The participants at the inaugural meeting of the EAC during a sightseeing tour in Stockholm.
S – Several European associations and the US American Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) met up in Stockholm at the end of May 2024 to further the promotional products industry on an international level.
During the two-day meeting in the Swedish capital city, representatives from over ten countries agreed to found the “European Association Cooperation” (EAC). The aim of the EAC is to promote the collaboration throughout Europe and coordinate the efforts of the individual associations more efficiently. Hitherto, the European promotional products industry has traditionally acted more on a country-specific basis. According to the participants, since more and more challenges affect all of the European market players jointly, founding the EAC is seen to be a decisive step towards a more uniform approach that entails joint solutions leading to improved industry practices.
The EAC is to focus on sustainability and the observance of regulations within the industry – critical themes that the promotional products market in the EU is confronted with. The EAC intends to take over a leading role here and set standards. The agenda of the meeting included a host of additional themes and strategic planning sessions. An important point here was the formalisation of the EAC as an organisation. The newly founded Association Internationale Sans But Lucratif (AISBL), based in Brussels, forms the statutory framework for the alliance of the European promotional products industry.
The companies represented within the EAC so far include Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Spain and the United Kingdom as well as the United States as an unofficial member. The PPAI lent its support during the discussions.
