Paul Spitzberg Named President of IMA: IMA Summit

Paul Spitzberg, the VP-special markets for Coach and the executive VP of the Incentive Marketing Association, has been named as the association's next president. He will take the post for a one-year term effective Jan. 1, 2006.

The board of directors elected Spitzberg during the IMA Executive Summit, held last week in Scottsdale, AZ. He will replace Cindy Mielke, the national sales manager for Staples Corporate Incentives, whose term expires at the end of the year.

Karen Renk, the IMA's executive director, said that Spiztberg's goals would largely center on launching the association's new five-year strategic plan and mission statement to its members. He will build buy in and enthusiasm for the plan and then implement the first stages of the new course of direction, she said.

In its initial five years, the association built its infrastructure and developed member value propositions to resonate with the industry. That vision having been realized, the next five-year plan will concentrate on enhancing member value and stepping up corporate outreach efforts, which include education, research and public relations efforts, Renk said.

"We will be concentrating on building more tools to help members promote the use of incentives to clients," Renk said.

IMA, incorporated in 1999, represents more than 600 supplier members in the incentive marketplace. Its membership includes: merchandise suppliers; gift certificate suppliers; performance improvement companies; providers of on-line incentive programs and services; fulfillment houses; distributors; manufacturers representatives; sales promotion agencies; consultants; full-service incentive houses; and major trade publications and trade show managers in the incentive field.