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FORT WORTH, TX – March 31, 2025
The Advertising Specialty Institute® (ASI) wrapped up a dynamic ASI Show® Fort Worth, where a crowd of distributors and suppliers came together to discover the latest promo products, navigate key industry challenges and make invaluable business connections – all with a Texas twist.
At the largest promo products trade show in the Southwest, ASI delivered thousands of exhibitors and attendees, further reinforcing the industry’s thirst for in-person connections.
“ASI Fort Worth was all about big opportunity – big business, big ideas and, of course, great big logoed cowboy hats,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of ASI, the leading global resource for the $26.6 billion promotional products industry. “Promo pros came ready to connect, learn and find products that will set them apart. From standing-room-only education sessions to aisles packed with innovation, the energy was incredible.”
Held at the Fort Worth Convention Center, the three-day event featured a busy trade show floor and lively networking events over brunch, lunch and happy hours, giving industry professionals the tools and insights they need to grow their businesses in 2025 and beyond.
Education Day Tackles Tariffs & Embraces ESP+ Innovation
This year’s Education Day saw attendance jump over 40% from last year, with distributors eager to sharpen their skills and stay ahead of industry trends. Key highlights included:
Show Floor Buzz: Innovation, Connections and Business Growth
The ASI Fort Worth trade show floor was a hub of activity, with distributors getting a first look at the industry’s hottest products and trends. Key highlights included:
According to ASI Research, Texas promo sales surged 20% year over year, contributing $3.8 billion to the southern region’s $9.9 billion in annual promo sales. The South remains the largest region for promotional sales and continues to widen its lead and influence on the market.
Supplier and Distributor Success Stories
Exhibitor Sonia Staab, of PATH Water (asi/76424) in Fremont, CA, was thrilled with the show traffic. She joined ASI about 18 months ago and also enjoyed success at its hosted-buyer fASIlitates, where she scored an order for 73,000 water bottles. “We love seeing repeat customers,” she said. “We’re now becoming recognized by distributors and it feels really good, like one big happy family. I love the show locations and show floor hours.”
Distributors Jeff Slain and Garrick Jacobi came to Fort Worth for the Fully Promoted National Sales Meeting. “It’s great,” said Slain, of Fully Promoted of Fishers, IN (asi/384660). “I love having all the vendors in one place, the new ones and the ones we already know.”
Jacobi, who’s on his fifth ASI show, is with Fully Promoted Idaho (asi/384551). “It’s worth it for the education on new products and trends, the diverse solutions for your customers, and learning about the evolving technologies in the industry,” Jacobi said.
The show attracted a diverse audience, including:
Business Resilience 101
With economic uncertainty and more tariffs on the horizon, distributors relied on ASI Fort Worth to help them strategize and stay ahead.
“We should all remain confident,” said IPU CEO Lori Bauer. “We’ve been here before and we got through it, with a plan and with proactive action. Preparing customers for likely price increases will secure your role as an advisor and help smooth conversations when and if price increases do occur. Attempt to use the prospect of future tariff-related price increases to drive near-term sales.”
Added The Magnet’s Dan Jellinek: “The reality is things are changing by the minute. At The Magnet Group, we keep it simple: Be fair, be honest, communicate, deliver unmatched service, focus on what we can guarantee and handle whatever comes our way. We’ve been through 9/11, the 2007-08 financial crisis, first-term tariffs, COVID, global shutdowns, ongoing war, and now shifting tariffs. But here we are together at ASI Fort Worth – bring it on.”
On the closing day of the show, Torsten Gross, a marketing executive, competitive race car driver, charity founder and former comedian – who also happens to be a quadriplegic – delivered an electrifying keynote on turning perceived weaknesses into superpowers. Sharing his journey of resilience, he inspired attendees to reframe failures as opportunities, embrace creative solutions and push past limitations, before joining distributors on the show floor for a unique photo op with his Porsche race car.
Up Next: ASI Show Chicago
The ASI Show series continues in Chicago, July 22-24, 2025, at McCormick Place Convention Center, featuring more top suppliers, expert education and prime networking opportunities.
For more information on ASI Show, contact Andy Cohen at acohen@asicentral.com. For exhibiting details, contact Meghan DeFrancesco at mdefrancesco@asicentral.com. Visit asishow.com for the latest event updates.
About ASI Show
The ASI Show Family of Events features ASI Show, fASIlitate, Power House and ConneX, which foster business-building relationships among ASI distributor and supplier members. ASI Shows, the flagship series, are large-scale in-person convention center trade shows held in Orlando, Fort Worth and Chicago. The hosted-buyer events bring together the industry’s elite – top suppliers and highly qualified distributors – for three days of scheduled one-on-one meetings in select hotels across the country. ConneX is the largest hosted-buyer event in the promotional products industry. Visit asishow.com for more information on the full event portfolio.