Promo veterans recall the moment in their first PPAI Expo experience that made them realize they would be attending every single year. By Jonny Auping Everyone enters the promotional products world in their own way. It’s what makes the industry so unique. But if you ask most of the community, they’ll tell you that you haven’t really experienced promo until you’ve attended The PPAI Expo. Different than a rite of passage, the industry’s largest trade show in Las Vegas is exposure to all the moving parts that make promo a thriving, growing and evolving ecosystem: the people, the personalities, the hustling, the education and, of course, the products. It’s fitting that The PPAI Expo happens in January every year. After perhaps a brief lull to enjoy the holidays, the promo season comes roaring back, not with a series of emails or invoices, but with in-person meet-ups with old friends, new partners, new friends and old partners. The PPAI Expo 2024 will be held January 15-18. “PPAI Expo always serves as our industry’s essential kickoff into the new year,” says Taylor Borst, senior director of marketing and vendor relations at American Solutions for Business. “We come together for fresh ideas, new connections and stronger partnerships to set ourselves up for success.” Djoyotrue / New Africa / Shutterstock.com The Expo Experience | Must Read PPAI • NOVEMBER 2023 • 75
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