It’s Tradeshow season and that means its time for the annual #PPAIEXPO in at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. There are plenty of industry veterans who have been before, and there are always new people attending for their first time. The PromoKitchen team focuses on mentoring and asked the #PromoChat community how they get the most out of their experience and tips for those who will attend the first time. Learn from our experiences. We have all been there! Here are some survival tips from the chat. 

"What are your health tips for not burning out? What do you do to survive the time in Vegas, so it's not an episode of The Walking Dead by Day 4?"

• "Drink Water. 1. Whole Foods is a $5 drive away. No line ups, healthier and cheaper then the food court. Suppliers can thank me by bringing me a treat 2. Bandaids. You're going to want them. " Kate Plummer, Clearmount

• "Athletic shoes, tacos, water, stretch, tacos, sleep at least 6 hours, for every one adult beverage - have one water!, fist bumps instead of handshakes, tacos. #promochat live on Wednesday from PPAI" Jay Busselle, Equipment Zone, Inc.

• "Hydrate and Hydrate some more! Set a "bedtime" and stick to it. Surviving fake light and fake air can really mess with your system." Jessica Gibbons-Rauch, Trend on Brand

"What are you packing in your luggage for success?"

• "Vitamins, business cards, shoes, extra space for all your PromoKitchen Mixer Swag" Kate Plummer, Clearmount

 (P.S are you going? You can sign up here -https://www.promokitchen.org/events-1)

• "For starters, about 30 packets Emergen-C and I'll have a least 2 a day. Plenty of clothes options, and my patience. It's a long week." Bill Petrie, Promo Corner

• "Pack light so you don't have to ship things back with you. Bring a powerbank so you can photograph ideas and a water bottle to take advantage of the water dispensers @ThePPAIExpo is providing. " Jessica Gibbons-Rauch, Trend on Brand

• "I'm packing my Evernote Moleskin journal, my IPad, PromoKitchen packable bag, some business cards, a pen, vitamin c, and shoes. Clothing (duh) and a whole lot of excitement but worried the airline will charge me extra for that." Javier Melendez, All Star Incentive Marketing

What are you doing in the days beforehand to make the most out of your investment?

• "Go in with a plan. Who do you want to see? Are there projects in the works that need fresh ideas? Bring specific projects written down so you don't forget one!" Reagan K. Hartman, American Solutions for Business

• "Plan your attack -- then attack your plan!" Molly Neises, Maple Ridge Farms

• "Again, plan. Going to the show without a plan is a virtual guarantee of confusion and being overwhelmed. And, because I'm a dork, I'll pack over the course of a few days so I don't forget anything." - Bill Petrie, Promo Corner

Break: What is such a sure thing you would place a bet on it.

• "Break: You know what they say: what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Except for the blisters, you do take those home." - EMT

• "I am betting on meeting awesome peers and learning a lot from them. Meeting new suppliers to bring value to my customer's projects. Most excited about networking with other merch geeks like myself!" Jeremy Picker, AMB3R

• "here are the over under prop bet lines on #PPAIExpo -Javier Rolling carts bumping into you - 42 Someone you don't know randomly try scanning you - 87 Close talker- 93 Scooter running over your foot - 3 Headache- 2.5 12 Beers (for the trip- not one day)" Javier Melendez, All Star Incentive Marketing

How do you keep your connections in order when you're meeting someone new every 10 minutes?

• "Keep a pen just as handy as business cards! I write on the back of them alot - both when I hand them out, and when I get them from others" - Molly Neises, Maple Ridge Farms

• “If you had a good conversation, grab a picture of them at their booth holding up their card! Add the face to the name! Then take a couple conversation notes on your phone or notepad about the convo to help remember for touching base later." Lock Promo & Apparel

• "Make notes. Whether it's writing on business cards, having a small journal, etc. Write it down! I also write something down about our conversation or their appearance. You may not remember the conversation about legal awards but "Epic Ginger Beard" rings a bell!" - Kate Plummer, Clearmount

It's a jungle of networking, dinners, and cocktail receptions out there! Tell us the dos and don'ts of networking! (And while you're at it, sign up for our Mixer: buff.ly/2N2gqr5 ) "

•  "Make sure to plan out where you want to be - noting events that hold a higher priority for you (Like the PK Mixer!). And don't over extend yourself. You want to make it till the end of the week alive!" Molly Neises, Maple Ridge Farms

• "Always Be: Grateful and thank the host, Slow to hype you and listen to them, and bring mints" Jay Busselle, Equipment Zone, Inc.

• "Share info about what you're doing. We're all in this industry too often concerned about competition. Don't give away your secret sauce, but if you want to learn, you also need to share. There's a ton of companies out there doing some incredible things." Jeff Becker, Kotis Design

Give us your hidden gems, your locals only knowledge, what are the hidden secrets of Expo that you need to share?

• "We're planning to visit the Neon Museum. They have all the old Vegas signs and the stories behind them. " - EMT

• "If you like to shoot- there is a really cool range called Battlefield Vegas where you can shoot really cool weapon platforms, crush a car with a tank and they pick you up from your hotel in a military vehicle." - Javier Melendez, All Star Incentive Marketing

• "Not sure if its a hidden gem, but Sushi Samba in Luxor is the most amazing restaurant! "CELEBRATING THE CULTURE AND CUISINE OF JAPAN, BRAZIL AND PERU…" Cool vibes!" - Jeremy Picker, AMB3R

Have a great show everyone! We are excited to see you, network with you and inspire you. Be safe, be smart and make it a great experience. Stay tuned to #PromoChat to learn how to put your #PPAIExpo knowledge to use and how to get back in the swing of things.