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Friday
February 18, 2011 Laura Bush Inspires Dallas CrowdFiled under: ASI Shows, Members, News About ASI Former first lady Laura Bush wowed a standing room only crowd of nearly 600 at our keynote address in Dallas Friday morning. The audience laughed, cried – and gave her several standing ovations. Mrs. Bush described life in and out of the White House and spoke of finding her identity as First Lady through advocacy on issues near to her heart, such as improving education, literacy initiatives and enhancing the lives of women around the world through education and health awareness. “To sit here and hear her say that we’re women and we can do anything and this is a women’s world was moving,” said Norma Westphal of Proforma JETT Eagle Advertising. “She made me cry.” She got a huge laugh when she showed off her favorite promotional item – a Laura Bush bobblehead (pictured) her aides found in a Washington, D.C. gift shop shortly after the Bush presidency ended. The worst part? The bobblehead was already on the discount rack. Mrs. Bush also spoke of her first night in the White House. After a whirlwind of inaugural balls, she lay down with aching feet and felt only peace because her immediate family was safe and together. “How often do you have nearly everyone you love under one roof?” she asked. She spoke movingly of the turbulent times surrounding September 11, and recounted how a secret service agent first informed her of the attacks. She said she sat stricken with Senator Ted Kennedy in his office as the scope of the tragedy became clear and that night she and her husband hunkered in a subterranean bunker, fearing a direct attack on the White House. “We awoke on September 12 to a different life,” she said. In addition, she mentioned the personal pain her husband felt when he talked with families of military personnel killed in Iraq. Mrs. Bush also discussed her Texas roots and said she and her husband were glad to be living again in the place they’ve always thought of as home.” We’re living the afterlife in a state George calls the promised land,” said Mrs. Bush. She was a genuine crowd-pleaser. “I really liked her humor and all the tidbits about her life that she shared,” said Martha Smith of AIA/RC Sales. During an afternoon keynote, Mrs. Bush addressed attendees at ASI’s second annual Women’s Summit at the Adolphus Hotel. Highlights included her thoughts on how empowering women is the most effective way to improve a society’s quality of life. She also shared details of her initiatives as first lady, such as advocating for women’s rights in Afghanistan and promoting women’s health. If you were at the keynotes, let me know what you thought by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Friday
February 18, 2011 Lights, Camera, Action from DallasFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, Media Coverage, Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties We’re enjoying a terrific show in Dallas this week and if you’re not there, ASI TV is a great way to keep in touch with all the excitement. First up, a recap of my Town Hall meeting. At each show, I open the floor up to questions so we can discuss the industry’s most pressing issues and look for solutions that serve all of us. In Dallas, we tackled the rising cost of cotton, the best use of video – and more. Click here to join the action. Next, I took a look at innovative pet products, which are virtually recession-proof, according to Counselor magazine. Check out:
Click here for a purr-fect video recap. Finally, if you missed the first segment WFAA-TV broadcast from the show floor Thursday morning, check out their second interview with Promo Man by clicking here. Last night, we celebrated at the Ultimate Texas Bash at Eddie Deen’s ranch. As you can see from the photos posted here, we were definitely livin’ large. For more pics, check out www.asicentral.com. Let me know your favorite part of the Dallas show by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
February 17, 2011 Promo Products Star in DallasFiled under: ASI Shows, Industry Initiatives, Media Coverage, Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties Look! What’s that, up in the sky? A bird? A plane? No, wait, it’s Promo Man! And he’s flying straight to a television set near you. Promo Man – the new superhero of the promotional products industry – had his TV debut Thursday on a morning show broadcast by the ABC affiliate in Dallas. Direct from the ASI Show floor in the Dallas Convention Center, Promo Man showed off some of the hot products being showcased during this week’s Texas trade show. Promo Man’s TV appearance is all part of ASI’s on-going public relations efforts to educate end-buyers on the power of promotional products. To see the clip, click here. Reporter Wyatt Goolsby took his Instant Live 8 camera to the convention center at 4:30 a.m. to get ready for on-site cutaways throughout WFAA-TV’s 5-7 a.m. morning show. Promo Man demonstrated numerous products for the Dallas TV audience, including the ride-on beer cooler from Cruzin Cooler (asi/47747) and solar-powered briefcase from Golden Pacific (asi/55549). All in all, it was great publicity for the industry. WFAA serves the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, one of the top ten media markets in North America. I’ll keep you posted on other Promo Man appearances. For now, keep checking the skyline. If you’re at the show, let me know what you think so far by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
February 10, 2011 All’s Fair in Love and Promo ProductsFiled under: Members, News About ASI, Using Ad Specialties No matter how you celebrate “love and affection between intimate companions” – the official Wikipedia definition of Valentine’s Day – you might get some fresh ideas after browsing our annual top 10 list of sexiest products. There is really no end to creativity when it comes to romance – and promo products. Consider the chocolate lip balm, feathered bikini top and edible bubble bath on our list and think about ways clients could use them in special, themed promotions. For a YouTube video featuring a demo of some of the products, click here. For photos and info, click here. Whether your intimate companion is a special spouse or a beloved calico cat, I hope you enjoy this year’s list:
Let me know how you celebrate the special day by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Thursday
February 3, 2011 Super Bowl Means Super BucksFiled under: Industry Initiatives, Members, News About ASI No matter who wins the Super Bowl, it’s clear one industry will emerge a winner no matter who takes home the fancy rings: the ad specialty industry. We spoke to a number of companies that are working overtime to produce everything from official Super Bowl jackets and fan-favorite foam fingers to title towels and T-shirts. We were so impressed with the massive output, we put out a press release detailing who’s doing what. It’s all part of ASI’s ongoing effort to publicize our industry to end-buyers. Click here to check out recent press coverage and to read some of our many press releases. The bottom line when it comes to major sporting events is that a big game means big bucks for promotional products companies. Jim Silver of Pittsburgh, PA-based Precision Screen Printing (asi/603946) says his company will produce 25,000 to 35,000 T-shirts by devoting two presses and 14 people over a 36-hour period. Another company in Steelers territory, All Pro Embroidery, produced about 40,000 T-shirts leading up to the game and expects to print 20,000 more if their team wins. More than 2,000 jackets are expected to be ordered online immediately following the big game. “Craftsman-style Super Bowl jackets, our most popular item, are decorated on-demand and shipped within 48 hours directly to the fan,” said Matt Gray, chief operating officer of Dunbrooke Apparel Corp. (asi/50930), a leading supplier of NFL jackets under its licensing agreement with Reebok and the National Football League. “We bring in 12-hour nightshift crews to man the 250 embroidery-machine heads and begin the process the minute the final game whistle blows.” Dallas, TX-based Purple Giraffe (asi/80086) is operating 16 hours a day to produce packaged T-shirts in the shapes of footballs, postcards and DVD cases, as well as to put Super Bowl T-shirts into Pepsi bottles. “We’ll make enough money to pay owner and general manager Jerry Jones for signage rights to the new Cowboys Stadium,” joked manager Robbie Weinberg. “Just kidding, Jerry.” In a nod to the record-breaking cold snap in Dallas, Purple Giraffe is also selling quite a few iBEANi’s (beanie caps with built-in iPod speakers). They even scored Martellus Bennett, tight end for the Dallas Cowboys, pictured above, to pitch them. In addition, sports-related products provided by ASI member companies include watches from Fossil (asi/55145), a cooler shaped like a helmet from America Zebra Line (asi/35745), a helmet snack server (chips stay in the top and dip goes in the facemask) from LarLu Display-Tec (asi/66390), and oversized, logoed cowboy hats from Spirit Industries (asi/88740). “It’s great for our industry,” said Joe Durand, senior VP of LarLu (asi/66390), an officially licensed provider of the Green Bay Packers’ Titletown Towel and the Pittsburgh Steelers Terrible Towel for Super Bowl XLV. McArthur Towel & Sports, a LarLu company, has produced the renowned yellow towels fans have waved at Pittsburgh Steelers games for the last 14 years. Recently, the company was also licensed to bring back a new version of the Green Bay Packers Title Towel. “The towel is a tremendous sponsor product with excellent visibility at sporting events,” Durand told us. McArthur will work around the clock to produce the Super Bowl XLV Trophy Towels that will be used during the on-field celebration. Let me know if your company jumped into the game by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Friday
January 28, 2011 Showcasing Award-Winning OriginalityFiled under: ASI Shows, Members The ingenuity of product design never fails to amaze me, but I’m particularly impressed by the clever designs companies in our industry employ that really set them apart. From our show floor in Orlando, I sampled some of the products highlighted during the Counselor Distributor Choice Awards. Talk about creative! Click here to watch a Tim’s Take video featuring products from this year’s winning companies, including: Hit Promotional Products (asi/61125), Supplier of the Year:
iClick (asi/62124), winner of the USB Drives category:
Ariel Premium Supply (asi/36730), winner of the Stress Reliever category:
Leeds (asi/66887), a 7-category winner:
For the full list of most-valued ASI suppliers in 54 product categories (as determined by ASI Supplier Performance Ratings and distributor votes) and to view photos from the awards ceremony, click here. Did you see a really cool product in Orlando? Let me know by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Tuesday
January 25, 2011 Orlando Attendance Soars 38% to New RecordFiled under: ASI Shows, Community, Education, Members, News About ASI The doors are closed and the results are in. The ASI Show Orlando posted record-breaking attendance of more than 6,110 distributors, up 38% from last year and up 5% from the prior record. What a show! It’s clear we’re charging into 2011 pumped up by big attendance numbers and a re-energized industry. It’s also clear that ASI Orlando has developed into the leading East Coast show in January, drawing from distributors across the country. And the number of suppliers exhibiting this year is up nearly 10%, which reflects their recognition of the power of ASI Shows across the board. Suppliers tell us Orlando was one of the busiest industry shows in recent memory. We think you’ll agree that pushing the dates a few weeks later in January made a world of difference, allowing everyone time to calm down after the excitement of the holiday season. Equally as important is the economic up tick we reported today in PromoGram. There’s no doubt the industry is finally in rebound. Throughout the show – from a record-breaking Education Day through the Counselor Distributor Choice Awards, the Gala Celebration and the Michael J. Fox keynote – the feedback we’ve received has been enormously satisfying. Jason Grindall, from Graphco Line (asi/57956) said, “We saw more distributors here at ASI Orlando during the first day alone than we did during the entire PPAI show. We’re leaving with quality leads and have spent time with many wonderful people.” Mary Ellen Nichols, from supplier Bodek & Rhodes (asi/40788), loved the incredible volume of distributors and quality attendees while David Regan, from The Vernon Group (asi/351700) called the show “a great way to start the year.” We had a blast last night along with 1,700 others who attended an exclusive networking Gala Celebration at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. Les Kania, from Imprinted Specialty Products (asi/23070), put it perfectly: “This is the way to go to an amusement park. The bars are open, the lines are short and the food is good. It’s a terrific evening.” Click here for full video coverage of ASI Show Orlando. Click here for pics of our fashion show. And don’t forget to register today for the ASI Show in Dallas, Wednesday, February 16-Friday, February 18, and the ASI Show in New York, Tuesday, March 22-Wednesday, March 24, at www.asishow.com. Let me know your thoughts on Orlando by posting a comment or emailing me here. I’m also on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. |
