The PPAI Expo 2025 has come and gone, kicking off the promotional products industry’s year with endless opportunities to drive new business.

The four-day event drew over 16,000 in professional attendance, counting exhibitors and attendees, with nearly 10,000 distributors taking advantage of The PPAI Expo Conference, The PPAI Expo show floor and other networking festivities.

  • Covering roughly 1 million square feet in scope, the trade floor featured more than 2,600 booths and nearly 1,000 exhibitors, offering the latest products in every category.


Nearly 75 international promo pros made the trek to The PPAI Expo 2025, too, with members from Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Italy, Ireland, India, Brazil, Spain, Turkey, South Africa and more experiencing the excitement.

From exhibitors and attendees alike, feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighted by innovation from suppliers and the professionalism of distributors at the show.

It’s rewarding to have heard from so many in our community that the energy at The PPAI Expo 2025 was unprecedented and electric.”

Ellen Tucker, CAE, MAS

VP of Revenue & Expositions, PPAI

“Over the past few years, PPAI has put a focus on elevating The PPAI Expo,” says Ellen Tucker, CAE, MAS, vice president of revenue and expositions at PPAI. “We’ve focused on bringing the right audience together and driving engagement, so it’s rewarding to have heard from so many in our community that the energy at The PPAI Expo 2025 was unprecedented and electric. This has everyone looking forward to a strong 2025, which reaffirms that The PPAI Expo is the place to kickstart your business year.”

  • Additionally, 22 credentials were assigned to working media members seeking to cover the largest and longest-running trade show in branded merchandise.


New Leadership

The PPAI Expo 2025 also symbolized a new chapter for the Association, as Drew Holmgreen, PPAI’s new president and CEO, was introduced to the industry in whirlwind fashion.

“I came into my first week with PPAI having a general scale of The PPAI Expo experience, yet knowing fully the importance of it to our community,” Holmgreen says. “What I discovered was validation of my expectations around the energy, vibe and mood of our attendees, volunteers and staff – joy. This community has been incredibly welcoming and shared so many of their moments of joy with me.”

As a critical component of any brand strategy, promotional products spread joy globally…”

Drew Holmgreen

President & CEO, PPAI

Kicking off The PPAI Expo Conference, Holmgreen shared preliminary numbers pointing to U.S. promo distributors nearing $27 billion in sales in 2024.


“As a critical component of any brand strategy, promotional products spread joy globally because the people who make it happen bring joy to their work and the people they work with,” Holmgreen says. “I was impressed with the engagement the PPAI team built, and their success is evident by the hugs and smiling faces observed in Las Vegas. It was a great way to kick off 2025 for the promotional merch community.”

Learning To Adapt

The PPAI Expo Conference drew its largest attendee participation since the pandemic and the highest percentage of registered show attendees in memory, leading to packed halls as the demand for education reset expectations for industry professionalism.

As promo’s experts in responsibility, innovation and sales shared strategies for growing one’s business, several educational sessions and panel discussions were standing room only. For any attendee disappointed to have missed a particular session, PPAI has promised to make the entire educational lineup accessible via PPAI’s online education portal once the video material is processed.

Success at The PPAI Expo is not just about what you achieve; it’s about the knowledge you gain and the connections you make.”

Andrew Spellman, CAS

Former PPAI Board Chair

“Success at The PPAI Expo is not just about what you achieve; it’s about the knowledge you gain and the connections you make,” says Andrew Spellman, CAS, whose term as PPAI Board Chair ended at the conclusion of the show. “A great trade show is an opportunity to learn, share and inspire, and The PPAI Expo 2025 was everything and more for me.”


Throughout The PPAI Expo Conference, PPAI also celebrated its 2025 Icon Award winners: PPAI Hall of Fame inductees Jonathan Isaacson, MAS, and Mark Jenkins, MAS+; PPAI Distinguished Service Award recipients Danny Sirmon, MAS, and D’Anna Zimmer, CAS; and H. Ted Olson Humanitarian Award recipient Joy Smith, MAS.

Full Circle At The Pitch

The Pitch, promo’s version Shark Tank crossed with The Voice, returned for the third year in front of a packed audience full of promo professionals. Seven contestants were given three minutes each to pitch their product to a panel of distributor judges.

It’s perhaps only fitting that The Pitch winner for 2025 was a former Shark Tank contestant. Jason Lucash, CEO and co-founder of Rupt, won both the audience vote and impressed the panel of judges.

The Austin, Texas-based supplier triumphed with “Trinifty,” a product with a removable charger power bank that can charge three wireless devices at once. The Trinifty folds easily, making it a travel accessory for anyone who doesn’t want a tangle of wires in their bag.

“I was more nervous for this than Shark Tank,” Lucash says. “I think because it was more people I know, and it was a live audience. I wrote my pitch, and I practiced it with my wife and kids. My kids actually practiced the pitch, too, which was really cute.”

Other exhibitors in the contest included HPG, SRG, AZX Sport, Charles River Apparel, City Bonfires and HIRSCH.

Giving Back

Taking a quick break from the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, 100 golfers from dozens of promo companies hit the links for a great cause, raising more than $47,000 for the Promotional Products Education Foundation during the Glen Holt & Fran Ford Memorial Golf Tournament at Bali Hai Golf Club in Las Vegas.

The foundation’s largest annual fundraiser saw a nearly 20% growth in proceeds over 2024, with donations supporting scholarships for industry families. Since 1989, PPEF has donated more than $3.6 million to more than 2,000 students.

The late Holt, MAS, was a former PPAI board member and Hall of Fame inductee who passed away in 2010, and Fran Ford Jr., CAS, was president of supplier Castelli, a division of The Magnet Group, and PPAI Hall of Fame inductee who passed away in 2018. As a dedicated supporter of PPEF, Ford launched the PPEF Glen Holt Scholarship Golf invitational in 2014. The tournament celebrates their lasting legacies with PPEF scholarships named in their honor.

Par-tee Time

Once again the hottest ticket in town, The PPAI Expo Party took over Swingers Las Vegas to wrap up the week.

Promo pros packed the cutting-edge, indoor mini-golf haven (which opened in November) inside Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino for a raucous time. As the drinks flowed and the music blared, attendees let loose on the dance floor for the “Cupid Shuffle,” “Wobble Baby” and more hits. The party of the year, hosted by PPAI and SAGE, had everything: an open bar, plenty of food, carnival games and even a cotton candy machine.

The PPAI Expo Party, held Wednesday night, ahead of The PPAI Expo’s final day, was a fitting, celebratory exclamation point that ushered attendees toward a successful year ahead.

The Future

The PPAI Expo 2025 was a roaring success, and the Association is already getting started on next year’s event. The PPAI Expo 2026 is headed back to Las Vegas, January 12-15, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.  

Corrigan is deputy editor at PPAI.