Promo purchasing organization Universal Unilink (asi/526000) drew nearly 80 attendees at its Universal Connect 2026 event, an annual speed dating-style hosted-buyer conference for its member companies and supplier partners.

This year’s event was held in Greenville, SC, with organizers reporting that distributor member sign-ups filled faster than any previous Universal Connect event.

“Universal Connect is designed to create measurable business value for both our members and suppliers,” said Universal Unilink President Sherryl Stoner. “The focused one-on-one meeting structure helps distributors discover new opportunities, strengthen supplier relationships, improve operational efficiency and identify profitable product categories that directly support long-term growth.”

Jonathan Isaacson, executive chair at Counselor Top 40 supplier Gemline (asi/56070) presented to attendees at Universal Connect 2026.

In addition to a number of education sessions and the facilitation of one-on-one distributor-supplier meetings, Universal Unilink also recognized the following supplier and member firms with awards:

• Velocity Award for Apparel Suppliers: Momentec Brands (asi/37461)
• Velocity Award for Hard Goods Suppliers: Counselor Top 40 supplier HPG (asi/61966)
• Supplier of the Year in Hard Goods: Counselor Top 40 supplier Koozie Group (asi/40480)
• Supplier of the Year in Apparel: Counselor Top 40 supplier S&S Activewear (asi/84358)
• Innovative Supplier of the Year Award: Counselor Top 40 supplier Gemline (asi/56070)
• Member of the Year Award: Benson Integrated Marketing Solutions
• Patron Award: JIM Promotions & Uniforms

“Our members and suppliers are truly the reason Universal Unilink exists,” said Allan Fowler, the owner of Universal Unilink. “The relationships built over the years are what make this organization special. Seeing everyone come together to share ideas, support one another and grow together is incredibly rewarding, and we deeply appreciate the trust our members and suppliers place in us.”