Forget the ball drop.
The promotional products industry knows the New Year doesn’t truly begin until The PPAI Expo 2025.
Returning to Las Vegas, the longest-running and largest promo trade show comes to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center for the 22nd year. Registration is now open.
Always an adrenaline rush, The PPAI Expo 2025 has some exciting new features, as well as several beloved attractions returning for another year.
Ellen Tucker, CAE, MAS
VP of Revenue & Expositions, PPAI
“The PPAI Expo 2025 will kick off your year in the strongest way possible,” says Ellen Tucker, CAE, MAS, vice president of revenue and expositions at PPAI. “It’s going to bring you networking and great professional development. You’ll also see the latest and trendiest products and get to spend a lot of time meeting with different people who can help elevate your business.”
The More You Know
On Monday, January 13, The PPAI Expo 2025 kicks off with The PPAI Expo Conference, a one-day educational event with a curated slate of experts from both within and outside the industry to enlighten promo professionals and spark conversation throughout the rest of Expo.
The PPAI Expo Conference is full of professional development covering different topics that are important to members, says Jessica Gibbons-Rauch, CAS, professional development lead at PPAI.
Jessica Gibbons-Rauch, CAS
Professional Development Lead, PPAI
“This content can include anything from how to sell, how to run your business, trends in merchandising, trends in sustainability and so much more,” Gibbons-Rauch says. “We want to meet every member, wherever they are on their career journey, with applicable content to enhance their development.”
As per tradition, PPAI Icon Award winners (Distinguished Service, H. Ted Olson Humanitarian and PPAI Hall of Fame) will be recognized onstage and will enjoy a private, invitation-only dining experience.
Razzle Dazzle
Back by popular demand, The Pitch – a combination of Shark Tank and The Voice that sees exhibiting suppliers attempt to impress a lineup of discerning judges – returns for its third appearance at The PPAI Expo.
“We’re so excited to bring The Pitch back for a third year,” says Jill Begun, professional development manager at PPAI. “It’s such a great opportunity for suppliers to showcase their innovative and original products to a room full of current and potential clients. Plus, the audience gets to be super interactive and vote on who actually wins The Pitch. The event is a lot of fun and a great way to kick off the trade show floor opening the next day.”
Jill Begun
Professional Development Manager, PPAI
The Pitch will be Monday’s closing session and will lead directly into The PPAI Expo Opening Reception, which will take place at Skyfall Panoramic Bar & Lounge. It’s the perfect way to kick off your Expo experience with networking, light bites, drinks and entertainment.
What The Promo World Has Been Waiting For
The PPAI Expo 2025 – roughly 1 million square feet in scope – will open with product pavilions, new exhibitors and thrilling surprises. The trade show will run Tuesday morning through Thursday afternoon and feature nearly 1,000 exhibiting companies from across the promotional products landscape in more than 2,500 booths. 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.
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However, before the exhibit floor opens, you’ll want to swing by the Product Pavilion Sneak Peek. This highly anticipated event gives attendees an opportunity to create a game plan so you can map out the products you want to see and the suppliers you want to meet during the time you have available.
PPAI also produces content throughout Expo week, including live interviews with industry experts, compelling TED Talk-style presentations by leading professionals and more. The content airs in multiple locations on site and is brought to you from the Expo Live studio located right in the middle of the action. Whether it’s puppies, free popsicles or even an impromptu magic show, you never know what might pop up at The PPAI Expo.
Of course, navigating the show floor has never been easier. SAGE Mobile – the official show planning app of The PPAI Expo – allows you to create walk lists to help guide you and your team through the most efficient show floor routes. You can also connect with fellow attendees in real time in the newly added discussion area of the app.
Networking Opportunities
The PPAI Expo 2025 is all about making connections with peers, colleagues and potential customers. Promo & Pints, a beer garden located on the show floor, is the ideal location to meet with clients and network with colleagues. Seating is available anytime the show floor is open, and beer and wine will be available on Tuesday and Wednesday from noon to show close.
On Tuesday, January 14, from 2:30-3:30 p.m., the Inclusive Impact Meetup will be held at Promo & Pints on the show floor, with a cash bar available. The topic of the gathering will be how to drive diversity, equity and inclusion forward in the promo industry.
Also on Tuesday, January 14, from 4-5 p.m., the Women in Promo Meetup will be held at Promo & Pints, with a cash bar available. An offshoot of the popular PPAI Women’s Leadership Conference, this meetup brings together women working in the promo industry.
On Wednesday, January 15, from 2:30-3:30 p.m., the Technology Meetup is an opportunity for like-minded promo industry IT professionals, decision-makers and executives who are leading their organizations’ technological health to mingle and discuss the issues relevant to the promo field. It will be held at Promo & Pints, with a cash bar available.
RELATED: Distributors Bond With Suppliers At The PPAI Expo 2024
Also on Wednesday, January 15, from 4-5 p.m., the Emerging Leaders Meetup will be held at Promo & Pints, with a cash bar available. An offshoot of the PPAI Leadership Development Conference, this meetup brings together the 2024 PPAI Rising Stars and other young industry leaders.
- Preregistration is recommended for all of the meetups at Promo & Pints. If you already registered for Expo, use the link in your confirmation email under “Modify Your Registration.” On the registration page, select the registrant to modify, click the green check mark, then the plus sign next to your name to add items. From there, choose the events you want to add.
If you’re seeking some fresh air, you can participate in the Glen Holt & Fran Ford Memorial Golf Tournament on Monday, January 13, at Bali Hai Golf Club in Las Vegas. Supporting the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF), 100 golfers from 40 promo firms raised over $40,000 for PPEF’s college scholarship program last year.
The late Glen Holt, MAS, was a 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 Magnet, 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.
The Night Life
Expo attendees can connect and mingle after hours at The PPAI Expo Party on Wednesday, January 15. This exclusive event will take place at Swingers, the cutting-edge mini-golf haven inside Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino.
The PPAI Expo Party consistently sells out, so purchase your ticket when you register for Expo. Tickets cost $50 before December 6 and $75 after and include light to heavy appetizers and drinks.
RELATED: ‘Pure Panic Mode:’ How The 2024 PPAI Expo Party Averted Disaster
One block east of The Strip, the MSG Sphere – the largest spherical structure in the world at 336 feet tall and 516 feet wide – will be showcasing interactive experiences.
- Boasting a 580,000-square-foot exterior LED display, the innovative entertainment venue will be hosting Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky’s “Postcard from Earth” on a screen the size of four football fields.
- If you’re planning on staying in “Sin City” after The PPAI Expo 2025 ends, legendary rock band The Eagles will be continuing their residency at the Sphere on January 17 and 18.
If you don’t want to stray too far from Mandalay Bay, the Luxor Hotel and Casino – which is connected via skybridge – has a new attraction that opened a week after last year’s Expo ended. Play Playground offers more than 20 large-scale nostalgic games that will have you reliving your childhood – except this time, you can enjoy them with some drinks from the two bars located inside the adult playground.
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.
Corrigan is the deputy editor at PPAI Media.
