PPAI RESPONDS TO CHANGE IN CES SHOW DATES, ADJUSTS EXPO FOR 2007 AND 2008
Decision Made to Assure Price and Convenience for Attendees and Exhibitors

Irving, Texas, (March 15, 2006) There’s an old joke that asks, “Where does an 800-pound gorilla sit?” The answer, of course, is anywhere he wants. That’s the dilemma PPAI faced in a decision made today.

The PPAI Board of Directors announces a shift in its show dates for 2007 and 2008 to avoid conflict with the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the largest tradeshow in North America. The CES was recently rescheduled to be held the same week as The PPAI Expo in Las Vegas. In the best interest of the PPAI membership, The PPAI Expo and the entire industry, The PPAI Expo will now be held January 3 – 6 (exhibits open January 4 – 6), 2007 and January 14 – 18 (exhibits open January 16 – 18), 2008.  The PPAI Expo will remain at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, and the change only affects the dates for 2007 and 2008.

“Although the city certainly has ample exhibit space and hotel rooms for both shows to run simultaneously,” says Carl Gerlach, MAS, PPAI chairman of the board, “We concluded that having The PPAI Expo and CES in the same city over the same dates would present some serious, and perhaps, insurmountable problems for our members. We just didn’t believe that we could guarantee the same level of value, service, convenience and overall positive experience that The PPAI Expo attendees and exhibitors have come to expect and deserve. We explored every opportunity to move the Expo a little later in 2007, but the dates were simply not available to us later in January of February.”

President Steve Slagle, CAE, adds, “Although Mandalay Bay, The PPAI Expo’s headquarters hotel, has guaranteed negotiated rates for both 2007 and 2008, we’ve already begun to see 100 – 200 percent increases at surrounding properties, which would present a hardship to those who book outside of our guaranteed room block.”

In addition, the Association acknowledged that factors such as costs for exhibitors, airline capacity, ground transportation services as well as dining and entertainment venues could be unreasonably compromised by the combined attendance of both shows.

PPAI Expo is widely regarded as the single most important event in the promotional products industry. More than just a tradeshow, it is the industry’s annual convention.

The date and pattern shift will provide definite benefits to attendees and exhibitors:
• Hotel room rates will actually be lower than in 2006
• More hotel rooms can be blocked within the major facilities located conveniently to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center
• Straight time labor costs will be lower for exhibitor move-in
• Easy access to affordable airfares and no conflicts with other major shows in Las Vegas

In a letter to its members, PPAI expressed concern for the inconvenience the decision may cause to those who have already planned on attending or exhibiting at other industry events, already booked hotel rooms or airfares or have prior family and personal commitments. “However, we believe we have time to work with our members to remedy any problems within our control, and we’re willing to discuss any member’s situation to try and find ways to help overcome it,” says Slagle.

For more information on Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), The PPAI Expo or the proven power of promotional products, visit the PPAI Web site 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. 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.