The International Card Manufacturers Association (ICMA) recently expanded the Advanced Card Education (ACE) program with the launch of ACE-Commercial, a new, virtual training series.
And it is getting rave reviews!
As the card manufacturing and personalization industry continues to evolve, ICMA’s virtual training program was designed to fulfill a niche need in the industry—providing employees in customer-facing roles with high-level card industry education without the need to enroll in certification-level curriculum.
Designed for sales, marketing and customer service personnel, the ACE-Commercial training covers the fundamentals of card manufacturing by providing a comprehensive overview of the major components of the card manufacturing business. There are no prerequisites to participate in ACE-Commercial, and upon completion, participants will receive a certificate of completion.
Space is limited for the next two ACE-Commercial trainings, which will take place on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. ET and Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. ET. Register today!
Taught by David Tushie, ICMA’s standards and technical representative, ACE-Commercial covers the production of secure and nonsecure cards while addressing common customer service and sales obstacles.
Here’s what ICMA members are saying about the virtual training:
“Thank you for organizing the program so quickly and for catering to our groups’ needs. David’s abundant knowledge of cards and the industry was clear. I was reminded that ICMA truly is the association of experts.”
“I enjoyed the training and David’s presentation. I’m looking forward to enrolling my entire team in the next ACE-Commercial training program.”
“The content was fantastic and exactly what I was hoping to learn—technical industry knowledge that is useful for my job.”
“I enjoyed learning about each step of the manufacturing process.”
ACE-Commercial is also recommended for suppliers and consultants who want to gain a deeper understanding of opportunities for growth in the card industry, as well as the challenges experienced by card providers.
In addition to ACE-Commercial, ICMA’s cutting-edge ACE program also includes three stand-alone designations—ACE-M, ACE-P and ACE-A—all designed to keep ICMA members at the forefront of the card industry:
● ACE-M focuses on PVC/plastics, inks, adhesives, printing, collation, lamination, die-cutting and standards/testing.
● ACE-P delves into printing and barcodes, magnetic stripe encoding, embossing, laser engraving, smart card encoding, financial transaction card data and fulfillment and standards/testing.
● ACE-A reviews card technologies in advanced materials and card construction, security technologies and environmental initiatives.
ACE-Commercial is only open to current ICMA member companies. The cost to attend the training is $249 per attendee or $224 per attendee if part of a group of five or more from the same organization. Private company trainings are also available at a reduced rate for groups of 10 or more.
To register for the next ACE-Commercial training, visit icma.com.
Want More Industry Insider Insights or a Glimpse into Global Card Trends?
For three decades, ICMA has represented the interests of the card manufacturing industry—which includes manufacturers, personalizers, issuers and suppliers—as its leading global association.
ICMA offers regular educational opportunities, including the web-based Card Industry Training & Education program, which provides information on key areas of the industry, as well as tutorials and webinars from industry experts. ICMA also provides reports on the card market and on personalization and fulfillment statistics to keep members informed of emerging trends and changing forecasts.
Throughout the year, ICMA members have the opportunity to share insights and knowledge by giving presentations at ICMA events, webcasts and tutorials. The organization hosts three in-person conferences each year. The main event is the annual Card Manufacturing & Personalization EXPO and the other two conferences are CardTREX North America and CardTREX Europe. New in 2020, ICMA introduced ICMA Connect, a virtual forum and trade show.
Learn more about the benefits of an ICMA membership.