Next week, ASI will hold its second live trade show of 2022. There are countless reasons to attend ASI Show Fort Worth, which runs from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 at the Fort Worth Convention Center, but ASI President and CEO Tim Andrews whittled them down to his top five personal reasons in a live webinar held Thursday, Jan. 27.

1. It’s great for business.

Attending in-person trade shows, Andrews said, are a proven way to grow your business, meet new people and get professional advice, not to mention get your hands on the latest and greatest promotional products suppliers have to offer. Plus, he added, live events are “a great opportunity for us to help practice what we preach.” Prior to the pandemic, events represented around 40% of all revenue for the promotional products industry. “Until that comes back, we’re not going to be as strong as we were as an industry in 2019,” Andrews said. Giving trade shows your vote of confidence by attending them in person brings the promo industry one step closer to that goal.

2. It’s time to reunite the promotional products industry.

ASI Orlando, held at the beginning of January, brought together more than 3,000 suppliers and distributors. “The buzz was unbelievable,” Andrews said. “The feedback we got was incredible.” Now, with the Fort Worth show on the horizon, a similar momentum is building. There are already about 2,000 registered distributors committed to attending, and preregistration for the show jumped more than 20% in the past week alone, Andrews said. Nearly 500 attendees have confirmed hotel reservations, which is a positive sign of commitment. About 800 distributors are signed up to attend the Connection Reception, a free networking event planned for the end of Exhibit Day 1.

3. There are suppliers galore.

More than 200 suppliers, including about half of the Top 40 list, are confirmed to attend Fort Worth, filling more than 300 exhibitor booths, according to Andrews. There will be “lots of companies you want to make contact with and lots of suppliers you may not know yet that have joined the industry in the last two or three years,” Andrews said. And if you’re stressed over product shortages and other supply chain issues, “it’s a great chance to meet in person with top suppliers who are showcasing their best-sellers that are in stock and ready for delivery,” he added.

4. There are lots of free and fun things to do.

In addition to everyone’s favorite mini hotdogs, attendees will have the opportunity to create their own signature Texas dry rub in a logoed jar. Education Day, free for distributor members, includes 18 classes that range from social media to business-building fundamentals. Plus, there will be two keynotes: a panel moderated by ASI Vice Chairman Matthew Cohn with top industry leaders on predicting the future of promo and a live product showcase hosted by Joe Haley, ASI’s product editor.

5. ‘We can do this.’

The chief goal of Fort Worth – and all of ASI’s live shows – is to create an enjoyable experience that helps members grow their business, Andrews said. “We proved with ASI Show Orlando that the industry can get together safely,” he noted, adding that attendees should follow the safety guidelines posted on the show website.