Newest Branding Products Showcased at Industry’s Largest Trade Show
Popular Products Communicate With  Style, Technology and Even Humor

Irving, Texas, (February 3, 2006) A few weeks ago in Las Vegas, thousands came to preview the newest and latest electronic gadgets which would become the “must haves” for consumers in the coming year. The following week, just a few blocks away, thousands of business professionals gathered to preview the best and newest marketing and branding products that would become the “must haves” for promotional campaigns. 

You may be more familiar with the first event, The Consumer Electronics Show, but the latter was a trendsetter as well. The PPAI Expo, the annual trade show of Promotional Products Association International at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas,  welcomed 13,000 promotional consultants to visit more than 3,700 booths and view the products which will be in demand by clients in the coming year. And it was much more than a typical observer might expect; the variety of products included high-end apparel, flashy electronics and well-known brand names such as Nike, Fossil, Bill Blass, Bulova, Swiss Army, Movado, Fruit of the Loom, Zippo, just to name a few.

Promotional products—items usually imprinted with the name, logo and message of a business—have been around for nearly two hundred years. (Did you know that George Washington used buttons as part of his presidential campaign?) It’s estimated there at least 700,000 different kinds of promotional products, which are used for a wide-range of business needs: developing brand identity, generating leads, employee recognition and retention, increasing tradeshow traffic, encouraging repeat/return business and building customer loyalty.

Months before The PPAI Expo, a call was sent out to 1,600 exhibitors, requesting samples of their newest products, especially those products they anticipated being popular in the coming year. The 637 different new products received from more than 365 suppliers were prominently showcased at The New Products Pavilion, which proved to be one of the most popular areas of the show floor. The pavilion included new products, as well as innovations in materials and techniques for well-known items, such as coffee mugs, pens and clothing. More than 9,000 promotional consultants visited the area to view the latest products during the three-day display. While there, they voted on what they considered to be the best new product for 2006. (More on that later.)

Beyond The Traditional: What’s New, What’s Hot?

Walking the massive show floor and visiting the New Products Pavilion (NPP) , promotional consultants were introduced to several trends that are expected to be hits in the coming year:
• Electronics still hold our attention. Accessories for MP3 players, PDAs, cell phones and laptops were very prominent and attracted a lot of attention at the NPP. (photo available) Particularly popular were a variety of memory storage devices, including USB flash drives. (photo available) These products have a variety of imprint options, which allow the user to see a message whenever the electronic device is used.
• Color it translucent to get attention. Vibrant, translucent hues—pink, purple, red, orange—colored everything from bags and clothing to soccer balls. Even traditional items, like mugs, pens, key chains and calendars, were sporting extreme makeovers with this use of plastic materials combined with hot colors. (photos available)
• Getting “carried away” never looked so good.  Bags and totes have long been a staple for the promotional products industry, but with new materials, trendy colors, well-known brand names and high-tech imprinting capabilities, a business message can be carried out in style. (photo available)
• Desk space is prime real estate. If the name of your business is displayed prominently on a person’s desk, you get your message to them many times during the day. Desk sets, executive toys/games (think Slinky® and desk-size basketball goals), clocks and calendars in every shape and style were available, many with electronic extras to add to their usefulness and give them added interest. (photos available)
• The quickest way to the heart still seems to be with food. Gift baskets, imprinted chocolates, custom engraved wine bottles or lollipops with a message (photo available) will make a satisfying impression on the recipient.
• A walking billboard is priceless. Apparel—which includes T-shirts, golf shirts, aprons, uniforms, headwear, neckwear, footwear, etc.—is still the largest segment of the promotional products industry. And attendees experienced it live, on the catwalk, at the industry’s largest apparel and accessories fashion show which is held as part of The PPAI Expo. (photos available)
• I know that name! Fossil, Godiva, Movado, Ping, Tommy Hilfiger. These were just a few of the many well-known retail names making the successful crossover into the promotional products market. More and more consumer brands are relying on corporate sales and promotional products as a revenue source, and they were very visible at this year’s PPAI Expo, which featured many of them prominently in a common area of the show floor.
• Take it outside! Products that cater to recreation and outdoors activities: coolers, portable chairs, grills and more.  (photos available)
• And the award to goes to…  Recognition is no longer limited to the traditional wooden plaque on the wall. Unique people, exceptional events and extraordinary milestones deserve an equally special award, and this year’s show featured some of the latest in materials, design and technology for one-of-a-kind trophies, plaques and awards.
• Add light!  Whether it’s the click of a pen to illuminate the barrel or the push of a button on a key chain, it was evident that “lighting up” is sure to get attention. Even the standard name badge was part of the excitement. The addition of digital technology makes the “Hi, my name is” badge obsolete, replaced with a programmable, scrolling LED message. The JMTek and the CorporateKey LED Scrolling Message Badge was voted Best New Product of the 2006 New Product Pavilion by the promotional consultants who visited the NPP.

Finding the Right Product

Successful promotional/marketing campaigns don't happen by chance; they must be carefully planned, taking into consideration the audience, budget and, of course, the ultimate result to be gained. Years of research studies have shown the outstanding effectiveness of promotional products in successful campaigns to reach new customers, build employee retention, drive tradeshow traffic, increase customer loyalty, strengthen brand identity, and more. (To view research about the power of promotional products, click HERE)

With the vast variety and selection available for promotional products, PPAI suggests including a professional promotional consultant early to help plan a well-thought-out promotional plan and to coordinate right product to meet the specific business needs and goals of the program. While anyone can go to the Internet and find a basic product, a promotional consultant has access to thousands of tailor-made options, including the newest products, a wide range of prices, the best materials and latest technologies.  A professional and experienced promotional consultant stays abreast of industry trends, and will help design a successful program to get results, and save time and money. (To help locate qualified promotional products consultants, a search engine is available HERE.)

Universal Appeal of Promotional Products

In reality, most people probably have at least one promotional product in their kitchen or sitting on their desk at work. It could be the calendar sent every year by the family insurance agency, the pen given out by the neighborhood bank, the campaign button from a recent election, a coffee mug from the specialty shop on the corner near your office or the t-shirt from the favorite radio station. These are some of the more traditional forms and historic uses of promotional products. But if this year’s PPAI Expo and New Products Pavilion are any indication, there’s a unique product for every business need.

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.

NOTE: Upon request, we can also provide high resolution photographs of the show floor, booths, crowds, education, events and speakers. Interviews with and quotes from exhibitors and/or attendees can also be arranged with sufficient notice.

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According to PPAI, promotional products are a $17.3 billion industry and include useful or decorative articles of merchandise that are used in marketing and communication programs. The items are usually imprinted with a company’s name, logo or message.

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