The PPAI Expo is the industry’s largest and longest-running trade show. It is also the result of a strong, collaborative relationship between PPAI and Mandalay Bay Convention Center. The PPAI Expo was first held at Mandalay Bay in 2003—in fact, it was the facility’s first major trade show—and has enjoyed a long, productive tenure there ever since. The strength of that relationship will be evident at The PPAI Expo 2022.

Recently, Chuck Bowling, president and COO of Mandalay Bay, and Ernest Stovall, vice president of sales at Mandalay Bay, recorded a video where they talk about the Association’s long relationship with the convention center and welcome attendees back for The PPAI Expo 2022. Click here to watch the video.

In the conversation, Bowling and Stovall touch on some of the changes made at the facility, including an updated mobile app that allows guests to check in on their phone, and a partnership with Allegiant Stadium, which sits just across the I-15 freeway from Mandalay Bay and is visible from many of the resort’s hotel rooms.

Mandalay Bay has implemented numerous other improvements since The PPAI Expo was last there in 2020. First and foremost among these are significant upgrades to ensure a more comfortable, efficient and safer experience at both the convention center and the resort. Among the updates, the entire Mandalay Bay resort, including the exhibit halls, is equipped with an extremely efficient ventilation system that provides 12 full air exchanges per hour and is equivalent to the standard found in hospitals and other medical venues. Onsite policies, such as face masks, will follow local ordinances and CDC recommendations. Stay up to date with the latest local ordinances here.

Additionally, the Mandalay Bay has achieved Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) Star Facility accreditation, the gold standard for prepared and safe facilities awarded by the world’s leading trade association for the cleaning industry. GBAC accreditation means that Mandalay Bay has established and maintains a cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention program to minimize risks associated with infectious agents like the coronavirus. It has undertaken proper cleaning protocols, disinfection techniques and put practices in place to combat biohazards and infectious disease, and the facility employs highly informed cleaning professionals who are trained for outbreak and infectious disease preparation and response. Additionally, the entire Mandalay Bay resort, including the exhibit halls, is equipped with an extremely efficient ventilation system that provides 12 full-air exchanges per hour and is equivalent to the standard found in hospitals and other medical venues.

Among the other changes that Mandalay Bay has undertaken to improve the show experience, is its transition to a Cat6 internet infrastructure, which will enhance the wireless internet experience for attendees and exhibitors alike through more bandwidth, better network speed and fewer lost signals. Another change that will be welcome news for attendees’ feet is the removal of the cobblestone flooring in the walkway between Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and the convention center, near the restaurants and Starbucks.

For more information on The PPAI Expo 2022, including the trade show, education and networking opportunities, visit expo.ppai.org. To register for The PPAI Expo 2022, click here.