After months of planning – including a beta event in May and another  test run back in August – Promotional Products Expo finally arrives this Thursday, and distributors are looking forward to what can be accomplished in the multi-faceted platform. The virtual event will be an experience tailored to help distributors show their invited buyers all that the promotional products world has to offer.

PPW Expo will showcase specific products as well as educate buyers on the industry as a whole.

“[Our clients] are excited,” says Shanne Soulier, president and CEO of Big Spirit Inc. “They are most excited to see new and innovative products and possible marketing ideas for better promoting their work.”

Businesses that have not properly utilized the industry’s expansive form of branding can be unaware of the potential of promotional products; that they can drive sales, increase visibility, improve employee retention and come in countless forms of high-quality products. PPW Expo was created to become a twice-yearly virtual event that “educates and elevates” the industry to insiders and newcomers alike.

“We are excited that PPAI is working to provide an event, industry-wide, that will be appealing for our account executives and customers alike,” says Kelli Denes, MAS, director of business development at The Vernon Company. “They have truly thought through the event from all perspectives to make sure this will be successful and a rewarding experience.”

PPW Expo represents a concrete example of PPAI’s mission statement to “be the voice and force to advance the promotional marketplace for the benefit of our community.” The Association is accomplishing that mission in many ways, but Thursday’s event is something tangible that distributor members can see firsthand.

“When I heard PPAI was embarking on this initiative, I was so excited,” says Cliff Quicksell, MAS+, president of Cliff Quicksell Associates. “Our clients need to see us, not as ‘trinkets and trash’ providers, but as a viable marketing channel to assist in their overall branding.”

Soulier says that a successful PPW Expo would mean that his clients have an “interactive experience that shows the fun and innovative developments of our industry” and that they “come out feeling more confident in doing business with a distributor and not a random online vendor or Amazon.”

The event has the potential for clients and distributors to find out, as Soulier says, “not just about innovative products but ideas around kitting and packaging that can help clients be more proactive with their marketing.”