PPB March 2020

FEATURE | The Best of The Expo “The PPAI Expo has once again delivered on its promise as the industry’s premier event and the ‘must-attend event’ for industry professionals,” says Paul Bellantone, CAE, PPAI president and CEO. “The show floor had a strong, confident, optimistic buzz. It was evident that exhibitors and attendees came ready to do business. The professional development was top-notch and the sessions were filled throughout the week. I don’t know that we could’ve asked for a better way to kick off the new year and the new decade.” Ira Neaman, MAS, president of Vantage Apparel and PPAI’s new board chair, was also thrilled with the event. “The buzz on the show floor was very strong,” he says. “Everyone was engaged and very pleased with both the quality and the quantity of attendees. I spoke with several first-time exhibitors and they were very pleased with their first show and intended on returning. They, along with other long-time exhibitors and attendees, also enjoyed the pop- up activities, which were strategically placed throughout the show floor. It was a win for experiential show activities, making for a totally engaging Expo experience.” Throughout the week, more than 115 education sessions were offered, including four keynote presentations on a diverse range of topics that drew huge crowds to the Mandalay Bay Ballroom. Professional development was also offered on the show floor in a unique learning environment—inflatable domes. Some of the 16 free sessions held there were part of the Expo’s new Trending Now track, which explored industry-leading ideas, trends and issues, and innovative processes and technologies. In addition, a mix of interactive elements added layers of vibrancy to the show floor while delivering more education, information and opportunities for networking. The Expo Live! interactive stage, adjacent to PPAI’s booth on the show floor, provided live- streamed product demonstrations and interviews with notable Expo speakers, exhibitors and industry leaders. The Product Pavilions, also on the show floor, showcased hundreds of products organized by category for easy browsing. New this year was the Giving Back pavilion, displaying socially- conscious products where all or a portion of the proceeds are donated to a charitable Expo Product Harvest Exceeds Its Goal For the 13th year, volunteers and staff from the Kids In Need Foundation were onsite at The PPAI Expo to collect donated products and samples from exhibitors after the show. The opportunity to donate was available to every exhibitor and this year’s goal was to beat last year’s 18 pallets of donated products. This year, the team harvested a record 22 pallets, including five new bikes. The donated products will be redistributed to local, low-income schools. Supplier alphabroder also provided logoed t-shirts worn at the Expo by the KINF team. Organizers reported that what pushed donations over the top were 500 tote bags filled with supplies for teachers, including products from BIC Graphic, Dixon Ticonderoga, BEBCO, Vera Bradley and 3M. The bags were assembled during an evening networking and community service project event sponsored by SPARK, PPAI’s network for young industry professionals. During the event, 90 participants spent just 13 minutes and 48 seconds assembling the bags that were later donated to teachers at low-income schools in Nevada’s Clark County. Since PPAI began supporting The Kids In Need Foundation’s Expo participation in 2008, generous exhibitors have donated nearly $400,000 in products for this purpose. Year-round, KINF can help suppliers and distributors solve inventory overload caused by misprints, overruns and out-of-date products by accepting unneeded products in all categories for redistribution to students and teachers at low-income schools. Find the donation form and details at www.kinf.org . 18 | MARCH 2020 |