Making connections and saddling up cattle – that’s just some of the excitement that could be found at the ASI Show Fort Worth this year. After traveling to one of America’s largest growing cities for the show, attendees expressed newfound inspiration gleaned from the quality vendors, new products featured, and variety of growth-oriented events.

Taking place from March 4-6, the show kicked off with Education Day featuring engaging speakers and followed with two days of networking and product discovery. Promo professionals from 44 states and eight countries, including 281 women-owned and 112 minority-owned companies, were in attendance.

Christopher Bronner of Minuteman Press Fort Worth (asi/377204) said there was a great variety of quality vendors. “Every time we come here, we come out with incredible ideas for very specific customers,” he noted.

Bronner mentioned that a specific company focus is working with custom leatherwork vendors for high-end customers – something that he was able to find inspiration for on the show floor from various suppliers. He also was impressed by the drinkware products from AdNArt (asi/31518), such as their “Bestie Bottle” with animal head caps.

Taylor LePert, owner of LilyBelle Designs in Weatherford, TX, agreed. She also noticed new drinkware from Silipint (asi/87306), stating their clear cups, which look like glass but are actually made of silicone, sparked her interest.

LePert said that simply telling customers about the products doesn’t do the trick. “Customers want to feel and touch,” she said. “I love putting samples in the customers’ hand. At the shows, I see items I normally wouldn’t be able to find.”

Beyond the show floor, many attendees gained value from the Education Day’s speakers. Daniel McNamara, who heads corporate & promotional sales for Baton Rouge, LA-based Bayou Apparel (asi/134311), shared that he comes from a family business as a second-generation member. After attending Dr. Steven Treat’s workshop and hearing from the panel featuring members of the Cohn family, which owns ASI, on their secrets to generational success, he came out with the understanding that “clear communication and separating business and family is key, as hard as it is not to talk about business.” He was also enticed by custom inflatable floaties and metal work signs, stating they would be perfect products for his work in the education and sports sector.

And Sharon Napier, sales and marketing specialist with Media Forms Group (asi/266977) said that as someone relatively new to the industry, the speakers encouraged her to have the confidence to break out and be open to change. “A lesson I learned is don’t underestimate our customers. Don’t try to sell them a $2 product when they might be interested in $10 products,” she shared. Napier was excited by reusable water bottles that were timely and sustainable, as well as rain ponchos that would fit their buyer demographics in Boston.

For those who weren’t in attendance, here’s a round-up of all of ASI Media’s coverage from this year’s show:

Bruce Himelstein Reveals the Keys for Brand Transformation

A member of the American Marketing Hall of Fame who has 30 years of experience building luxury hospitality brands, Himelstein spoke about branding and disruption in his keynote talk, and shared how he helped transform the “dusty” image of The Ritz-Carlton.

Mimi Brown Delivers Strategies To Skyrocket Your Sales

The keynote speaker from the ASI Show’s first exhibit day delivered passion, personal stories and loads of actionable ideas, such as identifying the very first person you need to make a sale to, and how to define your distinctive difference.

The Cohn Family Shares Their Secrets of Generational Success

ASI Chairman Norman Cohn and his children, Vice Chairman Matthew Cohn and Corporate VP Stephanie Cohn Schaeffer, shared stories and lessons learned from a decades-long legacy in promo during the Education Day session.

Maximize the Power of Your Personality With Video Marketing

Martine Cadet, digital content marketing strategist at Kaderique Consulting Group, spoke about creating content to start a conversation, not just creating content for conversion. She also shared recommendations for AI-powered apps that can take most of the legwork out of content creation.

Build Relationships & Nurture Leads With Social Media

Jay Busselle, the managing partner of FLEXpoint Social Selling, showed how strategic targeted content can translate to consistent sales. He shared the biggest mistakes people can make and presented relationship-building techniques with social media that can help distributors curate 20 qualified leads per month.

Attendees Bullish About Sales in 2024

The show’s Education Day wrap-up touched on the industry’s outlook, Stanley, AI and tips from speakers. Attendees are predicting much higher sales for this year compared to 2023.

Hot Trends and New Products from Fort Worth

Drinkware innovations and compelling Made-in-the-USA options were among the top finds from the show floor, which featured a mix of suppliers from the Southwest and across the country.