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The Best of Both Worlds

Exhibitors and distributors enjoy the new TradeMarts/ASI Advantages Road Show

For the first time, distributors were able to see products from both the traditional forms and ad specialties industries thanks to the joint shows held by DMIA and ASI.

Sherry Perez, left, Digital Print Technologies, Norcross, Ga., and her friend, who is volunteering, discusses print business opportunities with promotional products distributors Bob and Crystal Burlow, of Burlow Promotions, Greensboro, N.C.

This year, DMIA offered something new when it teamed up with the Advertising Specialties Institute and held six of its TradeMarts in conjunction with the ASI’s Advantages Roadshow. (The six co-located shows took place in Charlotte, N.C., Atlanta, Secaucus, N.J., Philadelphia, Lisle, Ill., and Indianapolis.)

In crowded reception halls at hotels throughout the United States, distributors were able to see what’s new in both the forms industry and the promotional products arena. Attendees enjoyed free admission and access to both the TradeMart and the Advantage Roadshow exhibits. Exhibitors saw a new crop of potential clients. The decision to hold the two events jointly was received positively.

“I think it was a wise decision for DMIA to partner with ASI,” says Jim Foster, national accounts manager at TFP Data Systems, Carmel, N.Y. “It’s good for the association to respond to the changing industry, and there’s a good distributor base in Charlotte so that was a good place to kick it off,” says Foster, who has been attending trade shows since 1975.

“Having ASI here is going to bring in more people,” said Steven Bair, principal at Rapid Graphix Inc., Orlando. He attended both the TradeMarts in Georgia and North Carolina. “It will definitely increase attendance. The way I see it is that some of the distributors are ASI and DMIA members. I think they’d be more likely to show up to a trade show if they knew it was being sponsored by both.”

Bair noted that some promotional product distributors came to his booth expressing interest in index tabs and file folders. Rapid Graphix specializes in the medical market.

Some exhibitors noticed the difference in attendance numbers. “It seems to be a little busier than it was last year. I think it’s a bigger turnout,” says Jaime Cook out of Ennis’ Knoxville, Tenn. office. “We like to do both traditional forms and ad specialties because it’s good for us. We’re more with DMIA but we also work with ASI.”

Even attendees noted that the joint shows opened different possibilities to new products they could sell. “It’s new and its innovative to be able to broaden your scope a little,” says Chris Murray, principal at the distributorship JTA Enterprises and Promotionals, Atlanta. “I do work with Georgia colleges, and recently got a contract with the Black Family reunion. I’m trying to see where I can take the forms and labels and see how I can incorporate them with the rest of the products I sell.”

Upcoming TradeMarts

May 15	Ft. Lauderdale	Hilton Fort Lauderdale Airport
May 16	Tampa	Doubletree Westshore
May 22	Detroit	Sheraton Novi
May 23	Cincinnati	Sharonville Convention Center
June 5	Baltimore	Hilton BWI Airport
June 6	Boston	Lombardo’s Conference Center, Randolph, MA
June 12	Dallas	Sheraton Grand DFW
June 13	St. Louis	Crowne Plaza Airport

DMIA Services

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This is a desktop reference with step-by-step instructions on how to prepare graphic design files that will print without problems. Learn how to use page layout programs, make PDFs, manage fonts, and deal with file formats. The publication (item code DSGNPREP) costs $34.95 for members and $41.95 for non-members. For more information, call (800) 336-4641 or (703) 684-8495 (fax). Send email to Tina Davis at tdavis@PSDA.org.