable cost and qualify faster to writing your CAS or MAS exam. On-line learning is fun, easy, specifically designed for quality adult continuing education. The PPPC Ambassador Programme offers free on-site speaking engagements by its Ambassadors to business groups across Canada on the uses and effectiveness of promotional products.
Image Awards Programme - Every year, PPPC honours the best in the Canadian promotional products industry with the popular Image Awards programme, which recognizes the most creative campaigns using promotional products and programmes by our Distributor and Supplier member companies. As well, we recognize the individual successes of the professionals within these member companies with the “Of the Year” awards for Distributor of the Year, Supplier of the Year, Supplier Customer Service Representative of the Year, Supplier Sales Representative of the Year, Distributor Sales Representative of the Year and Multi-Line Agency of the year, Best Catalogue and Best Website which result from votes cast by the membership.
Special Industry Benefits - The association commissions an independent company to conduct an industry survey based on sales volume and product category in Canada, including a province-by-province comparison, and the percentage of promotional products sold for business gifts, premiums and other categories, every two years.
Strategic Partners - PPPC has strategic alliances with the Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA), the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA), and the National Advertising Benevolent Society (NABS).
To be the voice of the predominant advertising medium in Canada.
To lead, inspire and advance the promotional products industry through the strength of its participants.
1.1 Conduct business at all times in ways that maintain high ethical standards.
1.2 Demonstrate a commitment to honesty, integrity, truth, fair competition, customer service and good taste in both business practices and promotional activity.
1.3 Obey the letter and spirit of the law.
1.4 Strive to be good corporate citizens in terms of philanthropy, respect for the environment, job creation, product health and safety, and support for society's well-being.
1.5 Reject any business practice that is misleading, illegal, unprofessional or otherwise in violation of this Credo.
1.6 Avoid any action that violates or diminishes the legal and civil rights of customers, employees, or others with whom they may have a business relationship.
1.7 Notify the Association when they encounter behaviour that is or appears to be inconsistent with these standards; and
1.8 Do nothing to bring the reputation of the industry into disrepute.