Most everyone knows that The PPAI Expo 2025 is the promotional products industry’s largest and longest running trade show, but when doors officially open to the trade floor, the savviest attendees walk in inspired and fresh off a day of educational sessions they’ll be applying not only to the next few days in Las Vegas but all year long.

That’s because on Monday, January 13, Mandalay Bay is home to The PPAI Expo Conference, an all-day event packed with industry-specific panels featuring promo leaders tackling relevant topics. This year’s Expo Conference includes two prominent keynote speakers set to inspire attendees with their stories and advice concerning business growth and branding.

  • Monday morning’s keynote speaker will be Tiffani Bova, former chief growth evangelist at SalesForce.
  • On Tuesday, just before the trade floor officially opens, attendees will be invited to a presentation by Kristen Cavallo, former CEO of The Martin Agency and MullenLowe Global. [8:15 a.m.-9:30 a.m., Mandalay Ballroom J].

Creating An ‘Experience Mindset’

Bova will serve as a tone setter of sorts for the entire Expo experience; she will present at 8:30 a.m. Monday with a keynote session titled, “Boosting Sales with the Experience Mindset: Driving Growth Through Employee and Customer Alignment.”

  • Along with helping fuel SalesForce’s rise as the software company’s former chief growth evangelist, Bova is also a Wall Street Journal-bestselling author of The Experience Mindset.

That “experience mindset” will be at the heart of her Monday morning presentation. Bova argues that sales success in the promo industry is about more than the products. It’s about how your employees and customers experience your brand.

“The PPAI Expo Conference is attended by thousands of branding experts, and we took the task of booking our keynote speakers seriously,” says Jill Begun, PPAI’s professional development manager. “We’re excited to have Tiffani Bova open the Expo experience for so many promo pros Monday morning. The energy she brings and her passion for collaborative growth will set the tone for the rest of the week.”  

Topics included will be sales driven strategies, closing the experience gap, sales pipeline optimization and people-centered growth.

  • Bova’s keynote session will be Monday, January 13, 8:30 a.m.-9:45 a.m., Mandalay Ballroom J.
We’re excited to have Tiffani Bova open the Expo experience for so many promo pros Monday morning. The energy she brings and her passion for collaborative growth will set the tone for the rest of the week.”

Jill Begun

Professional Development Manager, PPAI

Will You Level Up or Settle for Forgettable?

When The PPAI Expo 2025 trade floor opens Tuesday morning, it will be the beginning of days of walking, networking and yearly planning for many distributors among a sea of exhibitors so big you might be tempted to leave a trail of breadcrumbs. Fortunately, many of them are likely to go in with an extra boost of inspiration and knowledge, courtesy of Kristen Cavallo with an 8:15 a.m. Tuesday session titled, “The Value of Being Interesting,” that will conclude just before the trade floor doors open.

  • Cavallo is the former CEO of MullenLowe Global, a London-based marketing communications company and The Martin Agency, a full-service marketing agency.

Attendees are likely to hear about how Taylor Swift’s friendship bracelets, Barbie’s house and Crocs all relate to the promotional products industry, and why “interesting” is the adjective that gets brands excited.

“What makes your brand worthy of being talked about?” Cavallo asks. “Spoiler: It’s not another water bottle. It’s friendship bracelets at concerts and charms on Crocs. It’s hot pink everywhere – personal, relevant and unmissable. Your promo gear can be more than ‘stuff.’ It can turn customers into walking, talking billboards.”

What makes your brand worthy of being talked about?” Cavallo asks. “Spoiler: It’s not just another water bottle.”

Kristen Cavallo

Former CEO, The Martin Agency & MullenLowe Global

Cavallo sees the timelessness of promotional products as something that remains sturdy in an uncertain future.

“Promotional products are not just creative giveaways,” says Cavallo. “They are strategic tools that amplify a brand’s presence – tapping into the principle of reciprocity and creating a sense of goodwill and gratitude among recipients. As branding strategies evolve, the promotional products industry is well-positioned to adapt and remain relevant by integrating with modern trends and technologies.”

Promo products are inherently visible, but Cavallo plans to tell attendees how to make a brand become unforgettable.

  • Cavallo’s keynote session will be Tuesday, January 14, 8:15-9:30 a.m., Mandalay Ballroom J.


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 $350 per person. 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.