FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Kim R. Todora, PPAI
972.258.3063, kimt@ppai.org
PPAI And SAAGNY Announce EXPO East Tradeshow
Strategic Alliance Expands Reach And Delivers
The PPAI Expo Experience To Eastern U.S.
Atlantic City, NJ, (June 6, 2012) – Promotional Products Association International (PPAI; ppai.org), the not-forprofit association for more than 10,600 members of the $17.7 billion promotional products industry, today
announced, from the floor of PROMOTIONS EAST, a strategic alliance between PPAI and the Specialty
Advertising Association of Greater New York (SAAGNY) to produce Expo East, a promotional products
tradeshow designed to serve the eastern United States. Under this strategic alliance, PPAI will bring its vision,
growth management and production expertise to the robust eastern marketplace and PROMOTIONS EAST will
cease operation at the close of this year’s show.
Over the past year, PPAI has focused on reaching out to members to better understand their needs and how the
association can better serve the marketplace. Taking into consideration the abundance of shows already in the
industry, it was determined that an alliance between PPAI and SAAGNY to form one show, as opposed to the
creation of another show was the best way to impact the market in a positive way. Expo East will enable PPAI to
reach thousands of members and industry professionals that were not attending PROMOTIONS EAST, The PPAI
Expo or other major tradeshows.
The strategic alliance between the two associations allows SAAGNY to focus on providing enhanced member
benefits and gaining new members. It allows PPAI to bring its expertise in producing The PPAI Expo to a new area
and a new audience.
“By forming this strategic alliance with PPAI and letting them bring their tradeshow expertise to the East Coast, it
allows SAAGNY to focus on its members and the growth of the association,” said Alan Baker, MAS, SAAGNY board
president. “We are excited about focusing our staff and volunteers’ time on developing more valuable programs and
services to better serve our membership.”
For more than fifty years, PPAI has produced The PPAI Expo, the promotional products industry’s longest running
and most successful tradeshow event held every January in Las Vegas. The PPAI Expo is ranked among the Top 50
of ALL tradeshows in the U.S. and is the largest promotional products industry tradeshow in North America.
“Over the last 17 months, PPAI has grown by 38 percent to more than 10,600 members, 46 percent of which are
based east of the Mississippi. With this type of growth, PPAI, as the voice and heart of the industry has an obligation
to serve the industry and our members at every level, large and small – wherever they are – in every geographic
area, said Paul Bellantone, CAE, PPAI president and CEO. “Expo East will give us a substantial footprint in the
eastern United States from which to serve our industry and our members like never before.”
-more-
Slated to open May 19-22, 2013 in Atlantic City, New Jersey at the Atlantic City Convention Center, Expo East will
focus on the promotional products industry rooted in the eastern United States. The new show is strategically
designed to meet the needs of industry stakeholders with a preference for the location, timing and convenience of a
truly unique East Coast event. Expo East will feature PPAI’s Vegas-style show production and its one-of-a-kind
brand. and DECORATE pavilions, its top-rated education and professional development programs.
“Launching Expo East is consistent with PPAI’s desire to be more inclusive with its members. We realize that there is
a fairly high percentage of our membership located in the eastern U.S. not attending The PPAI Expo in Las Vegas.
Therefore, they were missing out on the opportunity to experience all the great products, networking and education
offered at Expo. Expo East will bring that experience to them,” said Steven Meyer, MAS, PPAI chair of the board.
“We’re raising the bar on how we go to market not only on the East Coast -- but nationwide,” said Jonathan Riegel,
MAS, SAAGNY executive director. “The strategic alliance between SAAGNY and PPAI to create Expo East
represents one of the industry’s most significant business developments in many years – a truly strategic investment
in the way associations strive to meet our members’ needs.”
More information about Expo East may be found here.
About PPAI
Since 1903, the Promotional Products Association International, a not-for-profit, has been the standard-setting
international trade association for the promotional products industry. Today, PPAI serves more than 10,600 member
companies and 432,000 industry professionals who lead the $17.7 billion industry. The multi-billion-dollar industry
includes wearables, writing instruments, calendars, drinkware and many other items, usually imprinted with a
company’s name, logo or message. PPAI offers education, tradeshows, business products and services, mentoring,
technology and legislative support to its members. PPAI created and maintains the UPIC (Universal Promotional
Identification Code), the industry’s only free identification system and universal company database. For information
regarding PPAI or to learn more about the proven power of promotional products (including research and case
studies), visit the PPAI website at www.ppai.org.
About SAAGNY
SAAGNY is the largest regional association in the U.S. devoted to the betterment of the promotional products
professional. SAAGNY represents more than 700 distributors, suppliers, multi-line representatives and business
services companies.
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Editors Notes:
 Remarks embedded below.
 Photos available upon request.
 Interviews scheduled upon request.
SPEAKER REMARKS
CONTACT:
Kim R. Todora, PPAI
972.258.3063, kimt@ppai.org
Embargoed Until June 6, 2012
at 9:00 a.m. ET
PPAI And SAAGNY Announce EXPO East Tradeshow
Strategic Alliance Expands Reach And Delivers
The PPAI Expo Experience To Eastern U.S.
Atlantic City, NJ, (June 6, 2012) – Promotional Products Association International (PPAI; ppai.org), the not-forprofit association for more than 10,600 members of the $17.7 billion promotional products industry, today
announced, from the floor of PROMOTIONS EAST, a strategic alliance between PPAI and the Specialty
Advertising Association of Greater New York (SAAGNY) to produce Expo East, a promotional products
tradeshow designed to serve the eastern United States. Under this strategic alliance, PPAI will bring its vision,
growth management and production expertise to the robust eastern marketplace and PROMOTIONS EAST will
cease operation at the close of this year’s show.
Jonathan Riegel, MAS
SAAGNY
Executive Director
Good morning everyone and thanks for joining us. I’m Jonathan Riegel, executive
director for SAAGNY. Today, we’re raising the bar on how we go to market not only on
the East Coast -- but nationwide. It is with much excitement that we announce a longterm strategic alliance between SAAGNY and PPAI to create a new tradeshow
experience called EXPO East. EXPO East represents one of the industry’s most
significant business developments in many years - a truly strategic investment in the
way we do business.
You are among the first to hear the news of this exciting new tradeshow event serving
the eastern United States. EXPO East will no doubt enhance the way our associations
serve the promotional products industry.
More than a ceremonial announcement, today’s event underscores our combined
commitment to providing our industry with the best tradeshow environment possible in
order to enhance and expand the industry’s reach into the eastern region. And, EXPO
East enables us to do it more strategically, more effectively and better than ever before.
In just a minute, you’ll hear more from Alan Baker, SAAGNY’s board president, Steven
Meyer, PPAI’s board chair and Paul Bellantone, PPAI’s president and CEO.
But first, let me give you an overview of the upcoming changes:
In 2013, EXPO East will open here in the Atlantic City Convention Center May 19-21,
with a full day of education and two exhibition show days. And as of the closing of this
year’s show, PROMOTIONS EAST will cease operations.
Today, you’ll hear all about the exciting opportunities PPAI will bring to our marketplace
with an enhanced show structure, capacity and completely new Vegas-style business
model.
We are very pleased that you could join us today. We know how valuable your time is.
It is our sincere hope that you’ll find this news both informative and exciting. Now, here
to tell you more about EXPO East and our strategic direction is Alan Baker, SAAGNY
board president. Alan.
Alan Baker, MAS
SAAGNY
Board President
Many of you here today know PROMOTIONS EAST -- as the flagship promotional
products tradeshow on the east coast. And SAAGNY is well known in the industry as
the largest regional association in the U.S. devoted to the betterment of the promotional
products professional. In fact, we represent more than 700 distributors, suppliers, multiline representatives and business services companies.
That is our heritage. And, today, you’re hearing about a key part of our future. No
other organization has made such a tangible commitment to the advancement of our
industry’s business and professional development on the east coast.
We have been known for our strength in everything we do and as innovators in regional
association management. Our strategic relationship with PPAI to launch EXPO East is
a demonstration of our overall strategy and commitment to grow the business
opportunities for our members.
With PPAI managing the day-to-day operations of Expo East, SAAGNY will have more
time and resources available to develop and offer its members more relevant and
timely programs and services. Our focus on strengthening our association and our
members’ businesses will be greater than ever before. We look forward to working with
PPAI and to watching our members grow with us.
Thank you for your interest today and for being here to help us celebrate another
milestone for SAAGNY, PPAI and the promotional products industry.
Jonathan
Steven Meyer, MAS
PPAI
Chair of the Board
Now, it is my pleasure to introduce Steven Meyer, chair of the board for Promotional
Products Association International and one of the driving forces in taking this new
tradeshow from the drawing board to reality. Steven.
Thank you for being here this morning as this announcement represents much more
than a name change of a tradeshow.
Under the leadership of Eric Ekstrand, our Past Chair, PPAI joined a conversation with
SAAGNY to bring the EXPO experience to our EAST Coast members in a familiar and
more convenient location than Las Vegas. Together Eric, Bob McLean, PPAI EVP,
Darel Cook, PPAI Exhibitions Director, the PPAI Board and the SAAGNY Board found
common ground.
Today we are proud to make Expo East a reality. SAAGNY, PPAI and all those
involved with EXPO East will begin building lasting relationships with you and the
thousands of promotional products companies, distributors, suppliers, multi-line reps,
consultants and business service providers to bring the premier show experience to the
eastern United States.
Our work has just begun.
Jonathan and Alan, I’d like to thank you and the SAAGNY Board for making this
concept a reality.
Jonathan
And now, please welcome PPAI’s president and CEO, Paul Bellantone. He’ll provide
you with the strategic vision of EXPO East, and what it means for our industry.
Paul Bellantone, CAE
PPAI
President & CEO
I would like to personally thank Jonathan and Alan, both the SAAGNY and PPAI boards
and the teams that have worked behind the scenes to bring this alliance and event to
fruition.
Over the past year, PPAI has focused on reaching out to members, listening and
learning. What we are announcing here today is one of the fruits of those efforts.
We learned that we need to do more to engage members where they live and work and
Expo East will help us reach the thousands of members and industry professionals that
were not only underserved by Promotions East and The PPAI Expo but by any major
tradeshows.
We learned, through speaking to members and our incredible growth through the
Power of Two relationship with SAGE, that there is power in focusing on our core
competencies. This relationship allows SAAGNY to focus on providing compelling
member benefits to their membership and focus on gaining new members. And it
allows PPAI to bring our expertise in producing The PPAI Expo to a new area and a
new audience.
PPAI has grown in membership to over 10,600 members. That’s a 38 percent increase
in just the last 17 months. And, 46 percent of our members are based east of the
Mississippi. With this type of growth, PPAI has an obligation to serve the industry and
our members at all levels, large and small – wherever they are – in every geographic
area. EXPO East will give us a substantial footprint in the eastern United States from
which to serve our industry and our members like never before.
More than fifty years ago when we designed The PPAI Expo experience, we
envisioned it being the industry’s premier tradeshow event. Today, The PPAI Expo is
ranked among the Top 50 of ALL tradeshows in the U.S. and is the largest promotional
products industry tradeshow in North America.
Under this strategic alliance, PPAI will bring its vision, growth management and
production expertise to the eastern U.S. in the form of EXPO East.
EXPO East will have a profound effect on the marketplace by engaging an expanded
audience and appealing to those with a preference for the location, timing and
convenience of a truly unique east coast event.
And while we are not unveiling every aspect of the show here today, exhibitors and
attendees can expect to see some of the hottest show features that until now have only
been seen on the floor of The PPAI Expo. Top features like PPAI’s Top Sellers, Made
In The USA, Green Products, Express Ship, and of course, the one-of-a-kind brand.
and DECORATE pavilions.
In short, EXPO East will be a show like never before. (pause)
At the end of today’s announcement we’ll be in the area and on the show floor to
answer any questions you may have – just look for a PPAI representative in a purple
shirt. You can also find FAQs and contact information at expoeast.ppai.org or contact a
PPAI at 888-IAM-PPAI.
I would like to thank everyone for coming today and we look forward to working with
you in the coming year as we proudly present EXPO East in 2013. (Q&A: 5-10 minutes)
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