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Strategy August 25, 2021

A Look at Live Events

As people gather again for ball games and conventions, promo remains an integral part of any event.

By  ASI Media Staff

Live events are the lifeblood of the promotional products industry. Large gatherings – from the stadium to the city streets to the tradeshow floor – teem with both people and promo. Of course, that all disappeared in 2020.

This year, live events have finally returned. Even as delta cases soar and uncertainty once again grips our society, many organizers are forging ahead with the events that were dearly missed the previous year.

To get a feel for how these events are operating in 2021, we sent reporters to three different locations in the middle of the summer. While some things were certainly different, there were many others that felt quite familiar – including the ever-constant presence of promo.

Baseball: A Stadium Full of Home-Run Promos

For Dylan, merch was at the top of the menu.

Dyl is my middle son – a 10-year-old sports fanatic who plays baseball, football and basketball. While we’ve kept up playing in our local leagues through most of the pandemic, we haven’t attended a professional/college game since before COVID-19.

My son Dylan outside the away team’s bullpen, sporting the Trenton Thunder hat he’d just purchased in the team store.

My son Dylan outside the away team’s bullpen, sporting the Trenton Thunder hat he’d just purchased in the team store.

I told Dyl that’d be changing and we’d be easing back into live sports attendance with a visit to the nearby Trenton Thunder of Major League Baseball’s Draft League. He responded with a jump and a fist pump, an exclamation of “yes!!” and four rapid fire questions: 1. Who’re they playing? 2. Who’s pitching? 3. Can I get a hat and a jersey? 4. Are they giving away a bobblehead?

The salient takeaway: Two of his top four concerns regarded branded merchandise. For a dad who works in the promotional products industry, the heart warmed a bit.

Anyhow, the Thunder didn’t disappoint – both on the field with a win and in the swag department. Firstly, there was a mystery bobblehead giveaway.

As we entered the ballpark, we each received bobbleheads packaged in Thunder-branded boxes (the steward was nice enough to overlook the age-13-and-up requirement, apparently). I got Rookie, a dog who has served as a Thunder mascot and sometime bat boy. The Arm & Hammer doggie scarf around his neck was a nod to the fact that the Thunder play in Arm & Hammer Park. Dyl scored Robinson Cano, a big leaguer who played at Trenton during his Minor League days. Dyl ended up with both after he told me, “I want them for my collection, Dad.”

Our mystery bobbleheads from the Trenton Thunder game.

Our mystery bobbleheads from the Trenton Thunder game.

The giveaways didn’t end there. Providing leis to go with a “beach day” theme, the team ran a raffle in which they gave out a red beachy Thunder jersey. Alas, we didn’t win, but we dug the look for its campy, novelty quality.

The Thunder were raffling this jersey as part of a beach-day game theme.

The Thunder were raffling this jersey as part of a beach-day game theme.

Another in-game giveaway came not from the Thunder, but a local dentist’s office. A young fan won “smile of the game” – or something like that – and received a T-shirt and other swag from the dentist. The happy kid – and the dentist’s logoed shirt – were featured on the stadium’s screen.

A young fan won this T-shirt and other merch from a local dentist’s office during the game.

A young fan won this T-shirt and other merch from a local dentist’s office during the game.

Admittedly, attendance at the game was low. Maybe because it was a perfect beach day, or that 45 minutes south the Philadelphia Phillies were playing the New York Mets for first place. Nonetheless, the light attendance didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of those who were there when the Thunder started slinging free T-shirts into the stands:

Promo products at the game weren’t just about giveaways, though. There were, for instance, inflatables outside the park, creating photo opportunities that could be shared on social media and thus help extend the Thunder’s brand.

Branded inflatable

Branded inflatable outside Arm & Hammer Park.

Of course, the motherload of merch was in the team’s on-site retail store. It’s where we spent a good 20 minutes deciding which of the many hats Dyl would buy. He went for a dark, wicking curved-bill New Era style that featured the Thunder logo of a muscly anthropomorphic cloud swinging a lightning bolt as a bat. 

Dyl got this hat from the Thunder’s merch store. He hasn’t stopped wearing it. In fact, he wore it to bed the night of the game.

Dyl got this hat from the Thunder’s merch store. He hasn’t stopped wearing it. In fact, he wore it to bed the night of the game. (Gross.)

The store was also filled with jerseys, T-shirts, fleeces, branded baseballs, quarter zips, foam fingers and more

Promo products were in abundance at the game.

Promo products were in abundance at the game.

Promo products were in abundance at the game.

Bottom line: Promo products were in abundance at the game. And whenever Dyl and I look at the bobbleheads or his Thunder hat, we’ll remember the first live game we saw together following the COVID shutdowns. Here’s to many more. – Christopher Ruvo

Convention: Promos Are Super at Atlanta Comic Con

As large-scale events begin to return all over the country, it’s giving new life to promotional products. Such was the case in Atlanta at the annual ATL Comic Convention, which took place at the Georgia World Congress Center from August 6-8.

The ATL Comic Con was started by Imaginarium in 2018, which also hosts similar events in Tampa Bay and Indiana. Cancelled last year, the convention returned in force as thousands of fans and consumers of comics, anime, cosplay and pop culture were present. Batman to Dragon Ball Z to Star Wars to The Office and everything in between could be found.

The floor of the World Congress Center was filled with vendors peddling comics, art and collector’s items. Other products such as T-shirts, heat-transfer patches, keychains, stickers and decorative bookmarks were also plentiful at the convention. And there were unique items too, including cutlery sets and homemade soap.

Custom license plates from Lonewolf Customs featured classic comics and movie logos.

Custom license plates from Lonewolf Customs featured classic comics and movie logos.

There were also some smaller, more local vendors with their own unique and useful products. One company in Atlanta, Lonewolf Customs, specializes in handcrafting, casting and painting. It sells T-shirts and custom license plates, along with “Remove Before Flight” tags customized to franchises like Star Wars and HALO – not to mention more exotic fare, like Mandalorian helmets.

Kapacks’ hard-shell backpacks are available in various colors and designs. Some even come with Baby Yoda.

Kapacks’ hard-shell backpacks are available in various colors and designs. Some even come with Baby Yoda.

Kapacks, another local vendor from Canton, GA, sells protective backpacks made with the same material used for car bumpers. While some backpacks mimic looks like Darth Vader’s chest buttons, others are offered in general shapes with custom stickers that buyers can place as they like.

Giveaways were plentiful as well. One booth was promoting Sgt. Stubby, An American Hero – an animated film based on a real-life story of a stray bull terrier that became the military’s most decorated dog. At the table were bandanas, mug covers and small tags, demonstrating again how promo thrived throughout the weekend.

TeeMinus24 offered an array of diverse and fun shirts.

TeeMinus24 offered an array of diverse and fun shirts.

The fandom that surrounds comics is one that comes with passion and commitment, which was reflected in the promotional products at the Comic Con. – Roderick Diamond II

Pro Wrestling: Merch That Goes to the Mat

As “Fortunate Son” filled the air, a camouflaged King Tek marched out from the curtain. Standing 5’5” and weighing no more than 150 pounds soaking wet, the 20-year veteran of the wrestling mat looked like a child compared to his 400-pound opponent, a behemoth who simply goes by the name of Hedges. They proceeded to wage war, bashing each other with steel chairs, trash cans and anything else that wasn’t nailed down. The highlight of the match was Hedges slamming Tek through two tables to the roar of the crowd.

UWA Elite kicked off its 20th year in April, holding its first pro wrestling event since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Instead of its home base of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in South River, NJ, the company moved the action two miles away to outside the VFW, where fans have plenty of space to remain socially distant (and unmasked) if they so choose. About 70 people came out to the most recent event in July, down from 100 in April and the pre-COVID average of 150.

UWA Elite relies upon branded merch like T-shirts to spread awareness of the independent wrestling company.

UWA Elite relies upon branded merch like T-shirts to spread awareness of the independent wrestling company. 

Despite the dwindling attendance, fans remain supportive of their favorite wrestlers. Before the show and during intermission, people lined up at the merchandise tables, hoping to interact with the stars while snagging branded T-shirts, wristbands, baseball caps, stickers and other items. For these performers in the minor leagues (who lack the fat contracts they’d have with televised companies), promotional products account for a large part of their income. Last year, these independent wrestlers relied on selling their merch online when there were no events.

Wrestlers and fans alike sport UWA Elite branded wristbands to show their support.

Wrestlers and fans alike sport UWA Elite branded wristbands to show their support. 

Aside from moving outdoors and having to end the show before the sun goes down, nothing has really changed for UWA Elite. The company has maintained its social media presence, presenting storylines between events so fans know who to cheer and to boo when it’s time for the matches. And this year, the company was able to return to the Middlesex County Fair, which was canceled last August due to the pandemic. All week long, UWA Elite hosted a 24-man tournament in honor of “DynaMike” Davis, a beloved wrestler who was murdered in 2016.

Says Dave Swan, owner of UWA Elite, “It’s without a doubt our biggest showcase of the year.” – John Corrigan