PPAI Expo 2027Las Vegas exhibitor guide: booth costs, dates and deadlines
Samples in hand, not in the aisle: PPAI Expo 2027 booths in Las Vegas
- Event dates
- January 11–14, 2027
- Exhibit hall
- January 12–14, 2027 (Tue–Wed 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Thu 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m.)
- Venue
- Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas
4.9 client rating10,000+ booths builtSince 20153,000+ exhibitors served
Quick answers
PPAI Expo 2027 in 30 seconds
The short version for PPAI Expo exhibitors. Every figure has its source further down the page.
- When is PPAI Expo 2027?
- January 11–14, 2027, at Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas.
- When does the PPAI Expo exhibit hall open?
- January 12–14, 2027, Tue–Wed 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Thu 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
- How big is PPAI Expo?
- 10,000 distributors attendees, nearly 1,000 exhibitors (2026 edition).
- How much is booth space at PPAI Expo?
- $30.45 to $38.45 per sq ft, 2027, paid to the organizer.
- What is the all-in cost of a 10×20 booth at PPAI Expo?
- $7,500 – $15,000 for a Purple rental in Las Vegas: design, graphics, lighting, install and dismantle. Space and show services are billed by the show.
- For PPAI Expo, what is the next exhibitor deadline?
- The Pitch 2027 applications close at midnight: October 30, 2026.
Official PPAI Expo 2027 links: PPAI Expo 2027 floor planPPAI Expo 2027 hotelsPPAI Expo 2027 schedulePPAI Expo 2027 booth space
Everything about PPAI Expo 2027 in one place
PPAI Expo 2027 fact sheet
| Official name | The PPAI Expo 2027 of the Promotional Products Association International |
|---|---|
| Event dates | January 11–14, 2027 |
| Exhibit hall dates | January 12–14, 2027 (Tue–Wed 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Thu 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m.) source |
| Venue | Mandalay Bay Convention Center 3950 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89119 |
| Organizer | Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) |
| Size (2026) | 10,000 distributors attendees · nearly 1,000 exhibitors source |
| Who attends | Promotional products distributors, their sales reps and owners, decorators and agency teams; trade only, no end buyers |
| Booth space | $30.45 to $38.45 per sq ft, 2027 source |
| Next deadline | The Pitch 2027 applications close at midnight: October 30, 2026 source |
| Nearest airport | Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) |
| Hotels | Maritz Global Events, PPAI's exclusive official housing vendor, with blocks at Mandalay Bay, W Las Vegas, Four Seasons, Luxor and Excalibur Official hotel page → |
| Official website | ppai.org |
Official PPAI Expo resources
PPAI Expo 2027 calendar
PPAI Expo 2027 dates and deadlines
The PPAI Expo dates the organizer has published, in order, each linked to the page that states it. We highlight the next one.
- The Pitch 2027 applications close at midnightSuppliers source
- EAC form and fee due; lead retrieval and DTA security early pricing endExhibitors source
- Freeman early pricing ends for AV, furnishings, labor and carpetExhibitors source
- Housing deadline with Maritz Global EventsExhibitors and attendees source
- Mandalay Bay early pricing ends for electrical, internet, rigging and cateringExhibitors source
- Last day for shipments to Freeman's advance warehouseExhibitors source
- Move-in opens at 8 a.m.; first day for direct-to-show freightExhibitors source
- Trade floor opens at 9:30 a.m.Exhibitors and attendees source
01 Purple at PPAI Expo 2027
Samples in hand, not in the aisle: PPAI Expo 2027 booths in Las Vegas
We build PPAI Expo booths where a distributor can pick up, feel and price your drinkware, bags or apparel inside your own space, because PPAI bans soliciting in the aisles. Mandalay Bay's halls sit on one level with Freeman handling freight, so your crates reach the booth without a freight elevator.
- Floor open Jan 12–14, 2027
- 10,000 distributors in 2026
- Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas
What makes PPAI Expo different, and how we build for it
The PPAI Expo is the promotional products industry's biggest week, and the Promotional Products Association International runs it as a strictly trade-only floor: corporate end buyers are barred, and distributor members are not allowed to exhibit at all. That leaves roughly 1 million square feet of Mandalay Bay Convention Center for suppliers selling to resellers. PPAI Advance fills Monday with 30+ hours of education and The Pitch, the Product Pavilion in Bayside F opens before the main floor each morning, and Promo & Pints, a beer garden on the floor, pours from noon on Tuesday and Wednesday. Booth locations follow PPAI's priority point system, and new for 2027 is the PPAI Expo Exchange, a hosted meeting program for distributor owners next to the floor.
Product they can pitch to a client next week: decorated samples, imprint areas and minimums at a glance, and a catalog page or SAGE number they can scan before moving on.
Supplier reliability, lead times and pricing tiers, a seat to talk program business, and a supplier who shows up again in the Expo Exchange meeting rooms.
Finished pieces showing embroidery, laser, full-color and screen work up close, plus the blank range behind each one, so they can match a technique to a brand job.
Your team in Las Vegas
Two shops behind your PPAI Expo booth
We build in our own production shop in Fishkill, NY, and our Las Vegas hub, ship to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, and install with our own project manager on the floor and vetted local labor. Every PPAI Expo build runs a predictable 30 to 45 days and gets a pre-show QA, with secure storage after.
Your team walks into a lit, stocked booth. You just show up.
Inside PPAI Expo 2027
Rules that shape your PPAI Expo booth
PPAI lets supplier and business service members exhibit, admits non-member suppliers for three shows in 18 months, and bars distributors and distributor-owned service firms. We start your booth file once your contract and membership status are in hand.
Linear booths may rise to 8 feet in their back half and 4 feet up front, islands reach 16 feet, and the 12 percent upcharge raises them to 10 and 22 feet (2027 specs). We design to the base limit first and show what the upcharge buys.
Island hanging signs must hang 14 to 22 feet up and 10 feet from neighbors, and proofs, including LED sign content, go to PPAI at least 90 days before move-in. For a sign at the PPAI Expo we prepare the proof with your design.
Equipment and machinery for producing or decorating promotional products may be shown only in PPAI's designated area, and any demo that creates noise or crowding can be stopped. We plan embroidery or laser demos around the space PPAI assigns.
Exhibitors may not congregate or solicit trade in the aisles, and samples and literature may be handed out only within the booth. We set the sample counter a step back from the aisle line so a crowd forms inside your space.
Programs worth planning for
A live competition on January 11, 2027 where selected suppliers pitch one product to a panel of judges; applications with a 60 to 90 second video close at midnight on October 30, 2026.
New for 2027: 20+ guaranteed meetings on January 12 and 13 with Gold and Platinum distributor owners above $1.5 million in sales, at $5,000 per exhibiting supplier host, booked through your PPAI account manager.
A curated pavilion in Bayside F that opens before the main floor each day, with a Tuesday sneak peek from 8 a.m., so distributors see its products first.
The Monday education day before the floor opens, January 11, 2027, with 30+ hours of industry sessions on Level 2 of the convention center, open to registered promotional products professionals.
The PPAI Expo is the largest promotional products floor of the year, with 10,000 distributors in 2026; choose it over ASI Orlando when you want every distributor tier in one January week rather than a regional two-day hall. Compare all the consumer products shows we build for →
consumer products at PPAI Expo
The industry behind PPAI Expo, in pictures
02 Booths & pricing for PPAI Expo 2027
Popular booth sizes at PPAI Expo
PPAI sells space in 10×10 linear units that combine into longer runs, plus islands from 20×20. Suppliers with a broad catalog usually take a 10×20 or 10×30 linear run; an island from 20×20 earns its upcharges once you want a sign overhead or a decoration demo apart from the samples.
Two bays of slatwall or shelving for decorated samples, a counter at the aisle under the 4-foot front limit, and a tablet for SAGE or catalog lookups.
Pictured: Bright Starts, a Purple inline booth
See 10×20 rental booths →
Three linked bays, where PPAI applies the 4-foot limit only within 10 feet of a neighbor: a tall center wall for your hero category, open ends for sample tables.
Shown: Piccolo Bambino, a Purple inline booth
See 10×30 rental booths →
An island with 16-foot structure, or 22 feet and a hanging sign once you pay PPAI's 12 percent upcharge each, with product towers on four sides and a quote desk.
Shown: a Purple island exhibit for hanul
See 20×20 rental booths →
For category leaders: a decoration demo zone, a closed meeting room for distributor owners, and a lounge, built with the engineering stamps PPAI wants for any second level.
Above: Eagle Chemicals, a Purple island exhibit
See 20×30 rental booths →In Purple's price
- Design and a 3D rendering, revised until it is right
- Structure, printed graphics, counters and storage as specified
- Lighting plus power distribution within the booth at PPAI Expo
- Setup and teardown, with our project manager on the PPAI Expo floor
- Show-service orders and deadlines for PPAI Expo, tracked on your behalf
Paid to PPAI Expo and its contractor
- Booth space, paid to Promotional Products Association International
- Material handling / drayage, if the PPAI Expo space rate leaves it out
- Electrical service, internet and rigging at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center
- Booth cleaning and any union labor the venue requires
Rates to plan with for PPAI Expo:
- Booth space, PPAI members $30.45 to $38.45 per sq ft, 2027 source
- Booth space, non-members $40.45 to $48.45 per sq ft, 2027 source
- Extended height or hanging sign 12% of space cost each, 2027 source
- PPAI Expo Exchange host $5,000 per supplier host, 2027 source
Before you sign, your proposal already estimates each of these show charges, so the PPAI Expo total is on paper.
Prices are all-in 2026 rental ranges for design, structure, graphics, installation and dismantle; custom builds are quoted per project. Get an exact number for PPAI Expo with the booth cost calculator or the 2026 booth cost guide.
Tell us your PPAI Expo booth size and what the space has to do. Expect a reply within one business day and, usually within a week, a rendering and a fixed proposal for PPAI Expo. No charge.
The PPAI Expo booth is lit and stocked before your team arrives. You just show up.
03 Built by Purple
More booths we designed, built and installed
Case study · Jack & Pup
Jack & Pup at a pet industry trade show
Built to stay busy all show long: a full dog-house booth that visitors instantly understood and could step inside.
Jack & Pup won a pet show with a booth visitors understood at a glance and stepped into; a PPAI supplier needs the same instant read among 2,500 booths of branded product.
Read the Jack & Pup case study All case studies →“Itzy and his team are the real deal. If you want to wow your potential customers at your next trade show, this is the team for you. They create the best custom and portable trade show exhibits by far.”
Sherri McManus, Corporate Training, The Lou Everett Group · read more client reviews
Trusted by exhibitors including
04 Designing for promotional products suppliers, decorators and business service companies at PPAI Expo
Four things we get right for PPAI Expo exhibitors
1Product walls at touch height
With hundreds of thousands of products on the PPAI Expo floor, a distributor decides in seconds. We shelve decorated samples between 30 and 66 inches, print the item number large beside each one and keep the 8-foot back wall for one category message that reads from the next aisle.
2Extended height costs 12 percent
PPAI caps linear booths at 8 feet and islands at 16, and selling extra height, a hanging sign or an aisle carpet span each adds 12 percent of your space cost. We price the taller option against a wider layout at your first sketch so the upcharge is a choice.
3Decoration demos get their own zone
Equipment and machinery for decorating promotional products may only be shown in PPAI's designated area, and Edlen Electrical handles every hardwired or 208-volt connection at Mandalay Bay. We keep embroidery and laser stations out of the main booth unless your space sits in that zone.
4Built for the Promo & Pints crowd
Promo & Pints serves beer and wine on the floor from noon to close on Tuesday and Wednesday, and PPAI recommends keeping sound under 72 decibels at the booth edge. We plan a quieter meeting corner and a sample counter that handles the afternoon rush.
Concept rendering
A rendering like this comes with every proposal
See the PPAI Expo booth in 3D first: layout, graphics, lighting and where products sit, revised until it is right and before any panel is cut. Pictured: a Purple concept for Rayan.
Start my PPAI Expo conceptFloor at a glance
Where you could be at PPAI Expo 2027
PPAI puts the 2027 trade floor in Mandalay Bay Convention Center's Bayside exhibit halls, one ground-level floor with docks along the east wall. PPAI's schedule names Bayside B and Bayside F; booth numbers come from the Map Your Show floor plan.
Bayside B
Registration from Sunday, January 10 and bag check through the show, the first room most distributors walk through each morning.
Our advice Booths on the routes out of Bayside B see the morning crowd first, so a bold back-wall message pays off there.
Bayside F, Product Pavilion
The Product Pavilion opens before the main floor: a sneak peek from 8 a.m. Tuesday and early access from 8:30 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday.
Our advice If you take a pavilion spot, we prepare a compact, lit display that is ready an hour before the rest of the floor.
Main exhibit floor, aisles 2500 and 5000
FedEx ship sites sit at the back of aisles 2500 and 5000 during show hours, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and to 2 p.m. Thursday.
Our advice Samples bought or swapped on the floor can ship home from there, so we plan less return freight in your crates.
05 Mandalay Bay Convention Center · Las Vegas
Logistics for PPAI Expo 2027, handled
Freeman is PPAI's official service contractor and the exclusive material handler at Mandalay Bay, with the advance warehouse closing to shipments on December 31, 2026 and direct-to-show freight accepted from January 8. Mandalay Bay keeps electrical, internet, catering, rigging and cleaning in-house, with Edlen Electrical doing all hardwired and overhead power work. Move-in runs January 8 to 11, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and every booth must be complete by 5 p.m. Monday. Teardown starts at the 2 p.m. Thursday close and must be out by noon Friday. We file the EAC form and the $250 fee by December 3, and your Purple project manager runs the build, trucking it from our Las Vegas hub twenty minutes south of the Strip.
This building's hall rules, drayage estimates and freight deadlines for PPAI Expo exhibitors are in our Mandalay Bay Convention Center exhibitor guide.
What Purple handles
- The EAC form, $250 fee and certificate of insurance naming PPAI, Freeman and Mandalay Bay
- Freeman and Mandalay Bay orders placed before the December 2026 early-pricing dates
- Sample shelving and graphics kept inside PPAI's 4-foot front zone and 8-foot back wall
- Extended-height and hanging-sign plans priced against PPAI's 12 percent upcharges
- Flame-retardant certificates for every fabric and sign, as Clark County Fire requires
- Teardown from the 2 p.m. Thursday close and storage in our Las Vegas shop
PPAI Expo timeline, counted back from move-in
EAC form and $250 fee due to PPAI Show Management: December 3, 2026. Without the EAC form, certificate and fee the labor building your booth cannot get onto the floor, so send us your booth confirmation by mid-November.
For PPAI Expo, we need design sign-off by early November 2026.
- Now to early November 2026Design sign-off for a January 2027 show; we lay your run or island against the PPAI floor plan on Map Your Show.
- November 2026Production in our Las Vegas shop and in Fishkill, NY: graphics, sample shelving and counters built and test-assembled.
- December 3–22, 2026EAC form and lead retrieval by December 3; Freeman early pricing by December 11; housing by December 15; Mandalay Bay utilities by December 22.
- By December 31, 2026Crates arrive at Freeman's advance warehouse before the last-day cutoff, or travel direct to show from January 8.
- January 8–11, 2027Your Purple project manager runs the install between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.; the booth is finished before PPAI's 5 p.m. Monday deadline.
- January 12–15, 2027Trade floor days, then dismantle from 2 p.m. Thursday with everything out of Mandalay Bay by noon Friday.
Purple's planning timeline for PPAI Expo. We confirm the official move-in, freight target and order deadlines for the Mandalay Bay Convention Center against your booth when you book; they come from your exhibitor kit and assigned schedule.
Print the PPAI Expo budget & deadline sheetTravel to PPAI Expo 2027
Getting to PPAI Expo 2027: airport, hotels and parking
Fly in
Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
Stay
Maritz Global Events, PPAI's exclusive official housing vendor, with blocks at Mandalay Bay, W Las Vegas, Four Seasons, Luxor and Excalibur
Park
Mandalay Bay self-parking $20 a day Monday to Thursday and valet $40 a day for the 2027 show
Find the venue
Mandalay Bay Convention Center
3950 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89119
Travel facts from ppai.org.
PPAI Expo by the numbers
PPAI Expo year by year
How PPAI Expo 2027 compares with other consumer products shows
The consumer products shows closest to PPAI Expo on the calendar, with the latest size each organizer has published. Each show name opens our consumer products exhibitor guide for that show.
| Show | Dates | City | Latest published size |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASI Show OrlandoASI (Advertising Specialty Institute) | January 5–7, 2027 | Orlando, FL | 572 booths exhibitors (2026) |
| Dallas Total Home & Gift MarketDallas Market Center | January 6–12, 2027 | Dallas, TX | 200,000+ buyers a year (2027) |
| Surf ExpoSurf Expo | January 6–8, 2027 | Orlando, FL | 2,000+ retail companies · 600+ brands (2026) |
| ATA ShowArchery Trade Association (ATA) | January 7–10, 2027 | Indianapolis, IN | 7,500+ Supershow consumers attendees (2026) |
| NRF Retail's Big ShowNational Retail Federation (NRF) | January 10–12, 2027 | New York, NY | – |
| Halloween & Party ExpoClarion Events and the Halloween & Costume Association | January 11–13, 2027 | New Orleans, LA | – |
| PPAI ExpoPromotional Products Association International (PPAI) | January 11–14, 2027 | Las Vegas, NV | 10,000 distributors attendees · nearly 1,000 exhibitors (2026) |
| Atlanta MarketANDMORE | January 12–17, 2027 | Atlanta, GA | 15% rise (2026) |
| MANTSMid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show | January 13–15, 2027 | Baltimore, MD | 10,800+ attendees · 890+ exhibitors (2026) |
| Northern GreenMinnesota Nursery & Landscape Association (MNLA) and Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation (MTGF) | January 19–21, 2027 | Saint Paul, MN | ~4,500 attendees expected (2027) |
PPAI Expo exhibitor questions
Questions exhibitors ask us before PPAI Expo
When is the PPAI Expo 2027?
The PPAI Expo 2027 runs Monday, January 11 to Thursday, January 14, 2027. Monday is PPAI Advance, the education day, and the trade floor is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where is the PPAI Expo 2027 held?
At Mandalay Bay Convention Center on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip. Registration and bag check sit in Bayside B, the Product Pavilion opens early in Bayside F, and PPAI Advance sessions run on Level 2 of the convention center.
How much does it cost to exhibit at the PPAI Expo?
Space for 2027 costs PPAI members $30.45 to $38.45 per square foot and non-members $40.45 to $48.45, so a member 10×20 starts near $6,100 for space alone. Our 10×20 rentals run $7,500 to $15,000 and a 20×20 custom island $50,000 to $120,000; PPAI's 12 percent height and hanging-sign upcharges move the total most.
Who can exhibit at the PPAI Expo?
Supplier and business service members of PPAI in good standing can exhibit, and qualified non-member suppliers can too after paying non-member fees, for up to three shows in 18 months before they must join. Distributors, and service companies owned by a distributor, may not exhibit at all.
Is the PPAI Expo open to the public?
It is trade-only. PPAI admits qualified promotional products professionals, PPAI and regional association members and SAGE subscribers, and bars corporate end buyers. No one under 16 may enter the floor during move-in, show days or move-out, so plan staff accordingly.
How many people attend the PPAI Expo?
Some 10,000 distributors attended the 2026 show, by PPAI's count, across about 2,600 booths. The 2025 edition drew more than 16,000 professionals counting exhibitors and attendees. For 2027 PPAI describes a one-million-square-foot floor with over 1,000 exhibiting companies.
What are the PPAI Expo 2027 exhibitor deadlines?
The EAC form is due December 3, 2026, with lead retrieval and DTA booth security pricing the same day. Freeman early pricing ends December 11, housing December 15, Mandalay Bay utility early pricing December 22, and the last advance-warehouse shipment is December 31. We need your design signed off in early November.
How tall can a booth be at the PPAI Expo?
Linear and corner booths stop at 8 feet, with anything over 4 feet kept to the rear half, and islands stop at 16 feet. Paying PPAI's 12 percent upcharge lifts linear booths to 10 feet, perimeter booths to 16 and islands to 22, and island hanging signs hang between 14 and 22 feet.
Can we rent a booth for the PPAI Expo?
We rent PPAI kits from a 10×20 linear run to a 20×30 island, stocked from our Las Vegas hub: frames, fabric graphics with your categories, sample shelving, counters, lighting and storage. One fixed proposal covers install, teardown and Freeman paperwork; after the Thursday close the kit goes back to our hub.
Do you handle Freeman orders for the PPAI Expo?
We do. Freeman is PPAI's official contractor and the only material handler at Mandalay Bay, so we place the carpet, labor, furnishings and freight orders before the December 11 early-pricing date and the Mandalay Bay electrical and internet orders before December 22, then send you every confirmation.
Can we serve food or drinks in a PPAI Expo booth?
Only through Mandalay Bay, the exclusive food and beverage provider, with its sampling authorization form. Cooking demos need PPAI's written approval, alcohol needs a Booth Alcohol Request, and all supplies and servers must fit inside your space. We design a counter deep enough to keep the line out of the aisle.
What is The Pitch at the PPAI Expo?
The Pitch is PPAI's live product competition, where selected suppliers present a product to a panel of judges on Monday, January 11, 2027, 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. Applications need a product link, photo and a 60 to 90 second video, and close at midnight on Friday, October 30, 2026.
What is the PPAI Expo Exchange?
It is a new hosted-distributor program for 2027 next to the floor on January 12 and 13, with 20 or more guaranteed meetings with distributor owners whose sales exceed $1.5 million. Exhibiting suppliers pay $5,000 for one host and get a 4-foot table, sign and chairs; large signage is not allowed.
Is the PPAI Expo worth exhibiting at?
For promotional products suppliers it is the one floor where about 10,000 distributors shop in a single week, as they did in 2026. The return comes from pre-booked meetings and a booth that shows decorated product clearly, because a small run is easy to miss among the roughly 2,600 booths PPAI counted in 2026.
Before you sign for PPAI Expo
Ask any PPAI Expo exhibit builder these five questions:
- Is every fee on the proposal, including what the PPAI Expo show contractor bills?
- Who builds the PPAI Expo booth: your own shop or a subcontractor?
- Who from your team is on the PPAI Expo floor for install and dismantle?
- What exactly is in the rental, and what does PPAI Expo bill?
- What happens to the booth after PPAI Expo, and what does storage cost?
Common situations
Already own a booth? We refresh the graphics, repair what is worn, ship it to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, install it and store it between shows. You keep the structure you paid for and bring it to PPAI Expo.
Exhibiting from outside the US? For PPAI Expo, we act as your team on the ground: freight to the advance warehouse, show-service orders, installation and storage, and one project manager who answers your emails in your time zone.
Short on time? With a rental, your graphics can be ready in two to three weeks. We tell you on the first call what is realistic before PPAI Expo.
Get a proposal
Tell us about your PPAI Expo booth
What happens next
- You get a reply within one business day, asking about your products, goals and footprint at PPAI Expo.
- A concept rendering and a fixed proposal usually follow within a week. All fees listed upfront, in full, on paper, before PPAI Expo.
- We build in 30–45 days, ship to the PPAI Expo advance warehouse and install before the hall opens.
