Episode 277: PPAI 100, The Industry Leaders with Dale Denham

For the first time, PPAI, the Promotional Products Association International, unveiled its ranking of the top 100 leading distributors and suppliers in the profession.

If you’re new to the business, PPAI is a nonprofit, it’s the largest member-driven trade association in the industry and to talk about this new list, we invited Dale Denham, President and CEO of PPAI to join us. 

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Dale Denham joined PPAI as president and CEO in 2021, leading the rebound of the industry’s largest trade association following its 50% loss of revenue and staff due to COVID restrictions. Dale has guided the organization, now growing once again, through an explosion of industry initiatives, driving digital transformation and corporate social responsibility while also raising awareness of the power of promotional items. Before joining PPAI, Denham spent the previous 10 years as senior vice president of a top 10 promotional distributor, where he was responsible for significant growth, including internationally, and successfully led the organization’s digital modernization. Previously, he was senior vice president at a large media and technology organization for 10 years, leading digital transformation and strategic alliances among other responsibilities. 

Today we talk with Dale about:

• Why this list is important

• We discuss qualifications, including the 8 categories of criteria that PPAI considered for each applicant

• And most importantly, how lists like these continue to create specific benchmarking opportunities for you and your business whether you are a supplier or a distributor.