Shape the Future of IGCC & Become an Industry Leader!

We're looking to add strong leaders who represent the diverse areas of our industry to the IGCC Board! Running for the board is a great opportunity to meet incentive industry leaders and become one yourself. Nominate yourself or others by Friday, April 7.  

Responsibilities & Expectations:

• Attend IGCC events
• Participate on a committee
• Attend monthly board meetings

A board member's term lasts two years and is eligible for reelection for one additional consecutive term after that period. IGCC Board seats are only available to primary IGCC members. Current board members whose terms expire this July must also submit a nomination form to run for the 2023-2024 IGCC Board.

IGCC has created a 2023 Gift Card Industry Events Overview document that highlights industry events throughout the year that many be beneficial to attend. Take a look!

• Stephanie Sales, Dine Brands Global (Applebee's and IHOP)
• Mary Parks, PLI
• Stephanie Schneider-Thompson, PLI

Follow us on LinkedIn!

Find out what’s trending in the industry and stay up-to-date on IGCC activities!

PLI Card Marketing Solutions in Partnership with IGCC: Roadshow, Fun & Learn Event

Tuesday, April 18, 2023 |9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Pasadena, CA

IGCC invites you to PLI’s second roadshow in Pasadena at the Hilton Pasadena Hotel near Los Angeles! Join us on Tuesday, April 18th from 9:00am - 4:30pm to socialize and attend educational sessions delivered by gift card leaders in the industry. View the agenda and more details on the IGCC website.

MEET THE SUMMIT KEYNOTE

Dan Thurmon delivers a powerful keynote in a jaw-dropping style. He is known for doing handstands on podiums while discussing balance; juggling sharp objects to teach principles of performance under pressure; and weaving through the audience on a six-foot unicycle to visually amplify principles for navigating change.

Dan believes we must learn to embrace uncertainty and initiate positive changes that lead to growth. He encourages his audiences to go beyond the pursuit of “success” and enhance all aspects of their lives with purposeful, positive contributions.

On top of being an acrobat and world-renowned speaker, Dan is also an author, entrepreneur and workplace performance expert. He founded Motivation Works, Inc, to help organizations move confidently through change and transformation, so they can become, achieve, and contribute MORE.

Dan has delivered his life-changing message in his own show-stopping style for over 25 years to a broad range of Fortune 500 teams including AT&T, Bank of America, Honeywell, Marriott, Microsoft, P&G and Pfizer just to name a few.  

Check out Dan speaking in action.

MEET THE AWARDS EMCEE

American Idol finalist, Melinda Doolittle, is a soul–stirring vocalist who compels her audiences to keep listening. Melinda went from being a tone-deaf child being told not to sing to American Idol’s sweetheart. She is now a highly sought-after background vocalist singing with musical icons like Michael McDonald, Aretha Franklin, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Aaron Neville and Jonny Lang. 

Melinda’s talent doesn't stop there. In 2009 she released her debut album, Coming Back to You. One year later, she published a book entitled, Beyond Me: Finding Your Way to Life’s Next Level. Then in 2013, she released her sophomore album, You’re The Reason. 

Today she continues to perform for audiences near and far, give back to a variety of philanthropic organizations and host industry game shows. 

Check out Melinda singing in action.

Add your name to the Summit attendee list and register today!

Early bird deadline is May 26.

IMA has a Summit group rate of $229/night at The Westin Copley Place. Make your hotel reservations to take advantage of this great rate.

IGCC Member Conversation: Gift Cards Yield Power Despite Economic Uncertainty

Thursday, March 23 • 12:00 pm CDT • 1:00 pm EDT 

Inflation continues to rock the economy for both consumers and businesses. As the dust settles on one of the most disruptive times in modern history, rising costs, tech sector layoffs, and tense geopolitical conditions still loom over the economy. The 20th U.S. Annual Prepaid Consumer Insights Survey from Fiserv sheds light on the changing nature of gift cards in today’s economic environment. We’ll discuss the survey results one-on-one with Tom Niedbalski, VP Fiserv Gift Solutions. IMA members will better understand the impact of inflation on businesses that increasingly use gift cards to incentivize and reward their employees, motivate their customers, and add value to their brand.

Register here>>>

IGCC Member Conversation: Driving B2B Gift Card Growth Through Lead Generation

Wednesday, April 12 • 12:00 pm CDT • 1:00 pm EDT 

Finding new leads and converting them into loyal customers can be one of the most difficult, yet essential, aspects of growing your B2B gift card program. In this member conversation, you’ll exchange insights with industry peers to understand how to reach new customers, who to target, and how to convert leads into paying customers.

Register here >>>

With the Holidays in the Rear-View Mirror, What’s Next for Gift Cards?

As inflation continues to impact everyday purchases, a conflicting job market further makes gift card trends even harder for merchants to pinpoint. Slightly more than half of U.S. consumers surveyed (54%) say that their gift card usage will change this year as they adjust their buying habits due to inflation. As they tighten their proverbial purse strings, over 1 in 4 (27%) of U.S. consumers plan on using gift cards to buy items of need, with another 22% relying on gift cards to offset prices of everyday items such as groceries and gasoline.

Despite this economic uncertainty, 2023 provides new opportunities for merchants to engage consumers with gift cards. The Q1 Gift Card Gauge from Fiserv is now available, providing good insights into the mindset of the consumer and what merchants should expect in 2023. 

• eGifter Launches New Reward and Incentive Products for Niche Audiences and Use Cases

• Fast, Convenient And Secure: 70% Of Consumers Prefer Digital Payments, Onbe Future Of Payments Survey Reveals



• Corporate Gift Card Trends in 2023

• Incomm Payments – Account Manger II
• Ncentiva – Business Consultants, Gift Card Program Management
• Panera – Manager B2B Gift Card Sales
• RaiseRight - Head of Marketing
• Royal Caribbean Group – Senior Manager Credit Card & Gift Card Marketing
• Wolfe - Client Success Manager 

Have a job opening to share in the next newsletter? Email hollis@tot.us 

The Impact of Women’s History on the History of Business

Women’s History Month is an annual celebration of the contributions of women to society. Beginning as a weeklong celebration in Santa Rosa, CA that overlapped with March 8th, International Women’s Day, the celebration gained momentum and governmental recognition with a Presidential proclamation to officially become a month-long observation in 1987.  

Every year The National Women’s History Alliance names a theme for the month of March and this year’s theme is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” We thought this space provided a unique opportunity to tell the stories of women who have had profound impacts on the business world, the gift card and payments industries and raised the standard for women everywhere. 

Click here to read more.