Now in its 54th year, Reed Exhibition’s PSI Show – Europe’s largest promotional products event – opened in Düsseldorf yesterday with 932 exhibitors from 40 nations hosting nearly 16,000 attendees from all over the world. ‎‎

During the kick-off press conference, Michael Freter, PSI’s managing director, noted that PSI was founded as a true “pan-European tradeshow, which has proven true because now more than half of our guests hail from outside Germany.” ‎

Additionally, according to PSI’s third annual barometer of the European market, after surveying 1,557 companies, 62% of suppliers and 60% of distributors saw sales increases in 2015. Moreover, 85% of suppliers and 83% of distributors predict growth for 2016, signaling a more optimistic marketplace and a recovery from the recession that damaged the European promo industry from 2008-2012. ‎‎

Patrick Politze, the head of GWW, the German association for promotional products, also spoke and noted that the German promotion‎al market now accounts for 3.48 billion euros, with the European market overall coming in at 10 billion euros. ‎‎

LeeAnn Schumacher, director of global sourcing for Counselor Top 40 distributor BDA, travels overseas often to spot new product innovations. “With a focus on apparel trends, high-tech and new direction for imprint placement, PSI’s apparel runway show brought a lot of inspiration from cozy comfort, sensor-integrated apparel, performance properties, outdoor lifestyles and digital couture dye-sublimation. The runway was buzzing with energy and new awareness – it was an excellent venue.” ‎‎

In a break from its traditional Wednesday-Friday show schedule, next year’s PSI Show will be held from January 8-10, Tuesday-Thursday. For more information, go to www.psi-network.de. ‎