When the Advertising Specialty Institute and PRINTING United Alliance formed a new partnership this spring, a central aim was to bring to market solutions that help businesses in the interconnected print, decorating and promotional products sectors to better prosper.

Executives say a new dual membership offering will do just that.

The solution provides promo, print and graphic arts professionals unified access to benefits from both ASI and the Alliance, helping to empower such businesses to position themselves as comprehensive one-stop shops, executives asserted.

ASI President/CEO Tim Andrews and PRINTING United Alliance President Dave Leskusky believe the dual membership offering will be a boon to the print, decoration and promo sectors.

“A dual membership unites the formidable strengths of ASI and the Alliance, forging unparalleled opportunities for our members to elevate and expand their businesses,” said Tim Andrews, president and chief executive officer of ASI. “By delivering technology, education, networking and other resources, dual members can diversify their services in print, promo and decoration.”

Dave Leskusky, president of PRINTING United Alliance, noted that the convergence among print distributors, promo distributors and printers is accelerating, making the dual membership offering particularly timely and important.

“It’s imperative that PRINTING United Alliance and ASI embrace this trend and offer dual membership to new members seeking comprehensive, best-in-class support and connections to help businesses thrive in this rapidly evolving market,” Leskusky said.

In this Promo Insiders podcast recorded in May, ASI President/CEO Tim Andrews and PRINTING United Alliance President Dave Leskusky discuss the new partnership the organizations formed this spring.

ASI is the largest technology, marketing, events and information provider in the $26.1 billion promo products industry, while the nonprofit Alliance dominates the $100 billion print and decorator market, a vertical in which many promo distributors already operate. The dual membership collaboration builds on the previously announced ASI/Alliance partnership, which also saw ASI acquire a promo-and-print-focused events and media portfolio from the Alliance.

The dual membership offering is available to any qualified new distributor member of ASI and PRINTING United. Dual membership benefits include:

• Info and Education to source the best imprinting technologies, products and services
• Technology and Tools, including two ESP+ licenses from ASI to streamline business operations and source and sell innovative products. ESP, a technology platform, is ASI’s flagship product; it manages the industry’s entire supply and marketing chain.
• Alliance’s Legislative Advocacy in Washington, D.C.
• State-of-the-Art ASI News and Research highlighting industry trends, new markets and business strategies
• Significant Discounts through ASI’s Business Savings Program and the Alliance’s Affinity Program, covering essential services like shipping with FedEx and UPS
• Special Access to the Alliance’s subject matter experts in OSHA, EHS, sustainability and human resources
• Access to online print and decoration technique instruction and education
• Advanced Networking and free entry to major industry events like September’s PRINTING United Expo, the world’s most comprehensive printing show, large ASI promo products trade shows in Orlando, Fort Worth and Chicago and numerous hosted-buyer events

ASI serves a network of 25,000 suppliers, distributors and decorators in the promo industry. In addition to ESP, ASI produces award-winning digital and print content, live events and educational programs that enable companies in 53 countries to be more efficient, productive and profitable, executives said. ASI’s media and research operation provides authoritative business content, and the ASI Certification Program features more than 200 live and online education courses for industry professionals. The company, family-owned and-operated since 1962, has consistently ranked among the “Best Places to Work” in Philadelphia and Bucks County, PA.

PRINTING United Alliance is the most comprehensive member-based printing and graphic arts association in North America. The Alliance serves industry professionals across market segments with education and training via iLEARNING+, workshops, events, research, government and legislative representation, safety and environmental sustainability guidance, as well as resources from media brands – Printing Impressions, Packaging Impressions, Wide-format Impressions, In-plant Impressions and Apparelist. A division of PRINTING United Alliance, Idealliance is a global leader in standards training and certification for printing and graphic arts operations. PRINTING United Alliance also produces the PRINTING United Expo, a massive trade show often referred to as playing host to the most influential days in the printing world.