As the promotional products industry gathered in Las Vegas to kick off a new year, The PPAI Expo 2026 made one thing clear: This is an industry thinking more intentionally about where it’s headed – and how it plans to get there.
The PPAI Expo serves as the largest and longest-running trade show in branded merchandise, bringing together distributors, suppliers and service providers for four days of education, sourcing, networking and community-building at Mandalay Bay Convention Center. But this year, the energy inside the halls was paired with something deeper – a sharpened sense of purpose.
Setting The Course
That tone was set early, as PPAI President and CEO Drew Holmgreen, CAS, used the opening of Monday’s PPAI Expo Conference to unveil the Association’s 2026-2030 Strategic Plan.
“The timing for this strategy is perfect, because the industry is primed,” Holmgreen said. “The reality is that the just over 1% year-over-year U.S. distributor growth lags current inflation, continuing a trend from the past several years. And while performance is indeed steady, it’s not explosive.”
READ MORE: PPAI Unveils New Strategic Plan To Elevate Branded Merchandise In Marketing
Developed through months of collaboration among PPAI’s Board of Directors, staff and members, the five-year plan is designed to elevate branded merchandise as a core marketing channel while strengthening the industry’s sense of community and supporting member success.
“This strategic plan is grounded in listening,” said Denise Taschereau, CAS, now the PPAI Board’s Immediate Past Chair. “We intentionally engaged members, staff and industry partners to shape the direction, ensuring it reflects the real needs and opportunities we are facing.”
At the top of the plan sits a new vision statement: Branded Merchandise is the premier marketing channel that Powers Lasting Connections. For Holmgreen, the language is meant to be both aspirational and unifying.
“Branded merch creates powerful lasting connections better than any other medium,” he told The PPAI Expo audience. “When we move in lockstep, unified behind that vision, we grow our share of voice and become the core touchpoint for every brand strategy.”
Under One Roof
When the trade floor officially opened Tuesday morning, the sense of alignment was visible immediately.
Spanning roughly 1 million square feet, The PPAI Expo 2026 trade floor featured about 2,600 booths from nearly 1,000 exhibiting companies, including 70 first-time exhibitors making their Mandalay Bay debut. Some 10,000 distributors attended over the course of the four-day event.
Product discovery once again took center stage, with Product Pavilions highlighting categories like sustainability and made-in-the-USA offerings, while more than 400 items were showcased in the New Product Pavilion.
“When the promo world gathers at The PPAI Expo, great things happen,” Taschereau said. “Ideas ignite, partnerships form, and the year ahead gets its wings.”
For PPAI, the trade floor remains more than a marketplace.
“The PPAI Expo is where our community reconnects and recalibrates,” said Ellen Tucker, MAS, CAE, chief experience and revenue officer for PPAI. “This is the place where relationships are renewed, new voices are welcomed, and companies begin setting the course for success in the year ahead. There’s power in having that shared starting point, and it’s something you can feel the moment the doors open.”
Learning Leads The Way
Long before the show floor buzz reached full volume, education was already drawing packed rooms.
As early as 7:30 a.m. on Expo Monday, attendees filled seats for sessions designed to jump-start both mindset and momentum. Throughout The PPAI Expo Conference, demand for education ran so high that some sessions reached capacity, forcing PPAI staff to redirect attendees to other programming happening simultaneously.
Keynote speakers leaned into creativity, humanity and connection as drivers of growth in an increasingly automated world. Abigail Posner, former director of creative works at Google, reminded promo professionals that physical products remain deeply tied to human experience.
Later, Leo Chan, chief innovation ignitor at Innovation Abound, turned a sold-out ballroom into an interactive workshop, using LEGOs to reinforce the power of experimentation and collaboration.
That emphasis on authenticity carried into Tuesday morning, when Daniel Lewis – known as “Human Caffeine” – took the stage just before the show floor opened, challenging attendees to lead with personality rather than performance.
“When you become what you do, you lose yourself,” Lewis said. “When you show up as yourself, you stand out. You thrive.”
Together, the sessions underscored a clear message: Education at The PPAI Expo is no longer supplemental. It’s foundational.
Innovation On Display
Innovation took center stage once again with the return of The Pitch, promo’s hybrid of Shark Tank and The Voice.
Seven contestants were given three minutes each to pitch their ideas to a panel of industry judges. This year’s winner, however, stood out by selling something less tangible than a physical product.
Audrey Miesner, strategic account manager at Sock101, impressed judges by pitching experiential activations – from sock bars to bucket hat bars – that bring customization and interaction directly to end users.
READ MORE: Sock101 Wins The Pitch By Selling Judges On An Experience
“We’re not bringing a product to you,” Miesner said. “We’re bringing a full-blown activation and unforgettable experience.”
The Pitch once again reinforced Expo’s role as a launchpad – not just for products, but for new ideas and exciting voices within the industry.
Momentum On The Floor
By midweek, the show floor told its own story.
First-time exhibitors remarked on promo’s collaborative culture, while veteran suppliers reported steady foot traffic and more intentional conversations. For some, The PPAI Expo felt like a momentum reset after a challenging year.
“I’m hearing from many of our clients that they also experienced a good fourth quarter,” said David Berger, owner of Global Promo. “Expo can and seems to be that opportunity to rekindle that momentum.”
Across the floor, booths stayed busy from open to close, with experiential elements – from on-site customization to warm cookies fresh from the oven – drawing crowds and sparking conversations.
Strengthening Community
Community-building extended well beyond the booths. Throughout the week, attendees gathered for meetups focused on diversity, women’s leadership, technology and young professionals, many centered around the Promo & Pints beer garden on the trade floor.
PHOTOS: Communities In Construction At The PPAI Expo
The global reach of the industry was also on display, with promo professionals from 30 countries registered to attend The PPAI Expo 2026. An international reception offered a space for global suppliers and distributors alike to connect, exchange ideas and explore opportunities beyond borders.
By design, these moments reflected one of the Association’s core strategic pillars: strengthening community.
Responsibility In Action
Behind the scenes, PPAI’s commitment to responsibility continued to take measurable shape.
The Association once again worked with venue partners to divert the vast majority of event waste from landfills, building on previous years’ results. In 2024, the event achieved 88% diversion. In 2025, that number climbed to 91%, with hopes of further improvement in 2026.
READ MORE: The PPAI Expo 2026 Was Officially A Zero-Waste Event
“I’m incredibly proud of not only our efforts at an organization level, but those of our exhibitors and attendees in helping us improve how much waste is diverted from landfill at Expo, year over year,” said Elizabeth Wimbush, CAS, PPAI’s director of sustainability and responsibility.
Water refill stations, recycled lanyards and responsibly sourced print materials quietly reinforced the idea that sustainability at the big event is less about optics and more about systems.
An Exclamation Point
The week culminated Wednesday night at Allegiant Stadium, where The PPAI Expo Party brought attendees onto the field for networking, food, entertainment and celebration.
PHOTOS: An Ultimate Tailgate At The PPAI Expo Party
Hosted by PPAI and sponsored by SAGE, Orbus, OTTO International, Showdown Displays, Smartex Apparel and Tranter Graphics, the event served as a fitting exclamation point on a week defined by connection, collaboration and forward momentum.
Looking Ahead
As the biggest week in branded merch came to a close, the takeaway was clear: The industry isn’t standing still.
With a new strategic plan in place, renewed focus on education and innovation, and a community that continues to show up for one another, The PPAI Expo once again proved why it remains the place where the promotional products year truly begins. The PPAI Expo will return to Las Vegas Jan. 11-14, 2027, ready to write the next chapter.
