When it comes to discovering what’s next – the products, suppliers and trends that will shape the year – nothing compares to the scale and energy of The PPAI Expo.
Every January, the floor is alive with hundreds of thousands of products and millions of conversations. Each one a chance to uncover something your competitors haven’t even seen yet.
“The PPAI Expo is the mecca for me,” says Natalie O’Leary, director of business development at BAMKO, PPAI 100’s No. 4 distributor.
A former PPAI Rising Star and a member of the #Online18 ranking of promo’s top social media influencers, O’Leary aims to document every angle of The PPAI Expo and use her online presence to draw as many eyeballs as possible to the industry’s largest and longest-running trade show.
Natalie O’Leary
Director of Business Development, BAMKO
“This is everything that I work for all year. I come in, reinvigorate, refresh and get people really excited about the year ahead with the latest and greatest, most you-need-to-know things, whether it’s decoration methods, new apparel styles, new technology within the industry, whatever it is.
“This is the place that you’re going to find those resources.”
Promo’s Must-Attend Event
Wayne Greenberg, MAS, captain of Tampa, Florida-based distributor Swag Krewe Powered by Geiger, has been walking The PPAI Expo floor since the ‘80s. The former PPAI Board Chair insists that he’s missed only one year due to a death in the family.
“The PPAI Expo is too important to me as a salesperson to not go,” Greenberg says. “Seeing the friends that I’ve earned over the years and the people that I call on during the year to get stuff done for my clients is so important.”
Considering that the trade show floor runs roughly 1 million square feet in scope and features nearly 1,000 exhibiting companies from across the promotional products landscape in more than 2,500 booths, it’s understandable that some attendees feel The PPAI Expo is just too damn big.
Wayne Greenberg, MAS
Captain, Swag Krewe Powered by Geiger
And to that, Greenberg says, “You make it big in your head and small in your pocket.”
Here’s what he means: “I start with the list of the 50 suppliers that I rely on year after year with good ideas and good pricing and who I have a relationship with. When I’m walking and going to those booths, I’m also looking for a crowd. I’m looking for a booth where I see a lot of people standing around that I was not going to go to because there must be something there that I need to see.
“It works out terrifically. I come home, have new ideas and hopefully beat my competitors to the market.”
Making Connections
Of course, suppliers are also eagerly anticipating The PPAI Expo 2026. For over two decades, they’ve set up shop in Las Vegas, displaying their latest innovations and connecting with new customers.
“We really see trade shows as the closest thing to a retail storefront as we might have in a B2B space,” says Kate Nash, director of business development – promo sales at Raining Rose, PPAI 100’s No. 48 supplier.
“We’re really excited to think visually about the parts of our brand that aren’t product – ways to bring the five senses together for what we stand for. And we love thinking about the experience we’re going to give to people who visit us in the booth.”
Kate Nash
Director of Business Development – Promo Sales, Raining Rose
San Diego-based supplier Swanky, which provides high-end customized products like whiskey glasses and leather goods, often makes attendees stop and say, “I’ve never seen that before. ”It’s an approach that countless suppliers bring to The PPAI Expo, and especially important for boutique shops like Swanky.
“The thing we hear the most is ‘I wish I’d known about you before,’” says Mark Hanratty, founder and CEO of Swanky. “A lot of distributors have their go-to suppliers who they’ve been using for 10, 20, 30, 40 years, and they find a level of comfort there and that’s fine.
LISTEN: Voice & Force | A PPAI Podcast: Your Place @ The PPAI Expo
“But it’s important for distributors to step out of their comfort zone and engage with newer and smaller suppliers who can be more innovative, are doing things differently and are helping to evolve the creativity of the industry. That’s a huge opportunity missed if they’re not walking the floors in Vegas and having those conversations.”
Above all else, The PPAI Expo serves as the industry’s grand reunion. Suppliers, distributors, decorators and business services providers all come together to learn, network and reconnect. Having an opportunity to gather in person is especially cherished in the post-pandemic landscape.
Mark Hanratty
Founder/CEO, Swanky
“There’s an energy and a zing from being able to meet with people face to face,” Nash says. “We talk to them about our products, new things we have coming up, application ideas and business strategies. We really don’t get the opportunity to do that outside of pre-planned meetings throughout the rest of the year.”
Register Now
Don’t wait any longer – register and book your trip to The PPAI Expo 2026 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 non-member distributors may access the exhibits and conference for $250 per person if they register by December 4 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.
Non-member, non-exhibiting suppliers/business services providers are not permitted to attend The PPAI Expo.
