July 19-22, 2026  |  Paris Las Vegas

PAWN EXPO PROGRAMMING

Network, Collaborate, & Be Inspired

PROGRAMMING

Live Selling to Move Pawn Shop Inventory

Presented By: Natalee Peppitt

Tuesday, July 21, 10:20am – 11:10am

Live selling is changing the way pawn shops move inventory. From Facebook Live to in-store streaming setups, real-time selling allows you to showcase products, engage buyers, and turn views into immediate sales. In this session, we’ll break down how pawn shops can use live selling strategically to reduce aged inventory, increase cash flow, and build a loyal online buying audience. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to improve your current approach, you’ll leave with practical tactics, tools, and a clear plan to implement live selling in your shop.

The Firearms Market: What Pawn Brokers Need to Know

Presented By: Johnny Whiteside, John Bocker, Pierce Rainey, Chelsea Barnett
Tuesday, July 21, 10:20am – 11:10am

The firearms category presents both significant opportunity and heightened regulatory responsibility for pawn brokers. From evolving market demand and pricing cycles to complex federal, state, and local compliance requirements, today’s firearms environment demands informed, disciplined strategy. This session examines current market conditions, regulatory and risk-management considerations, and practical approaches to compliant buying, pricing, and inventory control. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how to integrate firearms into their overall business model while meeting compliance obligations, reducing risk, and protecting profitability.

Inside the Peer Groups: Two Years of Real-World Lessons

Presented By: NPA Peer Group Leaders

Tuesday, July 21, 11:20am – 12:10am

For two years, NPA Peer Groups have brought together pawn professionals for honest, high-level conversations about what’s working — and what isn’t — in today’s market. This session brings Peer Group leaders together to share the most important takeaways, emerging trends, and practical strategies that have surfaced across multiple groups. Discover the operational shifts, leadership lessons, margin strategies, and industry insights that are shaping stronger, more resilient pawn businesses. If you want access to the collective intelligence of engaged operators, this is the session you won’t want to miss.

Turning Color Into Cash: Best Practices for Pawnbrokers

Presented by: Moris Adato

Tuesday, July 21, 11:20 am – 12:10 pm

 

Lab-grown diamonds have completely disrupted the natural diamond market, sending prices plummeting. The plus side? A renewed interest in colored stones. Learn to capitalize on the colored gemstones in your inventory, without needing to be a GIA Graduate Gemologist. We’ll discuss practical tips and tricks for pawnbrokers, industry best practices, marketing, and how to find the value hidden in the pile of colored gemstones you keep in the jar at the back of the vault.

Seen, Known, Trusted: Community Engagement Redefines Pawn

Presented By: Rob Barnett, Adam and Beth Anundi
Tuesday, July 21, 2:30pm – 3:20pm

In every market, trust is built locally. For pawn shops, community engagement isn’t just goodwill — it’s a powerful strategy for reshaping perception and strengthening long-term credibility. This session explores how consistent, authentic involvement in your community can transform how your business is seen, known, and trusted. From partnerships and sponsorships to visible leadership and outreach, we’ll examine practical ways pawn shops can move beyond transactions and become recognized as respected community businesses. Attendees will leave with a clear framework and actionable ideas to elevate their brand through meaningful local engagement.

AI Made Simple – A Practical Introduction for Pawn Brokers

Tuesday, July 21, 2:30pm – 3:20pm

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere — but what does it actually mean for your pawn shop? This beginner-friendly session breaks AI down into simple, practical terms with no tech jargon and no hype. We’ll explore what AI is (and isn’t), how pawn shops are already experimenting with it, and where it can realistically save time or improve efficiency. Whether you’re curious, cautious, or completely new to AI tools, this session will give you a clear understanding of how AI works and several low-risk ways to start using it in your business immediately.

Sneakers in Pawn: Turning Hype into High Margin

Presented By: Ed Best
Wednesday, July 22, 4:00pm – 5:00pm

The sneaker resale market has exploded — and pawn shops are uniquely positioned to capitalize on the demand. From limited drops and collectible releases to everyday resale brands, sneakers can become a strong revenue driver when sourced and priced correctly. This session explores how to evaluate authenticity, identify high-demand brands, avoid common buying mistakes, and market sneakers effectively in-store and online. Learn how to turn cultural hype into consistent profit while managing risk and maximizing margin. If you’re looking to tap into one of the fastest-growing resale categories, this session will give you a practical roadmap to get started.

AI in Practice – What Pawn Brokers Are Learning So Far

Interactive Discussion

Wednesday, July 22, 4:00pm – 5:00pm

Many pawn brokers are beginning to experiment with AI tools — but what’s actually working? This interactive, peer-driven session brings together pawn professionals who are testing AI inside their operations. We’ll have an open discussion about real experiments, small wins, lessons learned, and areas that still feel uncertain. This is not a technical deep dive — it’s a practical conversation about how shops like yours are exploring AI today. Come ready to share, ask questions, and learn alongside your peers as we figure this out together.

Industry Insights: The Alchemy of Capital: Advanced Financial Strategies for the Modern Pawnbroker

Presented by: P2M.ai

Speaker: Or Barak

Monday, July 20, 9:00am – 9:50am

Most pawnbrokers view their business through the lens of retail and transactions. However, the most successful operations function like specialized financial institutions. This session will move beyond the “buy-low, sell-high” mentality and dive into the sophisticated financial metrics that drive true wealth in the pawn industry. Attendees will learn how to analyze their inventory as a portfolio, calculate the hidden costs of capital, and use leverage to scale their operations safely and profitably.

Industry Insights: Planning For Your Exit for a Successful Business Sale

Presented by: Stallcup Group, Inc., Exit-Strategy Consultant

Speaker: Steve Stallcup

Monday, July 20, 10:10am – 11:00am

Stallcup Group provides exit strategy consulting, confidential transaction advisory, and operations and management consulting services to independent pawn shop owners across the U.S. We’ll dive deep into the tools and techniques used to balance the scales of negotiation for pawn shop owners. We’ll expose the incredible amount of misinformation in this industry regarding mergers and acquisitions. The session will help prepare you in the most important transaction of your life.

Industry Insights: Jewelry Forensics at the Counter: Spotting Risks and Evaluating Mounted Jewelry

Presented by: GIA®

Speaker: Michele Mejia

Monday, July 20, 10:10am – 11:00am

This session equips pawnbrokers with strategies to confidently assess jewelry at the counter. You’ll learn practical techniques for evaluating mounted pieces – Even when information is limited. 1. Confidently evaluate mounted jewelry, even with limited information. 2. Recognize risks like hidden damage, repairs or alterations. 3. Improve clarity, color, and metal testing practices. 4. Apply consistent processes to reduce risk and protect your investments.

Industry Insights: The Invisible Risk: Watch Crime, Due Diligence, and Protecting Your Pawn Business

Presented by: The Watch Register

Speaker: Oliver Horner

Monday, July 20, 10:10am – 11:00am

An overview of the major trends in luxury watch crime and the international nature of the market. • Case studies of recent recovery cases in which we have protected our major pawnbroking clients. • The steps pawnbrokers can take to protect their buisness from unknowingly transacting on problem watches. • The services available to help protect our clients and combat this major issue.

Industry Insights: Ten Errors Pawn Shops Make in Their Jewelry Departments That Are Costing Them Sale And How to Fix Them

Presented by: Box Brokers Group

Speaker: Larry Johnson

Monday, July 20, 11:20am – 12:10pm

In this high-impact session, Larry Johnson breaks down the 10 most common (and costly) mistakes pawn shops make in their jewelry departments and more importantly, how to fix them. Drawing on years of experience consulting with pawn shops and jewelry stores worldwide, Larry shares proven strategies to increase sales, improve presentation, and elevate perceived value so customers are willing to spend more. From display layout and lighting to pricing psychology and merchandising techniques, this session is packed with practical, easy-to-implement solutions you can apply immediately. As the author of The Complete Guide to Effective Jewelry Display, Larry delivers real-world insights that help transform underperforming jewelry departments into powerful revenue drivers.

Industry Insights: Pawn Shop Metrics and Key Performance Indicators on Steroids

Presented by: Pawnshop Consulting Group LLC

Speaker: Jerry Whitehead

Monday, July 20, 1:10pm – 2:00pm

This will be a deep dive into the Key Performance Indicators relavant to all pawnshops, and an indepth examination of what those benchmarks are, what they mean, and how to affectuate real change in them to fully optimize any operation that has the resources and is paying attention. Coming from a global pawn consultant with a lifetime of expertise in the Industry.

Industry Insights: The Future of Pawn: Robots, AI, and the Data Advantage

Presented by: Bravo Store Systems

Speaker: Tally Mack

Monday, July 20, 1:10pm – 2:00pm

You’ve been hearing a lot about AI. Maybe it feels exciting. Maybe it feels overwhelming. Maybe both. Either way, it’s coming for this industry whether you’re ready or not. And the pawnbrokers who understand what’s actually happening right now are going to have a serious advantage over the ones who wait and see. This session is for operators who want straight answers. Not buzzwords. Not hype. Real talk about what AI, automation, and data mean for a pawnshop, explained in plain language by people who have spent their careers in this business. Here’s what most technology conversations miss: the future of your store isn’t just about which app you download or which AI tool goes viral next month. It’s about the foundation underneath all of it. The data your store has been collecting, transaction by transaction, customer by customer, item by item, for years. That data is about to become one of the most valuable things you own, and most pawnbrokers have no idea. We’ll talk about what AI can actually do in a pawn store today, not someday. We’ll talk about what robots in retail really look like when they’re designed around the way this business actually works, handling routine tasks so your staff can stay focused on the customer standing in front of them. And we’ll talk about how to think about technology decisions you’re making now so you don’t end up locked into something that holds you back two years from now. If you’ve ever felt like the technology conversation was moving too fast and leaving your store behind, this session is for you. Walk in curious. Walk out with a clear picture of where pawn is headed and exactly what you need to do about it.

Industry Insights: Getting Customers Through Your Front Door and Into Your Store

Presented by: Armslist.com

Speaker: Jonathan Gibbon

Monday, July 20, 2:20pm – 3:10pm

Firearms businesses face challenges unique to our industry, and the social media companies, banks, and even SMS and email providers don’t apply the rules evenly. You might be 100% good to go with multiple companies one day, and more than one decide to drop you the next day with no notice or explanation. It’s a challenging landscape and we are here to help you navigate it. There are other firearms marketplaces, brief compare and contrast on which ones help you make sales to out of store (usually out of state) customers, and Armslist, which will by contrast, bring most of them to your front door.

Industry Insights: Refining Insights & Testing Precious Metals OTC

Presented by: United Precious Metal Refining, Inc. (UPMR)

Speaker: Rafael Amador

Monday, July 20, 2:20pm – 3:10pm

During the first part of this informative session, we will take a look at recent events that impacted the refining industry. From the silver refining halt to limitations on gold refining – we’ll look at how the industry was impacted and ways to protect your business in the event something like this happens again. We will then take a deep dive into gold and silver testing methods, a key component to every pawnshop that deals in precious metals. Together we will test gold and silver samples and develop a plan or SOP (standard operating procedure) to ensure you are properly testing every piece that comes into your shop. Proper testing can avoid very costly mistakes, especially at a gold market above $4,000 per troy ounce.

Industry Insights: NSSF’s Real Solutions Help the Firearms Industry

Presented by: NSSF – National Shooting Sports Foundation

Speaker: Wally Nelson

Monday, July 20, 2:20pm – 3:10pm

The presentation will review three of NSSF’s Real Solutions including how NSSF helps retailers make well informed decisions to deter and prevent firearms thefts; helps retailers learn to detect and prevent straw purchases; and encourages brave conversations at FFLs, and safe firearms storage at home, to save lives. Participants will be aware of three NSSF initiatives: The Operations Secure Store Security Assessment and Risk Analysis, Don’t Lie for the Other Guy, and Suicide Prevention.

Industry Insights: Why Firearm Auctions Are a Smarter Exit Strategy for Pawn Shops

Presented by: Summitt Gun Auctions

Speaker: Matt Sellers

Monday, July 20, 3:30pm – 4:20pm

For many pawn shops, firearms represent high-value inventory – but when those items remain in showcases too long, they can also become one of the largest sources of operational drag and liability exposure. This session will focus on how firearm-specific auctions can serve as a strategic exit channel that reduces prolonged possession risk, lowers exposure tied to theft, storage, compliance, and documentation issues, and accelerates the conversion of stale firearms into immediate cash flow. Attendees will learn how faster inventory turnover through auction can improve balance sheet performance, free up showcase space for fresh loans and retail inventory, and reduce the hidden costs associated with long-held firearms. The presentation will also explore how nationwide bidder demand often creates stronger outcomes for specialty, collectible, estate, and difficult-to-price firearms while simultaneously shortening hold times. Designed specifically for pawnbrokers, this session provides practical frameworks for deciding when firearms should remain in-store versus when they should be transitioned into an auction cycle to improve both safety and profitability.