After a seven-year hiatus, The Vernon Company’s (asi/351700) Brand Expo made a grand reentrance last month in Des Moines, IA, where leaders from across the industry gathered to showcase new products and emerging trends. 

Customers, suppliers and sales reps gathered at The Vernon Company’s (asi/351700) recent Brand Expo in Des Moines.

The Counselor Top 40 distributor welcomed nearly 150 customers and potential buyers to the event, which was hosted at the Des Moines Embassy Club West. On the trade show floor, 25 of Vernon’s top supplier partners showcased their newest and bestselling products.

Several event attendees echoed a common refrain: Live product demos are much more engaging than reading reviews online or in a catalog.

“Being able to touch and feel so many different promo items all in one place is by far the best way to make decisions,” said Jamie Lehr, strategic account manager for Counselor Top 40 supplier Cap America (asi/43792).

Mindy Benson, a sales representative at Vernon, added that the chance for clients to see products up close and collaborate in real time with line reps made the day especially valuable.

“It was a 10/10 day,” she said. “There’s nothing quite like experiencing product reviews firsthand versus online or in a catalog – total game changer.”

With so many industry insiders in one room, Vernon also took advantage of the opportunity to showcase its own product offerings. The company hosted its own booth featuring live product demos of the company’s newly launched on-demand merch store platform. It’s just one example of the 123-year-old family business’ digital transformation initiative, which also includes a new order entry system that integrates with ASI’s ESP+.

Based on reported 2024 North American promotional product revenue of $78.5 million, Vernon ranked 28th on Counselor’s most recent list of the industry’s largest distributors.