With its debut event in the books, attendees and vendors alike enjoyed the connections they made at The Reunion, a new souvenir, gift and resort show that took place April 4-7 at The Mirage Hotel & Convention Center in Las Vegas. The Reunion offered buyers thousands of products from exhibitors across the United States as well as some international manufacturers.
The inaugural event featured over 150 lines on display, and attendees came from 46 different states, according to RedlineXpo, which ran the event.
“We were blown away by the response to The Reunion,” said Evan Shoda, CEO and co-founder of RedlineXpo. “We knew there was a lot of demand in the industry for a show in April and that it would help both exhibitors and attendees deal with the supply chain issues that persist.”
Buyers who attended the event shared that they appreciated the timing of The Reunion. Karl Busche, merchandise manager at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, said The Reunion helped him find holiday merchandise collections.
“Attending The Reunion Show this April has been a game-changer for our holiday merchandise planning,” he said. “The timing allows us as buyers to not only refresh our Halloween and Christmas collections with innovative products but also ensure that we’re perfectly aligned with the production schedules to receive new product shipments for next year. This strategic scheduling advantage is something a trade show in September simply can’t offer or deliver.”
David Gilbert, director of merchandise at Paradies Lagardere, said he also appreciated attending an event in the first half of the year.
“Paradies Lagardere has a year-round business with peaks and valleys throughout the year in multiple regions. Therefore, The Reunion helped us fill a trade show void in Q1/Q2 of the year,” said Gilbert. “The connections we made at The Reunion with new and existing vendors will help us be innovative and inspirational for immediate and future opportunities. We are looking forward to the 2025 Reunion and can’t wait to see the energy and buzz around next year’s event.”
Venders also benefited from the show, appreciating the opportunities to connect with buyers. Jordan Villeneuve of Villeneuve Innovations Group LLC shared that The Reunion had a great debut this April.
“The Reunion was beyond valuable and represented a fantastic opportunity for meaningful engagements with key buyers from around the gift, resort and souvenir space,” said Villeneuve. “Moreover, the RedlineXpo staff went above and beyond to make the event both a great opportunity and fun.”
Lisa Shroyer of United Souvenir & Apparel said the timing for this event “is perfect.”
“The quality of buyers was exceptional, and it’s a much more intimate show, so we were not rushed when working with our buyers,” she said.
With the positive buyer and vendor feedback from this most recent event, Shoda said RedlineXpo plans to host The Reunion again April 8-10, 2025, at The Expo at World Market Center in Las Vegas.
“We heard from countless attendees just how important this show would be in the future,” he shared. “The convenience of having everyone under one roof truly made this event feel like a reunion, and we can’t wait to reunite everyone again next year.”
