Expo East education opens today in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and the trade show opens Tuesday, bringing together nearly 2,000 distributors with over 325 exhibitors at the Atlantic City Convention Center. The most attended summer show in the industry is the result of teamwork between PPAI, producer of The PPAI Expo, the largest trade show in the promotional products industry, and the Specialty Advertising Association of Greater New York (SAAGNY), the largest regional association on the East Coast.

SAAGNY President John R. B. Cudahy, CAS, says, “We’re back in Atlantic City for the biggest promotional products show on the east coast. This is one of my favorite events of the year! Three days of education, networking, and meeting with the best companies in the industry. We saw a revitalized show in 2017, and based on the conversations I have had with many SAAGNY members, this year will be even better.”

The event kicks off with a full lineup of education sessions, including a much-anticipated presentation, Powerful Objection Handling, by previous Expo East keynote speaker Diane Ciotta, at 4 pm in room 313.

New this year, the PPAI professional development team presents Asked & Answered, one-on-one sessions where attendees can get personal assistance with PPAI certification, Promo Connect and online learning. Sign up for a time today and on Tuesday here.

Back by popular demand, Connections Corner offers interactive round-table discussions in a casual environment. Take your choice of four sessions available from 11 am to 4 pm today only with a variety of industry professionals leading the discussions. See the list of sessions here: http://expoeast.ppai.org/experience/education-events/

Thirteen professional development sessions will be held on the show floor stage from 11 am to 2:30 pm on Tuesday and from 10 am to noon on Wednesday. Must-see sessions include Leveraging Young Professional Suppliers To Grow Your Business at 11:45 am on Tuesday, and Putting The Social In Your Media at 11:30 am on Wednesday.

The Lenore Goldberg Memorial Golf Outing also tees off today at the Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club. Proceeds are used to underwrite the SAAGNY Foundation’s many activities, including visits to Happiness is Camping, for children battling cancer and their siblings, and supporting the Hilltop School, a haven for children with emotional and developmental disabilities.

At 8:30 am on Tuesday, the Product Pavilion Sneak Peek will allow a first glimpse at Top Sellers, Green Products, Express Ship and Made in the USA offerings. When the full show floor opens at 9:30 am, attendees will have access to more than 390 booths displaying new and trending product offerings across more than 100,000 square feet of floor space.

All attendees and exhibitors are invited to join the fun at SAAGNY’s regional Meet N’ Greet after the show closes on Tuesday, from 4-6 pm in Tun Tavern, across from the convention center.

“Every year we incorporate member suggestions to maximize the B2B opportunities for both distributors and suppliers,” says PPAI Board Chair Dale Denham, MAS+. “I look forward to Expo East each year as a way to reenergize halfway through the year with great ideas and meaningful connections.”

There’s still time to register to attend Expo East; get details at expoeast.ppai.org.