Jamie Jeter, head of promotional products sales at Outdoor Cap, PPAI 100’s No. 30 supplier, recalls the first time she attended The PPAI Expo in Las Vegas.
“I expected it to be like any other trade show,” Jeter says. “I thought it would be full of products, lots of walking and require serious planning and strategy on my part to make the best use of my time.
“I was wrong. It was so much more.”
Indeed, The PPAI Expo, the largest and longest-running trade show in the promotional products industry, is more than just the hub for an unmatched array of new products, fueling an immersive experience crucial for meeting client needs throughout the year. The annual event at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center truly embodies the promise of substantial business expansion arising from newly established relationships between suppliers, distributors, business services members and beyond.
Jeter compares The PPAI Expo to a family reunion.
Jamie Jeter
Head of Promotional Products Sales, Outdoor Cap
“Everyone is in one place at one time ready to give you an idea, a breath of encouragement or advice on what not to do so you can win the next project,” Jeter says. “It’s full of people ready to turn your life into brand recognition. Everybody is eager to learn, excited to listen and passionate about teaching.
“It’s crazy to think how intimidating this felt three years ago, and now, I’m so excited for it to get here. It feels like home.”
‘COVID Changed The Importance’ Of Expo
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, where working remotely has become the norm for many professionals, The PPAI Expo serves as a central meeting place for suppliers to connect with their customers perhaps for the only time each year.
“The PPAI Expo 2025 is a great way to kick off the New Year,” says Joey Fox, director of e-commerce channel sales at Koozie Group, PPAI 100’s No. 9 supplier. “It gives me a chance to talk with my customers about goals and initiatives they’re working on so I can tee up solutions for them.
“In this work-from-home environment, The PPAI Expo is often the only time that I see them in person, so it’s a chance to reconnect with long-time clients and get facetime with new customers so we can start building a relationship.”
Joey Fox
Director of E-Commerce Channel Sales, Koozie Group
Erika DeWolf, field sales manager at PCNA, PPAI 100’s No. 3 supplier, says that “COVID changed the importance” of The PPAI Expo.
“A lot of my accounts make this a mandatory event for their teams to attend, for good reason,” DeWolf says. “The PPAI Expo allows me an opportunity to schedule our most important business reviews throughout the week and see 85% of my customers in a span of four days. Many customers don’t even have offices anymore, so it allows for them to touch and feel product as they used to before the pandemic.”
Joel Kaufmann, fellow field sales manager at PCNA, manages a small regional territory, so he wasn’t sure if being at PCNA’s booth was even necessary. But with so many people working remotely now, and some even relocating to different states, he realized how much things had changed. “The PPAI Expo became a crucial meeting spot where I could give the kind of presentations that just aren’t possible locally anymore,” Kaufmann says.
The PPAI Expo is also an opportunity for exhibitors to introduce and demonstrate new services. For example, PCNA launched Givee Select, its online storefront gifting solution, at last year’s Expo.
Julianna Morgan
Director of Integrated Marketing, PCNA
“Having the opportunity to engage with customers directly at our booth, we were able to show them hands-on how to leverage the solution for seamless, personalized gifting,” says Julianna Morgan, director of integrated marketing at PCNA. “This real-time interaction, coupled with the chance for attendees to order a personalized Givee Select product, was incredibly valuable in showcasing the platform’s potential. The direct customer feedback we received at Expo was extremely helpful in fine-tuning the way we continue evolving to delight our customers and partners.”
What To Expect At The PPAI Expo 2025
Anybody that’s been to The PPAI Expo can attest that the four-day event stimulates inspiration and innovation.
And it all starts Monday, January 13, at The PPAI Expo Conference, which brings experts together to share professional education on the industry’s most pressing issues, such as sustainability, artificial intelligence, diversifying the supply chain, marketing in uncertain times and more.
Plus, “The Pitch” – promo’s version of Shark Tank meets The Voice – will return as supplier participants try to win over a respected panel of industry judges in front of an audience of Expo attendees.
RELATED: The PPAI Expo 2025 Preview
Then, at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 14, the trade show opens. Early-bird attendees can get a sneak peek of the Product Pavilions starting at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
- The PPAI Expo 2025 trade floor, which covers roughly 1 million square feet in scope, will have more than 2,500 booths and nearly 1,000 exhibiting companies.
- If last year’s event is any indication, there will be more than 350,000 products available at The PPAI Expo 2025. If you’re looking for the latest in sustainable, made-in-the-USA or first-time exhibitor products, you’ll find them all in one place at the Product Pavilions.
“It’s a great opportunity to connect with our existing vendors, review the past year’s results and plan for the upcoming year,” says Molly Beavers, CAS, vice president of marketing and communications at Iowa City, Iowa-based distributor Bankers Advertising. “Like everyone else, I look forward to seeing the latest products and trends, whether it’s hot new items, colors, materials, decoration methods or broader themes like sustainability and give-back initiatives.
“My team is always eager to hear what’s new and trending, and I enjoy sharing my favorite finds with our sales partners and customers. These insights help fuel our marketing promotions and publications, keeping us ahead of the curve.”
Molly Beavers, CAS
VP of Marketing & Communications, Bankers Advertising
Nicki Staats, director of merchandising at iPROMOTEu, PPAI 100’s No. 11 distributor, says her favorite part about The PPAI Expo is seeing all the creative methods that vendors use to draw you to their booth.
“It used to be just seeing a cool new product you just had to have, but then came a ninja from Showdown, a llama and bull from SnugZ, Silipint bouncing shot glasses and a claw machine for socks,” Staats says. “The draw to a booth is key for gaining knowledge, networking and truly experiencing the products, which, in turn, spark my creativity when developing trend reports and educational opportunities for iPROMOTEu affiliates throughout the year.”
Register Now
Don’t wait any longer – register and book your trip to The PPAI Expo 2025 right now.
PPAI member distributors may have their registration fees waived based on their membership tier. It’s $50 per person for additional registrants.
Qualified nonmember distributors may access the exhibits and conference for $250 per person if they register by December 5 and $350 per person after that date. Members of industry regional associations but not PPAI can receive a code from their executive director for a discounted rate.
Suppliers and business services providers who are members but not exhibiting will be charged $750 per person for access to the exhibit hall but may attend The PPAI Expo Conference for no additional cost. Nonmember, nonexhibiting suppliers are not permitted to attend The PPAI Expo.
