The card manufacturing and personalization/fulfillment industry is highly competitive, but obtaining an Advanced Card Education (ACE) designation will distinguish you from the rest. These credentials are given to individuals who possess comprehensive industry knowledge and pass a challenging exam.  

The ACE-Advanced Technologies designation evaluates the skills and knowledge of advanced card technologies in advanced materials and card construction, card technologies, security technologies and environmental initiatives. 

The ACE-Personalization designation evaluates the skills and knowledge of card personalization and fulfillment professionals in eight major categories: Printing and Barcodes, Magnetic Stripe Encoding, Embossing, Laser Engraving, Smart Card Encoding, Financial Transaction Card Data, Fulfillment and Standards/Testing. 

The ACE-Manufacturing designation evaluates the skills and knowledge of card manufacturing professionals and is comprised of eight key sections: PVC/Plastics, Inks, Adhesives, Printing, Collation, Lamination, Die-cutting and Standards/Testing. 

Training Sessions During the EXPO 

ACE-P Training 

Tuesday, May 13, Noon EST – 6 p.m. EST 

Exam Sessions During the EXPO 

ACE-A Exam 

Thursday, May 15, 1 p.m. EST – 4 p.m. EST 

ACE-P Exam 

Thursday, May 15, 1 p.m. EST – 4 p.m. EST 

ACE-M Exam 

Thursday, May 15, 1 p.m. EST – 4 p.m. EST 

NOTE: There is a separate fee to participate in the ACE program and non-members are not eligible to attend. 

ICMA also offers an on-demand training program, ACE-Commercial, which provides sales, marketing, customer service and other key personnel at your company with the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of card manufacturing as well as solutions to typical customer questions and challenges. For more information and to apply, visit icma.com/training/ace-commercial. 

As the need for experts increases, ongoing training and expertise are essential for both individuals and companies to maintain a competitive edge. Apply today at icma.com/training/ace-accreditation and ACE it at this year’s EXPO!