Buyers and vendors return to Las Vegas for The Reunion

Second-year event provides a last-minute sourcing opportunity before summer.

The Reunion continued to build momentum in its second year as a trade show for the resort and souvenir industry. Held April 14–16 at the Expo at World Market Center in Las Vegas, the show welcomed a high-quality roster of buyers and vendors.

2025 marked the first year that The Reunion was held at The Expo at World Market Center.

“We’ve gotten great feedback. It’s a great facility to work in,” noted Evan Shoda, CEO of Redline Expo and organizer of The Reunion.

The concept for The Reunion came directly from buyer input, according to Shoda. An advisory board made up of prominent retailers expressed a need for an event in the April timeframe, largely due to changing supply chain timelines and sourcing windows.

“They just felt like this would be a great addition to the other events they were participating in,” he said. “So the driving force behind starting this was listening to our buyers.”

According to one attendee the timing was perfect for her to fill in the gaps at her store that she wasn’t able to accomplish through the fall trade show season.

Several gift and design permanent showrooms that are part of the center also opened their doors for attendees of the event, which provided extra value to attendees.

This year’s show drew buyers from across the country, including major amusement parks, attractions and zoos.

With around 130 exhibitors, The Reunion has also become known for its manageable show size — a feature many buyers appreciated.

“They’ve got time to come here and sit down and write orders,” Shoda said. “The show is very manageable. If you’re here for two and a half days, you’ve got plenty of time to get everything done.”

While the show continues to expand strategically, organizers are intentional about preserving that intimate experience. “There’s value in being the size that we are right now,” he said. “A lot of the bigger events, buyers are on a schedule. They take cards and follow up later. Here, they can really do business.”

Tariffs were a major topic of conversation at this year’s show, particularly among advisory board members. According to Shoda, buyers are taking a proactive and collaborative approach.

“Now is the most important time to meet face-to-face,” he said. “We need to figure out how to navigate this together.”

He added that availability and timing of product are currently even more critical to buyers.

Themes on the show floor included sustainable and domestically produced product.

“Sustainability is huge right now,” Shoda said. “Made in America is big too. Our buyers are looking for it, and if you can stand out and show that you have that — they want to see it.”

The Reunion will return to the Expo April 14-16, 2026.