Welcome to the PPAI Expo, aka the Super Bowl of promotional products. If you’re planning to hit the floors at Mandalay Bay and may be feeling a little overwhelmed, this guide will help you crush it. Spoiler: comfy shoes, snacks, and SAGE Mobile are about to become your new besties.
Before You Go: Get Your Game Plan Ready
Let’s start with the essentials:
- Plan Ahead: Download the SAGE Mobile app. This little gem will keep your schedule, walk list, and notes all in one place. You can even map out the booths you must visit for max efficiency. (Learn more here!)
- Customer Wish List: Shoot an email or text to your clients before the show asking what their marketing plans are for the year and if there is anything you can try and find for them.
- Pack a Survival Kit: Don’t forget to pack a survival kit! Small snacks can help keep you powered through the day, while a portable phone charger helps keep your phone charged while you use it for note and photo taking! We’ve compiled a handy checklist of things to pack in your kit below!

At the Expo: Stay in the Zone
Vegas can be a lot, so here’s how to stay focused without getting overwhelmed:
- Be Open to Discovery: Sure, you’ve got your list, but take time to explore outside your usual vendors. That unexpected booth might just have your next bestseller.
- Network Like a Pro: Talk to everyone—at the booths, at the social events, even while waiting in line at Starbucks. This is the best place to build connections.
- Pace Yourself: The Expo isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. Take breaks, fuel up, and don’t try to see it all on day one.
- Text Your Customers Your Finds: Send some of those really cool products you see at the show to your clients. They’ll be super impressed you remembered them while being busy having fun.
- Don’t Forget the Notes! With SAGE Mobile you can take detailed notes and add things like pictures right in the app so you can refer back to later. Forget something? Use the keywords search from your note section to find that neat product you saw.
- Learn as Much as You Can! Not only can you browse amazing products at the show, you can learn, too! Monday will be an exclusive day just for education! Click here to check out the schedule. And you don’t want to forget to check out the SAGE Experience schedule here and make sure you set reminders so you don’t miss the ones you want to attend while you’re wandering the show floor.
- Don’t Forget to Say Hello! Don’t forget to stop by our booth (#3435) for anything you need or just to say hello!
Post-Expo: Make It Count
Once you’re back home, it’s time to turn all those ideas and connections into action:
- Follow Up: Reach out to the people you met and the suppliers who wowed you. Don’t let those new relationships go cold.
- Share Your Takeaways: Whether it’s showing off hot new products to clients or brainstorming with your team, sharing your knowledge is the ultimate Expo flex. Especially when you get home and mockup concepts in the Virtual Design Studio.
Bonus Survival Tips
- Starbucks Hack: Order online to skip the Mandalay Bay coffee lines (otherwise, you’re in for a very long wait).
- Explore Vegas: The city doesn’t sleep, and you shouldn’t miss the Neon Museum or some top-tier eats on the Strip after Expo hours. Check out our guide here on everything in Vegas.
With this checklist in hand, you’re officially ready to own the PPAI Expo. We can’t wait to see you there!
Go forth and conquer! Don’t forget to register here!