Jan 2026 Gift Card Industry Update by Eric Thiegs

This week’s Coffee Chat highlights three UK events representing the very best of our industry

Eric Thiegs, a 25+ year veteran of the gift card and incentive industry, is named as one of three shortlisted nominees for the 2025 Honoured Industry Contributor Award for the GCVA Hall of Fame Awards

Eric took the stage at the 2025 Gift Card & Voucher Association (GCVA) Conference in London to deliver industry insights in his talk: "Demystifying Gift Card Aggregators – What Brands and Buyers Need to Know." Watch the 20-minute presentation here.

Eric interviews Kelly Hinds, Head of UK Accounts, from NeoCurrency

I share a 1-minute overview on what matters when selecting a gift card and prepaid aggregator for your rewards, loyalty, promotions, or employee recognition program. After 25+ years in the incentive industry—winning (and losing) RFPs— I've seen these seven factors influence nearly every major buying decision when it comes to selecting a gift card or reward provider.

Eric celebrates 25+ years in the incentive, gift card, and payments partnership industry with the launch of his Coffee Chat video blog series