During a fast-paced roundup of ASI Orlando’s Education Day professional development sessions, a series of flash polls indicated that for more than 65% of attendees 2023 sales had exceeded 2022 numbers, and for nearly half of distributors apparel sales made up a greater percentage of revenue than hard goods.

At the lively event, show speakers had a chance to give a brief recap, highlighting the sessions they’d led throughout the day. It was an opportunity for attendees to reflect on the lessons they’d learned as well as get a bite-size sample of any classes they may have missed. Topics included tips on making closing quick and easy, content marketing strategies for reaching the right buyers, a primer on family business dynamics, and a self-promo campaign workshop.

In between the snackable sessions, ASI conducted real-time polls to get a pulse on the promo industry. The first was about 2023 sales and how they compared to 2022. For 29% of the audience, 2023’s numbers were up a lot over the previous year. Meanwhile, 37% said sales “increased a bit” year over year. For 20%, 2023 remained static. Only 14% of respondents said their 2023 sales declined when compared to 2022.

The second flash poll centered on sustainability, asking distributors to consider whether clients were more or less likely to request environmentally friendly products in 2023, compared to the previous year, or if interest in green items remained about the same.

The majority of respondents (56%) said their customers were just as likely to go the sustainable route last year, as they were in 2022. And about one-third of distributors said interest in environmentally friendly promo was up in 2023. Only 12% of those surveyed said interest had dipped last year. The numbers track with suppliers’ increased focus on and investment in sustainability, as documented on ASI Media’s Promo for the Planet page.

In the third flash poll, distributors shared which made up a greater percentage of sales in 2023: apparel or hard goods. Nearly half (49%) of respondents said apparel dominated their sales last year, whereas 27% said apparel and hard goods sold about equally well. For 24% of distributors, hard goods took the lead.

The final poll was a look at the trending topic of artificial intelligence, asking whether distributors were leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT in their businesses, or if they had plans to do so in the future. More than half (51%) said they’re already using AI, with another 44% saying they plan to. Only 5% of distributors were adamantly against incorporating AI into their businesses. (Interestingly, that’s a notable change from flash polling at ASI Chicago in 2023, where 15% of those surveyed gave a resounding “no” to AI.)