THE PPAI EXPO ONCE AGAIN SETS ATTENDANCE RECORD
Irving, Texas (January 19, 2006) Hitting the jackpot in Las Vegas is not a common occurrence; consistently winning is even more rare. But last week, Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) continued a winning streak as The PPAI Expo 2006 drew a record-breaking 13,700 distributor attendees to the annual trade show at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. This reflected a 2.5 percent increase over last year’s distributor attendance. In addition, distributor companies in attendance were up 7.5 percent over the 2005 record.
Exhibitor participation was also on the rise with a total of 1,603 supplier companies exhibiting at 3,788 booths, up 6 percent. In 2004, The PPAI Expo was named 48th of the top 50 largest shows in the U.S. by Tradeshow Week magazine.
“These numbers are wonderful, and of course we’re proud of our record, but the real story is much more than statistics,” said PPAI president, Steve Slagle, CAE. “The Expo brings together the industry’s top professionals in one location, at one show. And they are there to learn about product lines and to see all the new products. They come to grow as professionals by participating in world-class education and refuel by listening to top- quality motivational speakers. The industry comes to The PPAI Expo to do business and become better at doing business.”
Education Also Attracts Record Numbers
Attendees also showed up in record numbers to attend more than 100 education sessions offered throughout the week. Overall attendance at the education sessions was up by 10 percent over 2005. Other numbers of note are:
• Forty-eight professionals sat for their certification exam, which was offered three times during the week.
• Participation in paid seminars was up more than 150 percent.
• Sales in the onsite PPAI Bookstore were also up by 15 percent.
For more information on Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), The PPAI Expo or the proven power of promotional products, visit the PPAI website at www.ppa.org or contact PPAI at 972-258-3041 or PR@ppa.org.
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According to PPAI, promotional products include useful or decorative articles of merchandise that are used in marketing and communication programs. Promotional products are a $17.3 billion industry, including such popular items as pens, pencils, desk accessories, calendars and wearables. The items are usually imprinted with a company’s name, logo or message. Promotional products that are distributed free are called advertising specialties; imprinted items given as an incentive for a specific action are known as premiums. In addition, business gifts, awards and commemoratives are also considered promotional products. Research studies have shown the outstanding effectiveness of promotional products, especially in a tough economy.
PPAI—the promotional product industry’s only international not for profit trade association—offers education, mentoring, public relations, technology, trade shows and legislative support to its more than 7,000 global members. PPAI created and maintains the UPIC (Universal Promotional Identification Code), the industry's only free identification system and universal company database.