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ASI Chicago Draws Nearly 5,000 Energetic, Enthusiastic Promo Pros

TREVOSE, PA – July 25, 2025

From gridiron to giveaways, Bears legend Brian Urlacher thrills crowd with behind-the-scenes stories of football and big brands

“Our show floor was packed with professionals eager to discover new products, sharpen their skills and connect with industry leaders.”
– ASI CEO Tim Andrews

The Advertising Specialty Institute® (ASI), the leading authority in the $26.6 billion promotional products industry, today announced the successful conclusion of ASI Chicago, the Midwest’s largest promotional products trade show and the final major industry event of 2025.

Held July 22–24 at McCormick Place Convention Center, North America’s largest convention venue, ASI Chicago attracted nearly 5,000 enthusiastic promo professionals, including 12 large distributor groups such as HALO, AIM and Deluxe/Safeguard. The bustling show floor featured 75% of the Counselor Top 40 suppliers, plus 72 first-time exhibitors, offering attendees fresh product ideas and powerful networking opportunities.

The show included 361 women- and 195 minority-owned companies, 403 companies from Illinois, all 50 states and 17 countries.

“This year’s ASI Chicago was electric,” said Timothy M. Andrews, ASI president and chief executive officer. “From the moment the doors opened, the energy was palpable. Our show floor was packed with professionals eager to discover new products, sharpen their skills and connect with industry leaders. It’s clear the promo industry is thriving and ASI is proud to host such a dynamic, forward-looking event.”

A highlight of the 26th annual ASI Chicago trade show was a lively appearance by Chicago Bears legend and Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher, who shared branding insights and personal stories during an on-stage Q&A with Andrews. Urlacher tossed autographed footballs into a roaring crowd and spoke about his experiences with promotional products, saying, “You look for what stuff you’ll actually use, what stuff you’ll actually wear.” He praised branded golf items and emphasized the value of personal branding. “Your brand is worth a lot,” he said.

Attendees were thrilled, including those at the keynote. “Urlacher was my childhood idol. It was a big surprise he was here,” said Josh Gingerich of Pinnacle Point Graphics (asi/581910) in Arthur, IL. “I enjoyed the football aspect but appreciated more hearing about what he’s doing now since we can incorporate it into our day-to-day business.”

Distributor feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Ally Rock, of Ally Rock Co. (asi/119078) in Troy, MI, who said, “This was my first ASI show and it was great,” she said. “Very well put together, well organized, liked the location, very convenient. Nice to see all the apparel options here. I attended as many learning opportunities as possible and really enjoyed the New Product Preview Reception.”

Suppliers appreciated the busy show floor. “The traffic was amazing and there was a ton of participation,” said Brian Stidham, of Indianapolis-based EMT (asi/52263). “I also appreciated the number of high-caliber distributors here. Plus, there were a lot of new distributors to meet.”

For EMT’s Whitney Adcox, the ASI Show app got A+ marks. “Really liked the push notifications and getting the pre-loaded hand-outs from education. And the therapy dogs were great stress relievers!”

Highlights from ASI Chicago 2025:

  • The launch of the ASI Learning Network, a free, on-demand education platform powered by advanced technology, reflecting ASI’s commitment to modernizing industry education.
  • 26 expert-led classes in sales, marketing, decoration, social media and more offered during ASI Education Day.
  • ESP+ demos introduced new features like real-time supplier visibility, inventory management, and custom presentation templates.
  • The New Product Preview Reception featured an all-time high of 50 suppliers showcasing the latest innovations.
  • The Breakfast Brainstorm session encouraged collaborative problem-solving and a special preview of the 2025 State of the Industry report, posting online July 26 at asicentral.com/news.
  • ASI’s sustainability efforts included badge recycling stations, eco-friendly water bottles from PATHwater, and recyclable signage.
  • The 2025 Counselor Awards were presented Wednesday night at a celebratory ceremony, honouring industry trailblazers like Justin Zavadil, president of American Solutions for Business (ASB, asi/120075), named Counselor Person of the Year.
  • Attendees played with dogs at the Canine Comfort Zone, with donations supporting the Chicago-based Canine Therapy Corps. and matched by ASI.
  • The ASI Gala at Punch Bowl Social offered bowling, karaoke, arcade games, dinner and networking for hundreds of guests.

The ASI Show series continues in 2026 with:

  • ASI Orlando, Orange County Convention Center, January 5-7, 2026. Register now.
  • ASI Fort Worth, Fort Worth Convention Center, March 9-11, 2026
  • ASI Chicago, McCormick Place, July 21-23, 2026

For more information on ASI Show, contact Andy Cohen at [email protected]. For exhibiting details, contact Meghan DeFrancesco at [email protected]. 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.