Before the trade floor at The PPAI Expo 2025 even truly opens for exhibitors and distributors, the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas will be buzzing with industry professionals looking to soak up some of the year’s best educational sessions at The PPAI Expo Conference on January 13.

Accompanying a distinguished lineup of keynote speakers selected by PPAI, the Association will assemble an extensive roster of experienced industry insiders to join panel discussions  and lead sessions at The PPAI Expo Conference 2025. Most audience members will be distributor salespeople, from those who are new to the industry, all the way up to C-Level executives and business owners.

  • PPAI will be putting out its request for speakers at the end of July. Interested industry professionals have until September 9 to complete their proposal.

“The PPAI Expo is so much more than just a trade show, and in fact education is arguably just as core to the event’s offerings to the industry,” says Jill Begun, professional development manager at PPAI. “The educational content at The PPAI Expo Conference is something that we are deliberating over, planning for and curating pretty much all year.”

The average breakout session will have 250 attendees in the audience, and some sessions include as many as 400. Speakers will be on stage, with a confidence monitor in front of them, and screens on each side of the stage. The session may be recorded, and there will be a professional photographer taking pictures. 

Topics can range from many different issues facing the promo industry in 2025. Last year’s sessions included:

  • “How To Market To – Sell To – And Service People Not Like You,” featuring speaker and author, Kelly McDonald, Speaker and Author, McDonald Marketing
  • “How To Use Creativity And Merchandising To Set Yourself Apart,” featuring Jessica Gibbons-Rauch (moderator), MBA, CAS, professional development lead, PPAI; Quinn Bui, CAS, national sales manager, Rupt; Samantha Fullerton, senior account executive, BAMKO; Kate Masewich, VP of marketing, commonsku.   
  • “Leveraging AI In Tomorrow’s Business World,” featuring Anat Baron, founder & CEO, StashWall.
  • “The Next Generation Of Promo Trends,” featuring Jason Lucash, CEO, Rupt; Renya Nelson, CEO, Brand + Aid; Bryan Stevens, client experience executive, Thumbprint.
  • “Sales Resilience Blueprint,” featuring Jenna Quaranta, director of sales training & development, HPG
  • “Educating Your New-To-The-Industry Employees,” featuring Jessica Gibbons-Rauch, MBA, CAS, professional development lead, PPAI

If they meet the September 9 request for proposal deadline, finalists will be contacted to discuss possible Conference Day Breakout Sessions.

If you have any questions regarding The PPAI Expo 2025, Speaker Request for Proposal for the Conference Day Breakout Sessions, please email events@ppai.org or call Jill Begun at 972-258-3059.