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.

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


“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.

“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

“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.


Good Vibes For 2025

In a survey conducted by PPAI in December, PPAI 100 distributors and suppliers each predicted solid revenue growth in 2025. On both sides of the supply chain, roughly 45% say they expect significant sales boosts of at least 6%.

A part of the optimism is continued innovation in the industry, which distributors say they observed in Las Vegas.

“We’ve seen things that we’ve never seen before,” said Gena Mueller, co-owner and vice president of Alabama-based distributor Junior Davis & Associates. “It’s a lot of products, but it’s great vendors. We’re able to see a lot of things we normally can’t see. We just want to walk the whole thing.”

It feels like everybody’s coming in with an abundance of energy, a lot of excitement, a lot of positivity and a little bit of a lift off into a new year.”

Teresa Fudenberg

CEO, Storm Creek

The positivity was felt and reciprocated on the show floor by exhibitors.

“High energy,” said Teresa Fudenberg, CEO of Storm Creek, the PPAI 100’s No. 43 supplier. “It feels like everybody’s coming in with an abundance of energy, a lot of excitement, a lot of positivity and a little bit of a lift off into a new year.”

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.”

Drew Holmgreen, President & CEO of PPAI
What I discovered was validation of my expectations around the energy, vibe and mood of our attendees, volunteers and staff – joy.”

Drew Holmgreen

President & CEO, PPAI

Kicking off The PPAI Expo Conference, Holmgreen shared preliminary numbers pointing to promo experiencing a range of sales growth between 2.6% and 3.2% in the U.S. last year. The industry climbed past $26 billion in 2023 and PPAI Research’s latest data points to the promo market nearing $27 billion in 2024.

  • It’s important to note that tabulations aren’t final, and some responses are still flowing in, so this figure is subject to change when the final report is released in February.

Highlights From Expo

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 online education platforms 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.”


As is custom, PPAI Icon Award winners (two PPAI Hall of Fame inductees, two Distinguished Service Award recipients and one H. Ted Olson Humanitarian Award recipient) were also honored.

Jason Lucash, CEO and co-founder of Rupt, came full circle by winning The Pitch, promo’s version of The Voice meets Shark Tank. (Lucash and Rupt co-founder Mike Szymczak appeared on the latter in the hit show’s early years.)

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


More than 10,000 distributors flooded the aisles of the trade floor at The PPAI Expo 2025. 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 this year, with members from Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Italy, Ireland, India, Brazil, Spain, Turkey, South Africa and more experiencing the largest and longest-running trade show in the branded merchandise industry.

Plus, the Glen Holt & Fran Ford Memorial Golf Tournament – the Promotional Products Education Foundation’s largest annual fundraiser – topped $47,000 in proceeds, a nearly 20% growth in proceeds over 2024.

Finally, the week wrapped up with The PPAI Expo Party at Swingers Las Vegas, where promo pros enjoyed food and drink, played mini golf and carnival games and danced the night away.

“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.”