If there are two words to describe the 2025 Merchandise World show, held last week in Coventry, England, they were “collaboration” and “celebration.”

With the best attendee numbers since COVID took hold in March of 2020, nearly 1,500 visitors from approximately 600 distributor companies traveled from across the U.K. and Ireland to attend the show. Though it bears noting there were also distributor visitors from the EU & USA, many of whom were looking for U.K. distributors with whom to partner to handle the promo needs of clients with global business.

Rob Watson, the CEO of Counselor Top 40 supplier Vantage Apparel (asi/93390), attended the show for the first time to support Vantage’s European partner, LYNKA, based in Krakow, Poland. “I thought Merchandise World was strongly attended, with distributors wanting to have long, in-depth, meaningful conversations in the booth versus the American counterpart of scan, grab a catalog and go,” Watson said. “The U.K. promo market, like their counterparts in the EU, are leaders in sustainability – both from their knowledge of product and its impact on the environment.”

Watson noted that the U.K. market has a fully transparent supply chain, which allows for stronger partnerships between the supplier, distributor and their end-users. “Distributors are not reluctant to share the details of their projects – such as the clients and project scope – and welcome suppliers to join their pitch to the client,” he said. “There’s a strong opportunity to expand our resources in technology (U.S.) and sustainability (U.K.) to provide global solutions and a desire for expansion – both ways: U.S. to Europe and Europe to U.S. And those who harness these alliances will be global leaders in our space.”

Sourcing City’s Jason Grenham and ASI’s Michele Bell hosted a PromoAlliance reception at the 14th century St. Mary’s Guildhall in old town Coventry, England, to kick off the 2025 Merchandise World show. With nearly 60 promo pros from the U.K., U.S. and EU in attendance, the only thing missing was the third partner in the PromoAlliance trio, PSI’s Petra Lassahn and Viola Proietti.

With U.K. distributors’ collective sales at approximately $2 billion in 2023, the U.K. is the second-largest market for promo, according to ASI’s annual International Promo Sales report.

“Merchandise World is always a must for me and the team – it’s been in our diary for years, and for good reason,” said Sarah Howarth, customer success and commercial director for U.K. distributor Wild Thang (asi/360233). “It’s our chance to keep learning, get inspired by the latest products and designs and, most importantly, connect with our amazing partners face to face. The event just keeps getting better, and the awards evening is the perfect way to strengthen those relationships. Nothing beats real conversations and building that synergy in person.”

A sure sign it’s going to be a great show? A line of people waiting to get their badges that stretched out the front door on opening morning. The line moved quickly, thanks to the professionalism of Sourcing City’s Ella Long and her team at the registration area.

The show featured 174 exhibitors, including 18 new suppliers over the previous year, and overseas exhibitors represented 20% of the suppliers displaying their items. Show organizers at Sourcing City noted that several of these exhibitors presented products or services not readily available through U.K. suppliers, with others offering EU-based services enabling distributors to order and deliver directly within the EU.

The always-amazing team at Sourcing City, ASI’s U.K. partner in PromoAlliance. Sourcing City had a huge tech launch at the show, “Dynamic Highway,” streamlining connections and order efficiencies between U.K. suppliers and distributors.

Without question, the trend for new products to be environmentally friendly was ubiquitous, and some U.K. distributors and suppliers who attended the PPAI Show earlier this month noted the significant and noticeable difference in the offerings between U.K. and EU suppliers – whose eco offerings are governed by high legal standards and mandates – and those of U.S. suppliers.

“Merchandise World is our chance to keep learning, get inspired by the latest products and, most importantly, connect with our amazing partners face to face. The event just keeps getting better and nothing beats real conversations and building that synergy in person.” Sarah Howarth, Wild Thang Promotions (asi/360233)

The Power of In-Person Events

A tradition at Merchandise World, co-owned by Sourcing City – ASI’s partner in PromoAlliance with PSI – and the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA), which celebrated its 60th anniversary at the show, free breakfast and lunch is offered each day of the show, as well as roving “tea trolleys” serving complimentary beverages and “Massage Angels,” providing quick shoulder and back massages in the designated rest area.

The phenomenal BPMA team, led by Tom Robey (left) and CEO Phil Goodman, not only organized and hosted a festive and memorable awards dinner, but decked out their booth with promo memorabilia to celebrate the British promo association’s 60th anniversary.

“Merchandise World was incredible this year – amazing atmosphere, lots of new exhibitors and as always, a great chance to reconnect with current suppliers. It’s like catching up with old friends every time,” said distributor Andrew Turner, CEO of AMT Marketing Ltd. “The BPMA awards dinner never disappoints, with a fantastic turnout and that guaranteed a party vibe. I’m already looking forward to 2026.”

The week of the show started with a reception hosted by PromoAlliance – the global networking initiative consisting of ASI, Sourcing City and PSI – held in St. Mary’s Guildhall, a 700-year-old structure in the old town part of Coventry. Approximately 80 U.K., U.S. and EU promo pros gathered to socialize, relax and talk about cross-border collaboration over food and drinks.

The XD Connects booth was as expansive as it was consistently packed, due, no doubt, to the company’s ability to have eco passports and tracking on its stunning product line. Albert van der Veen, the company’s CEO, was the recipient of Counselor magazine’s 2024 Sustainability Advocate of the Year award.

“For me, the three days were fantastic,” said Ryan Askew, managing director of U.K. distributor Premier Promotional Gifts. “PromoAlliance hosted a great event in a beautiful venue perfect to network and share a bite to eat with friends. The show itself, as ever, was executed to perfection. Slick, stylish and captivating. There was a wide range of suppliers exhibiting new products and technologies on some seriously impressive stands. For me the highlight was that it was clear the vast time, cost and effort that had gone in to developing some real, credible, sustainable products and services. Furthermore was the uptick in higher quality, more considered products – moving away from the low cost, high volume, dubious quality giveaways of the past.”

A first-time exhibitor at the Merchandise World show, Belgian apparel wholesaler Stanley Stella (asi/89011) – a company that specializes in sustainable fabrics and quality design – crafted its well-trafficked booth to look like a fashionable retail boutique.

And though Askew referred to Merchandise World as a “class-leading event” due to its organization, free entry, free parking, free meals and the opportunity to meet with the vast majority of the industry value chain, he did have a note of constructive criticism: “My one complaint, with my B Corp hat on, is the huge amount of waste generated in all the food packaging, drinks bottles, disposables and exhibition gear,” he said. “For example, as great as pink carpets look, two days of use then straight to landfill makes me feel a bit sick.”

Andy Francis, director of the U.K. distributor ESM Branding, maintained that the show was a triumph for niche vendors. “With the big players, Merch World, for me anyway, has always been about reinforcing relationships rather than about the product. Spending time on the biggest stands is crucial but that time isn’t spent discussing product,” he said. “The biggest success for ESM was cruising around the tiniest stands to meet the smaller suppliers who are just looking to carve themselves a niche. It’s also those guys that will pour their love into the products, so you know it’s come from the heart with sustainability front and center. They’re the vendors that get me buzzing.”

BPMA’s Awards Dinner: Absolutely Fabulous

The big highlight of the annual Merchandise World show is the formal awards dinner, organized and hosted by BMPA, the U.K.’s nonprofit promo trade association. With awards presented in categories like Supplier and Distributor of the Year, broken down by revenue class, the Distributor and Supplier Marketing Campaigns of the Year, and the BPMA Recognition Award, the event is poignant, collegial, and – when the band kicks in – wildly fun and raucous.

“Of course the main event, the BPMA awards evening, was fabulous,” Askew said. “We were delighted to be shortlisted in the Distributor of the Year category, but also the opportunity to let our hair down and have a party was great fun. I chatted with some other distributors that I may never have done so otherwise, and it was fascinating learning more about them, discussing our industry and hearing other perspectives.”

Phil Goodman, BPMA’s CEO, pointed to the success of the event, and the increased number of guests, which neared 600 people. “As my first experience of the event, it was fantastic to see so many people from our wonderful industry having a blast,” he said. “Anyone looking in from outside our industry would have been shocked to see the friendliness and general goodwill in a room that contained so many competitor businesses. My sincere thanks goes out to all guests for creating such a wonderful atmosphere.”

It was a toss-up between who had the snazzier attire at the BPMA awards dinner – current BPMA Chairman and Commercial Director of Direct Textiles & Bags Europe Clive Allcott (left) or Rob Watson, the CEO of Counselor Top 40 Vantage Apparel (asi/93390).

Vantage’s Watson, who had never attended the show or awards dinner before, was mesmerized by the energy in the room. “It was a fun, well-attended celebration of the industry, where attendees mingled for hours, even during dinner – and stayed long after dinner to dance and enjoy one another,” he said. “It was a super fun experience, and that band was everything. The connections I made at MerchWorld were impactful – many of which I’ve already connected with for future conversations. I will absolutely attend in 2026.”

Sourcing City’s Ella Long, who organizes Merchandise World and oversees the registration area, pointed out that seeing the show’s success and palpable forward momentum was rewarding for her team. “We work very hard to make the event special, and it’s so nice when it’s noticed,” Long said. “We also take great pride in the quality and volume of the visitors, which is something else our exhibitors appreciate. My greatest pleasure is seeing everyone gain value from the show and benefitting from the business opportunities created through Merchandise World. Plans now start for the next show, and we look forward to seeing everyone again next time.”

The 2026 Merchandise World show will be held at the CBS Arena in Coventry, England, from January 21-22. For more information, contact Jason Grenham at JasonGrenham@sourcingcity.co.uk; for more information on PromoAlliance, go to www.promoalliance.com.

Click through gallery below for more images from Merchandise World.

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