It’s back! After a year’s hiatus because of COVID-19 restrictions, The PPAI Expo is returning in person to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, starting with The PPAI Expo Conference on January 10 and the opening of the trade-show floor on January 11-13, 2022, with more than 900 exhibiting companies and tens of thousands of products on display. PPAI organizers have been working for months to plan a show that not only provides a healthy, safe and comfortable environment for all in attendance but a show experience that reinforces the many reasons why The PPAI Expo is the place where the industry meets and engages every year. “It’s important for our community to come together,” says Alan Peterson, vice president of business development at PPAI. “It has been way too long without this significant event that has over half-amillion gross square feet and thousands of products. People who want to get back to business and set themselves up for the future need to be at this event.” Peterson says he’s heard from both attendees and exhibitors about the significant events they are planning around this show. “It’s potentially going to be the most important The PPAI Expo in the past 20 years,” he says. “It may not be the largest—but it will be two-to-three times larger than any other industry in-person show—and it will be the most important one for those who want to do business. That is paramount, and The PPAI Expo will start off the year in a great way.” For decades, The PPAI Expo has been the catalyst for industry businesses to kick off sales andmake the business connections that fuel their success. “In our industry, there’s nothing more important than touching and feeling products—that’s one of the reasons promotional products work,” says Ellen Tucker, CAE, director of business development and expositions. “Our products are tangible, and we need to experience that hands-on feeling. That’s why we need to be on-site and in person.” She recalls being at in-person event recently and hearing someone say, “virtual is an extension of the handshake—it is not the handshake.” “Virtual has had its place and has been so important to the survival of businesses over the past year and a half,” she says. “But we need to get back to the physical handshake because there’s no better way to start a connection than in person.” Peterson adds, “We believe the show is going to be extremely strong. While it will look a little different around health and safety, it’s still going to be massive with the number of product pavilions, the number of sponsors, the number of large distributors doing on-site meetings and events, and the investment that PPAI is making in new opportunities to further enhance the experience. We’ve seen exhibitor and attendee interest continuing to build. I’m confident it’s going to be a wildly successful show.” What’s New At The PPAI Expo 2022 Largest In-Person Show In 2022. “We’re having the largest Expo in the industry,” says Peterson. “It’s been almost two years since we’ve been able to get together as an industry, see products and have those significant, in-person encounters. While not new historically, The PPAI Expo 2022 is new in this ‘new world’ we are all now in, and we’re doing everything we possibly can to enhance this experience. I fully believe this is going to be the most important PPAI Expo in several decades.” The PPAI Expo Conference. Planning The PPAI Expo 2022 was an opportunity to reexamine and adjust almost every aspect of the show, and attendees will see some welcome changes and additions. One significant addition is The PPAI Expo Conference on Monday, January 10—a full day of curated education sessions presented by speakers inside and outside of the industry. The Conference was designed to maximize attendees’ time and allow them to focus on learning in a single day, instead of scattering sessions throughout the week. Promopalooza: The Expo Party, Hosted By PPAI and SAGE. Get tickets early for what is sure to be the most social-post-worthy special event of the year. Promopalooza brings show attendees together on Wednesday, January 12 from 6:30-10 pm at the spectacular Allegiant Stadium for an evening of tasty eats and drinks, with plenty of opportunity for networking, dancing and simply taking it all in at one of the Vegas Strip’s newest landmarks. This extraordinary venue also offers some of the most breathtaking panoramas in all of Vegas. It will undoubtedly be the best welcome-backto-in-person-events party of the year. The PPAI Expo 2022 Preview | FEATURE | DECEMBER 2021 | 25
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