Two weeks ago, Bryant Park Consulting had the opportunity to attend and sponsor the PPAI EXPO 2023, the largest and longest running tradeshow in the promotional products industry, which took place at the Mandalay Bay Conference Center in Las Vegas from January 9-12, 2023. The event brought together industry leaders in promo business, product, and technology, including existing and potential customers of BPC and Oracle NetSuite, to network and learn about the latest trends and innovations in the field.

What is PPAI?

PPAI, which stands for Promotional Products Association International, is a not-for-profit professional association serving more than 15,000 corporate members of the $24 billion promotional products industry. PPAI delivers the industry's most comprehensive education program and networking opportunities for industry participants. BPC was an exhibitor at the tradeshow and is a business services member of PPAI.

The promotional products industry is rapidly digitizing customer experiences and business operations to keep up with customer expectations and increasingly complex supply chains for custom-branded merchandise. This has fueled demand in the industry for technology solutions that streamline business processes and improve efficiency.

Oracle NetSuite, the leading cloud ERP for mid-market enterprises, has recently welcomed hundreds of industry participants to their cloud ERP platform, and forecasts that thousands more will implement Oracle NetSuite in the years ahead. BPC offers implementation and ongoing support services to help these organizations to maximize the value of this investment.

"We are passionate about partnering with PPAI and Oracle NetSuite to bring innovative software solutions and business practices to distributors and suppliers in the promotional products industry," said Alec Epstein, Founder and CEO of BPC. "The industry is characterized by a tightly knit community of professionals who are dedicated to helping each other succeed, and a trusted central association in PPAI which provides valuable resources and networking opportunities to it's members."

Event Highlights

One of the highlights of the PPAI EXPO for Bryant Park Consulting was our close collaboration with our partners at Oracle NetSuite and eXtendTech. Our teams had the opportunity to strategize in person on the best ways to improve and expand services for the industry, as well as meet with old friends, colleagues, and shared customers in the industry at the NetSuite Industry Solutions - User Group Education Session. This was a great opportunity for us to showcase our shared commitment to the promotional products industry and the NetSuite user base within it.

"Bryant Park Consulting has been a valuable partner for Oracle NetSuite in the promotional products industry," said Jeff Kroeker, Corporate Account Executive and PPAI Partner Manager from Oracle NetSuite.

"Their combined industry and digital transformation expertise has helped us tackle some of the most pressing technology challenges for Promotional Products distributors and suppliers."

Another exciting aspect of the event was the software demonstration meetings and networking happy hour in the Orchid Suite at the top of Mandalay Bay, which was sponsored by NetSuite, BPC, and eXtendTech. "The software demonstrations were incredibly relevant and gave promotional product distributors and suppliers alike a glimpse into the future of technology in the industry, and how BPC and NetSuite can help their business grow," said Payal Modi, Marketing Manager at Bryant Park Consulting.

To conclude the event, BPC and partners attended the Promo Palooza event, sponsored by HALO Branded Solutions, which took place at the rented-out Allegiant Stadium. The event included opportunities to network on the football field and a tour of the Las Vegas Raiders football team's locker room. "The Promo Palooza event was a great opportunity to connect with industry leaders to discuss strategies for the year ahead, and a perfect capstone to the PPAI EXPO," said Cassius Kellogg, VP of Professional Services at BPC.

Looking Ahead

Overall, the PPAI EXPO 2023 was an important and exciting event for Bryant Park Consulting. We were thrilled to collaborate with partners at Oracle NetSuite and eXtendTech, meet with old and new friends and colleagues, and to showcase our commitment to the promotional products industry and the NetSuite user base within it. We are excited to collaborate with everyone in 2023 to continue to advance the industry's technology capabilities, and to return for the next PPAI EXPO in 2024.

If you are a Promotional Products Distributor or Supplier already running NetSuite, considering implementing NetSuite, or looking for guidance on technology to improve and grow your business we encourage you to get in touch via our website.

For any promotional products industry technologists interested in joining a consulting firm leading the most exciting digital transformations in the industry, we invite you to visit our careers page to apply today.