The promotional products industry started 2023 with a bang.

ASI Show Orlando, which saw a 50% increase in distributor attendance compared to the 2022 event, marked the official beginning of promo’s Q1 trade show season. All told, 4,500 distributors and suppliers gathered to discuss product and sales ideas at more than 700 booths in the Orange County Convention Center.

Distributor attendees head out to the show floor to explore over 700 supplier exhibits.

“We charged into a brand-new year by delivering a fantastic show for suppliers and distributors eager to jump into action,” said Tim Andrews, president and CEO of ASI. “After witnessing everyone coming together, networking, cutting deals and having fun along the way, I’ve never been more excited about the future of the promo products industry.”

Education Day on Wednesday, Jan. 4, offered a spate of classes in areas like sustainability with Michelle Sheldon of Eco Promotional Products (asi/185797), family business dynamics with Dr. Steve Treat from the Council for Relationships, 2023 trends to keep an eye on with Holly Brown and Liz Haesler of Top 40 supplier PCNA (asi/78897), and much more.

During an Education Day Wrap-Up session, hosted by ASI’s Michele Bell and Stephanie Turner-Scott, Nate Kucsma, senior executive director of research and corporate marketing, was on hand to conduct surveys of distributors. In the first, 48% said their 2022 sales were way up compared to 2021, 31% said they had increased, 12% said they were the same and 7% reported they were down slightly. When asked about the trends that resonated most with clients last year, 52% said “brand-name items,” 20% said “eco/sustainable,” 16% said “USA-made” and 11% said “creative packaging.”

Finally, among their “biggest headaches” of 2022, 34% chose stock levels, 12% said on-time delivery, 12% said error-free orders and 42% said “all of the above.”

Day 1 of exhibits kicked off with the launch of ESP+, a powerful new technology platform from ASI that’s designed to help distributors take their businesses to the next level, and a keynote address from U.S. Marine Shawn Rhodes, now an author, speaker and sales consultant, who spoke about removing hope from sales strategies to make them “bulletproof.”

Don’t just hope you get the sale; be certain that you will by being prepared, said former Marine Shawn Rhodes during his keynote address.

“To be bulletproof is to be dedicated to being better tomorrow than you are today,” he told the packed ballroom. “Practice until you can’t get it wrong. Sell because you get to, not because you have to.”

More than 750 attendees closed out the first day of the show with the Promo Party at Universal CityWalk, followed the next morning by an insightful keynote by MLB superstar Alex Rodriguez. The baseball great joined Andrews on stage for a Q&A about his childhood, becoming a pro athlete and starting his own investment company with a portfolio valued at $1 billion and over 400 employees.

Baseball great and accomplished entrepreneur Alex Rodriguez fielded questions from ASI President and CEO Tim Andrews, and a few attendees, for almost an hour during his keynote.

“You can’t overpay your best talent,” he told the several hundred attendees. “But I believe in hiring slow and firing fast. Tell people you’re going to be radically honest with them and they’ll appreciate that. Your network reflects your net worth.”

On the floor, popular trends among suppliers included creative sustainability, striking drinkware and essential self-care items, which rocketed in popularity during the COVID pandemic. NYC-based Threadfast Apparel (asi/91163), exclusively distributed by Top 40 supplier alphabroder (asi/34063), is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative, participates in intentional reforestation programs and offers super-soft basics along with outerwear like vegan leather bombers and Sherpa-lined denim jackets. The line is made with recycled polyester (versus virgin poly) and sustainably grown cotton.

Cozy Earth Holdings (asi/46816), a relatively new supplier from Bluffdale, UT, featured an entire collection of bedding, pillows, bags and apparel basics made with sustainable bamboo with natural cooling properties. Since 2018, the company’s items have appeared each year on Oprah’s Favorite Things list.

Bedding, blankets, apparel and totes from Cozy Earth Holdings (asi/46816) are made with bamboo, which has natural cooling properties – also ideal for the self-care trend that’s become popular among end-users in recent years.

“It’s been a great show,” said Logan Christensen, director of wholesale for Cozy Earth. “We first exhibited at Chicago in 2022, and distributors are responding really well to our products.”

Certified B Corp Fill it Forward (asi/54161), based in Guelph, ON, has a unique mission – to raise awareness of plastic bottle waste. It sells QR tags that can be affixed to any reusable drinkware piece to track individual consumers’ impact, as well as reusable bottles with integrated tags. Recent clients have included Google, Amazon, Salesforce and Hilton.

Reusable bottles from Fill it Forward (asi/54161) have been used recently by major brands for events and customer engagement.

“Our bottles have a simple design and flat sides so they can be stacked and won’t roll away,” said Raveena Lokur, sales specialist. “The QR code is a great way for consumers to see what kind of impact they’re having on the environment. We like to say our products are ideal for anyone who drinks water.”

Indeed, drinkware innovation was another obvious trend on the show floor. ETS Express (asi/51197), an independent subsidiary of Top 40 supplier PCNA, had an eye-catching display of new pieces – like the Eros (884471), Ambiance (974704) and Haus (89171) – and Top 40 supplier Hit Promotional Products (asi/61125) featured tumblers with full-color prints, like the Sienna stainless-steel bottle (550127), and unique textures.

Prospex Promotions (asi/80042), a supplier of drinkware, tools and cutting boards in Moultrie, GA, has new SOLO cup-inspired double-wall insulated tumblers in several sizes with slide lids. “People love the look of these,” said Brooklyn Brown, digital marketing manager. “They come in three different sizes and 17 colors, and the laser imprint comes out really nicely.”

The Sienna stainless-steel bottle from Hit Promotional Products (asi/61125) has a vivid full-color imprint, and SOLO cup-inspired insulated stainless-steel tumblers from Prospex Promotions (asi/80042) come in 17 colors and three sizes.

ADNART (asi/31518) in Mont-Royal, QC, has brand-new ceramic-lined drinkware (“so you don’t get that metallic aftertaste,” said Justin Lackman, national sales manager) as well as tumblers with pet water and food bowls built into the bottom. “These are being unveiled for the first time at Orlando,” said Lackman. “We’re expecting them to be huge sellers for us.”

Self-care items – like candles, plush towels and blankets – abounded on the show floor. Top 40 supplier SnugZ USA (asi/88060) has a full line of retail-inspired bath salts and essential oils (as well as diffusers), and Kanata Blanket (asi/73520) in Richmond, BC, now offers weighted blankets from Canadian retail company Hush. Meanwhile, The Riviera Towel Company (asi/82647) has soft and absorbent Turkish towels, as well as throws, wraps and tote bags. The Santa Barbara, CA-based supplier also donates 5% of net profits to ocean conservation organizations.

Top 40 supplier SnugZ USA (asi/88060) makes its own line of essential oils, and The Riviera Towel Company (asi/82647) provides luxe beach blankets inspired by its signature Turkish towels.

Bryan Goltzman, co-owner of Liquid Screen Design (asi/254663) in Minneapolis, brought a group of colleagues to the industry’s first trade show of the season. “My team had a great time,” he said. “It was fantastic to see such a significant bounce-back in attendance. As always, Education Day was a must for us. We left energized and we’re coming home with many actionable ideas that we can’t wait to implement to increase our productivity and grow our business.”

ASI Media Executive Editors Theresa Hegel and Sara Lavenduski discuss the instructive education, insightful keynote speakers and bustling show floor in Orlando.

Carol DeVille, owner of The Branding Company (asi/145376) in Brantford, ON, said the enthusiasm was immediately palpable. “From the moment we entered the show floor, we could feel the energy and vibes from the suppliers and our distributor colleagues,” she said. “Suppliers have incredibly innovative new products, wonderful packaging alternatives, deep inventories and quick turnarounds. There was lots of excitement, and it appears 2023 is going to be amazing for everyone.”

End-buyers are primed to spend big again this year, said Jim Nistico, president of Clay, NY-based Proforma Infinity (asi/300094), and the conversations he had in Orlando were key to being ready to meet demand.

“ASI put together another great show,” he said. “It was great to see everyone again. This year looks like it’s going to be phenomenal for me and the entire industry. ASI Shows provide us with the product knowledge we need to showcase the latest trends to our clients.”

Coming up next: ASI Show Fort Worth takes place Jan. 23 to 25 at the Fort Worth Convention Center, with keynotes from Marki Lemons Ryhal, an ASI Show Education favorite, and Charlotte Jones, executive vice president and chief brand officer for the Dallas Cowboys.