Every year, the Image Source team heads to Las Vegas to explore the PPAI Expo, the largest branded merchandise show in the world. The event spans the massive Mandalay Bay Convention Center and showcases hundreds of thousands of products, innovative suppliers, and the latest branded merch trends across every category. Our team spends days walking the floor—literally miles—to uncover the smartest, most innovative, and most brand‑ready items your teams and clients will love.
The result? A curated Best of Show Lookbook packed with this year’s standout promotional products, thoughtful brand solutions, and trend insights—all compiled into an easy‑to‑browse digital format designed to support your event planning, team engagement, onboarding, and marketing strategies.
How We Build the Best of Show Lookbook
After covering the floor, evaluating thousands of products, and reviewing what’s most applicable for client programs, we categorize our favorites into an easy‑to‑navigate lookbook. Products are selected based on:
- Innovation & uniqueness
- Branding potential
- Retail appeal
- Sustainability
- Functionality and everyday usefulness
- Design & quality
This ensures you can quickly identify merchandising ideas that align with upcoming events, campaigns, gift programs, employee needs, and brand touchpoints.
You can scroll through the full lookbook on our site—and even download a copy to share with your marketing team, HR partners, or event planners.
Why the PPAI Expo Matters for Your Brand
The PPAI Expo isn’t just big—it’s the industry’s premier stage for what’s new, what’s next, and what your audience will be excited to receive. With nearly 13,000 distributors, over 1,200 exhibitors, and thousands of breakthrough ideas on display, the expo sets the tone for merchandise trends in the year ahead.
Fresh ideas emerge from every corner of the floor—from sustainable materials and ethically sourced products to advanced tech accessories, retail‑inspired apparel, wellness items, and modern lifestyle gear. The expo is also known for its immersive, engaging environment—from pop‑up experiences and live demonstrations to trend‑forward installations that help attendees experience new products firsthand.
What You’ll Find Inside the Lookbook
While the lookbook itself contains dozens of curated favorites, here’s a preview of the kinds of merchandising categories that shined at the 2020 PPAI Expo. These categories align strongly with wider trends seen across the expo floor, including a major push toward sustainability, multi‑functionality, and quality over quantity in promotional products.
1. Trending Apparel & Decorated Wearables
Retail‑grade fabrics, sustainability‑driven lines, and fashion‑forward silhouettes defined the apparel landscape. Color trends and personalized decoration methods were top themes across booths.
2. Innovative Tech & Everyday Digital Essentials
Bluetooth accessories, smart organizers, mobile‑compatible products, and work‑from‑anywhere tech dominated exhibitor displays.
3. Health, Wellness & Comfort Products
Wellness kits, eco‑friendly drinkware, hands‑free carrying solutions, and lifestyle items aligned with both personal and professional use cases.
4. Bags, Totes & Modern Carry Solutions
Sleek commuter bags, all‑day backpacks, and thoughtfully designed totes provided high‑impact branding opportunities. Many included sustainable materials and modular functions.
5. Retail‑Inspired Merchandise
Products with a consumer‑first look and feel—matching retail patterns, textures, and packaging—continued to set the bar for memorable branded merchandise programs.
Why This Lookbook Useful for Your Team
Whether you’re building a large‑scale brand program or refreshing your go‑to kits, the Best of Show Lookbook helps you:
- Identify new and emerging product trends quickly
- Find fresh inspiration for gifting, onboarding, events, and recognition programs
- Simplify product selection by reviewing a high‑quality curated list
- Give your internal teams an easy way to collaborate on merch ideas
- Save time by relying on vetted, tested, brand‑ready product options
If you’re planning a campaign, launching an initiative, or gearing up for event season, this curated lookbook ensures you’re choosing items that resonate.
Looking for Additional Ideas?
Browse through our previous lookbooks below or all of our lookbook history. You can also explore our Showrooms for even more ideas.
