ASI Orlando, held Jan. 3 to 5 at the Orange County Convention Center, started 2024 off with a bang and an abundance of promo. Here are five trends from the show that really stood out.

1. Bag It Up

Caroline Wilkins of Uinta Design (asi/92416) models her company’s crescent bag.

Bags of all sizes and shapes abounded on the show floor – particularly those with elevated styling and functional features like luggage sleeves and internal organization systems.

Fanny packs and sling bags are still hot, but suppliers have been adding new twists to the silhouette. Caroline Wilkins of Uinta Design (asi/92416) in Logan, UT, said her company’s crescent bag has been especially popular in recent months. “It’s kind of replacing the belt bag, in that it’s a little bit larger size,” she said. “You can fit a water bottle in it.”

Unisex bags in rich, neutral shades with a high-end premium look were on display at the Moment, Inc. (asi/72007) booth. Scotty Barth, director of wholesale for the Woodinville, WA-based supplier, said his company’s products were designed specifically for photographers and other creators, so they come with plenty of organization to easily fit tech gear. The bags are made from recycled nylon with a waterproof coating that’s easy to clean. He added that distributors have shown interest in the products because they have a lot of customization options and feature high-quality construction.

Another bag supplier, Miami-based Ezri (asi/53523), showed off minimalistic backpacks designed for young professionals. Among their features are internal wiring for phone charging, hidden pockets and laptop compartments.

2. Evergreen Marketing

Royal Apparel (asi/83731) decided to make a sustainability statement with its ASI Orlando booth.

As it has been for the last several show cycles, sustainability remained a major talking point for suppliers in Orlando, with many touting tree-planting initiatives and introducing products and packaging made from recycled materials.

Royal Apparel (asi/83731), which has always had a focus on Made in America garments using organic and eco-friendly materials, had a simple but powerful booth in Orlando. In large print across the wall was the message: “Our booth design budget was $50,000. We are planting trees with it.”

Sales Director Glen Brumer said the company wanted to make an even clearer statement about its values through its booth design, noting that it was also turning away from physical catalogs, in favor of making investments into various eco-conscious initiatives. He added that the supplier is still working out the details of which tree-planting organizations it will be supporting, but that it will be making an announcement soon.

Top 40 supplier NC Custom (asi/44900) introduced several new sustainable packaging options for 2024, including chocolate bar wrappers made from post-consumer recycled paper and full-color DigiBags made from fully compostable material. Chris Barlow of NC Custom said the packaging material adds on to sustainable products the supplier introduced in 2023. “You’re going to enjoy a sweet while taking care of the environment – nothing better than that,” Barlow added.

Another company showing off its earth-friendly wares was Silipint (asi/87306), which makes drinkware and other products from nontoxic silicone that doesn’t fade, crack, dent or shatter, according to Todd Spang, president of the company.

“Silicone is made from sand, which is the most abundant raw material on the planet,” he said.

Spang also noted that there’s no waste created in silicone production, and that customers can return a product to Silipint at the end of its life to have it recycled.

3. A Growing Trend

Lively Root (asi/67793) sends live plants grown in its own nurseries, adding custom branding and packaging for clients.

Related to the overarching sustainability trend is a focus on adding greenery to the industry – whether in the form of seed-paper gifts or by shipping live plants to end-users. Bloomin Promotions (asi/40646) handed out samples of its sustainable confetti packs to attendees. The Boulder, CO-based B Corp noted that the product is a great alternative to traditional confetti that may be made of nonbiodegradable materials. Bloomin Promotions’ confetti can be customized into a variety of shapes, including die-cut flowers, hearts and wine bottles, and the paper is embedded with a mix of wildflower seeds, vegetable seeds or herb seeds.

Colin Barceloux, CEO of Lively Root (asi/67793), explained how his company ships plants that are potted in branded containers made from recycled tires. The wooden plant picks can also be branded, he added.

“Everything is shipped direct from our nurseries in California and Florida. We custom-package everything so it will arrive healthy and happy to the customers,” Barceloux said. “Plants make great gifts, and they’re sustainable. People just love them.”

4. Old-School Cool

The 3 Sisters Design Co. (asi/91288) offers Made-in-the-USA custom vintage motel key fobs.

Some Orlando exhibitors drew inspiration from the past. Martha Bennington of The 3 Sisters Design Co. (asi/91288) was showing off her company’s custom vintage motel key fobs. The items are injection-molded, designed and decorated in America, said Bennington, who has been in the wholesale-gifting market for 20 years, but recently branched out into the promo world.

“Our custom has blown up,” she added. “This is where we need to be.”

Bennington says her company’s retro products are tapping into an ongoing desire to return to simpler times. “If you Google marketing trends and what people are looking for in shopping right now, in the top 10 are vintage, retro, old-school,” she said. “They’re looking for these nostalgic items.”

5. Up in Smoke

Sigars.com (asi/87232) manufactures its own white-label cigars.

A handful of suppliers were centered around recreational smoking of tobacco or marijuana. Cannabis Promotions (asi/42996) offered an array of cannabis accessories, including rolling trays made from biodegradable hemp plastic.

Miami Shores, FL-based Sigars.com (asi/87232) creates branded boxes of cigars for the promo industry. Sigars.com manufactures its own products from imported tobacco, which is hand-rolled in Florida’s Little Havana. The supplier white-labels the cigars – laser-engraving a logo into the Spanish cedar cigar box and creating a custom band for the cigars themselves, said Ian Lenhart.

“It’s a really unique gift, really different,” he said. “It creates a great vibe when you’re smoking your own brand.”

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