Does anyone else think this way?

Like an extension of the holiday season, The PPAI Expo has always been a marker on my calendar that signals the end of one year and the start of another.

It’s an opportunity to relish time with friends, enjoy a little too much amazing food (and drink) and a reason to put off starting the goals I’ve been mulling over for one more week.


So, now that it really feels like 2023, what should you do next, after The PPAI Expo, to make sure you capitalize on the business opportunities you discovered and set the stage for a year of growth?

Read Your Notes

Take some time to read through your notes from education sessions and meetings. You wrote down some great ideas, but if you never crack that magic notebook open, they are lost.

Pick out some easy opportunities for quick impact and a few bigger projects that will be meaningful for you or your business. For the low-hanging fruit, implement change right away by creating a project plan, setting a meeting or shooting off an email to get the idea moving immediately.

For a bigger project, create a SMART goal – one that is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely – and set aside an hour a week or an afternoon a month to work on it until completion.

Send Clients An Event Recap

You just attended the biggest trade show in the industry, where suppliers released new products and you gathered great ideas and left with new connections – you need to tell your clients all about it!

Share your pictures, tell them what excited you, give them a few ideas and share fun case studies you heard or new data. This doesn’t have to be curated to every individual client, but it can be – especially for your largest accounts.

Secure Self Promo

It is the start of a new year. Suppliers have new products and new budgets. Now is the perfect time to plan your own promos that will help you sell all year.

Think about what you loved from The PPAI Expo. If you loved it, your clients will too. Ask your suppliers reps if they are running any self-promo specials. If they aren’t, they might still give you a great deal.

Make January Matter

January has typically been a slower month for many salespeople. Probably because we just spent the last month being less proactive than we usually are the rest of the year. That’s OK. Use this time to your advantage by reaching out to clients about their plans for 2023 and asking for introductions to people in other departments. Then, when those great self-promos arrive next month, you’ll already have a few new leads to start with.

Take Advantage Of Upcoming Virtual Shows

We all work hard to see everything there is to see at The PPAI Expo. But you are probably still going to miss something or forget something.

Use The PPAI Expo Direct-2-U event on January 31 to keep your momentum going into the rest of Q1. The online event will have great educational content, supplier booths and product pavilions to keep your creativity flowing.

Then, on March 28, the Promotional Products Work Expo will offer an opportunity to bring your clients into our world. The virtual event will host product pavilions to help you drive sales in Q2 and Q3 and education made for buyers on topics like planning a perfect golf tournament, engaging your community at summer events or preparing for back-to-school.

After The PPAI Expo, it’s OK to take a deep breath. Put your feet up for a weekend or a week and get some needed rest.

Then you can start 2023 strong.

Davis is the business development director at PPAI.