Promo veterans and industry newcomers alike gathered at the CBS Arena in Coventry, England, for Merchandise World, the U.K.’s largest annual trade exhibition. The show welcomed 950 visitors on day one – marking the show’s highest day-one attendance ever recorded – and 450 visitors on day two.
With representation from across Ireland and the U.K., mainland Europe, and the United States, Merch World delivered its strongest January performance since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our team works exceptionally hard to deliver an event that genuinely adds value, and it’s hugely encouraging to see the show continuing to grow in both scale and quality,” said Ella Long, the organizer of Merch World. “My greatest satisfaction comes from watching real business being done and meaningful relationships being strengthened.”
The show is hosted by Sourcing City – one of ASI’s strategic partners and a member of PromoAlliance – and The British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA). ASI President and CEO Tim Andrews, SVP of Content and Global Alliances Michele Bell, and Senior Executive Director of Research and Data Analytics Nate Kucsma all attended the show.
“Spending the week at the Merchandise World show in Coventry was a powerful reminder of how global the promotional products industry has become,” Andrews said. “It was energizing to connect with international promo leaders, see European product trends firsthand alongside new and old friends and celebrate the show’s record-breaking attendance. The show underscored the strength of the PromoAlliance partnership among ASI, PSI and Sourcing City.”
Product Innovations Across the Show Floor
Close to 200 exhibitors participated in this year’s event – including 23 first-time exhibitors. But it wasn’t simply about quantity; the quality of the products exhibited – and the care with which they were produced – left many of the show’s attendees inspired.
“While many products such as water bottles and notebooks are familiar to us, what is really impressive is the sophisticated technology now available for printing. These processes really do bring products to life,” said Mick Humphries, sales director at TC Branding and a returning attendee to the show. “The quality and sophistication of tech products at the show increases every year.”
He added that almost every single exhibitor featured examples within the sustainability category, indicating “how seriously this industry is about climate change.”
Recognizing Promo Industry Leaders
In addition to the Merch World festivities, BPMA hosted a sold-out awards dinner recognizing standout promo leaders across the industry. The awards dinner was held in the evening after the first day of Merch World, and sold out with 600 people in attendance.
A total of 17 awards were presented during the evening, including supplier of the year, distributor of the year, marketing campaign of the year and a lifetime achievement award. Two new awards were also introduced this year: the BPMA Emerging Talent Award, recognizing individuals who have entered the industry within the last three years, and the BPMA Recognition Award, honoring longer-standing individuals who have made a notable impact. The full list of winners can be found here.
Sparking Industry Connections
For Sarah Howarth of Wild Thang (asi/ 360233), Merch World is a marked date in the company calendar – or diary, to stick to the British lingo.
“[The show] brings our team together, from directors to newer team members, to focus on product innovation, education, partnerships and – most importantly – team building,” she said. “Stepping away from the day-to-day creates space for clarity, idea sharing and the blue-sky thinking that drives innovation and growth.”
In a LinkedIn post recapping the event, Strategy Director at Sourcing City Alistair Mylchreest noted that “despite a tough economic backdrop, the show floor was buzzing – full aisles, meaningful conversations and real business being done.”
Reid Jacoby, co-founder of Gilley, attended his second-ever Merch World this year as a first-time exhibitor with the goal of building out Gilley’s presence as a relatively new umbrella supplier. He left with connections and business opportunities aplenty.
“There was a strong showing with plenty of traffic from existing relationships and lots of new faces as well,” he said. “The U.K. market is clearly open to innovative products and Merchandise World is where distributors go to find them. There was a great mix of distributors by size and clientele, so I’m excited to have a lot of upcoming opportunities after the show.”
Meanwhile, Jeff Roberts, the CEO of U.S. supplier iClick (asi/62124), came home energized after attending his first-ever Merch World.
“We met several of our U.S. customers through their U.K. offices, which reinforced how our industry is increasingly operating on a global scale,” Roberts said. “It was my first time attending the show, I look forward to attending many more in the future.”
Next year’s Merchandise World is scheduled for Wednesday, January 20, and Thursday, January 21, 2027, and will be held once again at the CBS Arena in Coventry.
