The trade floor for The PPAI Expo 2023 officially opened up Tuesday, and while it’s an exciting, disorienting, fruitful bit of organized chaos for even the most seasoned attendees, plenty of curation can be found at the Product Pavilion.

Excellent versions of the tried-and-true products can be found there, but what tends to shine at the Product Pavilion are the innovations that spark curiosity before a logo is even placed on them.

“We’re all here because we’re looking for products that are unique,” says Sue Koth, president of Kool Ideas Marketing.

Altogether, this year’s Product Pavilion featured made-in-the-USA products, new products and first-time exhibitors while also putting an emphasis on displaying green products.

Among the most interesting products to distributors was the Ringsulator Drink Cup Insulator made by Indiana-based supplier AIRfeet. The small, branded ring essentially allows the end user to stack two plastic solo cups, creating an additional layer of insulation that keeps cups colder for longer and avoids condensation. “It’s kind of a brilliant concept because the cups you use them with are readily available and affordable,” says Stanley Appleman, president of Get Smart Promotions.

AIRfeet / PPAI 719794, S1

Heather Hunter, an account manager at The Promotions Dept., was impressed with the trendy artfulness Trippy Outdoors’ Custom Trippy Chair. “It’s pretty unique-looking, and it also folds so you can travel with it,” says Hunter. The chairs are portable and perfect for using on the beach or by the campfire.

Trippy Outdoor / PPAI, 814206, S1 

Rhonda Mark, a digital sales manager for The Vernon Company, had her interest piqued by Chicago-based supplier Pacesetter Awards’ pivoting bars with magnetic base because it took a different approach to typical award and recognition items. Able to be stacked on top of each other, multiple awards can be accumulated by a single person, or a company can arrange and rearrange recognition trophies they’ve given out to be creatively displayed.

Pacesetter Awards Co. / PPAI 112642, S6 

A product that checks both boxes of unique and eco-friendly is New York-based supplier WOWLine’s corrugated piggy bank. Made from 100% recycled material, the piggy bank is perfect for a branded logo. “I liked it because it was a different take on something that we’ve seen a hundred thousand times,” says Javier Melendez, a national account executive at Walker-Clay. “I like to see innovation on things that people have been selling for a long time.” 

WOWLine / PPAI 112440, S4