TREVOSE, PA – April 20, 2009 – The Advantages Roadshow, managed by The ASI Show, announced today that preliminary numbers show 617 distributors and 73 supplier companies participated in the tour’s Texas four-day week, part of the 18-week 2009 schedule.

The largest and best-attended traveling show in the advertising specialty industry consistently delivers more attendees than other traveling shows.  Over 11,000 distributors, suppliers and decorators attended the ASI Advantages Roadshows in 2008.  To date, 6,188 distributors have attended the first nine weeks of Advantages Roadshows. 

Distributors in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston spent time with leading suppliers, introducing new advertising specialties for the start of the year. 

In Dallas, the Advantages Roadshow co-located with the Stitches Roadshow, allowing attendees and exhibitors to experience two shows in one, providing decorators with opportunities to meet equipment, software, supply and service providers face-to-face, see new wearables vendors, enjoy valuable education and network with other decorators.

The impressive exhibitor list included:

• American Greenwood, asi/35500 
• BamBams, asi/38228 
• Custom HBC Corp., asi/47934    
• Fields Manufacturing Inc., asi/54100  
• Graphco Line, asi/57956 
• Marathon Mfg./Prestige Lines, asi/68707 
• Molenaar LLC, asi/71980 
• Numo, asi/74710 
• Redline, asi/81133 
• SanMar, asi/84863
• Stouse, asi/89910    
• World Wide Lines, asi/98290 

A total of 129 attendees also enjoyed free education designed to help them sell in any economic environment.  Sessions included “Getting Started in the Advertising Specialty Industry,” for new distributors who want to sell promotional products; the “Exhibitor Presents” session, featuring hot products; and the “Build Your Distributorship through Better Marketing” session, which provides expert marketing tips.   

All distributors are invited to attend the Advantages Roadshow for free, and can either register on-site with a business card or can pre-register on each city’s to receive exclusive exhibitor specials and show updates in advance.  Suppliers interested in exhibiting may contact Nick DiNicola, at ndinicola@asicentral.com, or their ASI Show rep, at 1-877-ASI-SHOW.

The Advantages Roadshow now moves on to visit Salt Lake City, Denver, Albuquerque, Tucson and Phoenix April 27-May 1 (Great West).  In Denver, the Advantages Roadshow co-locates with the Stitches Roadshow.

To see the entire exhibitor list, which includes these respected industry suppliers: 

• Ash City, asi/37127 
• Aunt Beth’s Cookie Keepers, asi/37465 
• Fields Manufacturing Inc., asi/54100  
• Hit Promotional Products, asi/61125 
• Lanco Corp., asi/66224 
• Nissun Cap, asi/73979 
• Prime Resources, asi/79530 
• SanMar, asi/84863
• SnugZ USA, asi/88060  
• Staton Corp. & Casual, asi/89380 

“The Advantages Roadshow targets 130,000 industry distributor salespeople from more than 22,000 ASI distributor companies,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president of The ASI Show.  “Suppliers can easily meet hundreds of distributors each week and that’s more than they could meet through personal phone calls in the same amount of time.”  

Reactions from attendees have been positive.

“We met so many new distributors while reconnecting with old friends who were all excited about our products,” said supplier James Dunn of Headwear USA (asi/60282).  “The Advantages Roadshow always delivers, and provides a huge boost in challenging times.”

“This was my first show and it was awesome,” said distributor Valerie Pena of Ace Cheer Express, San Antonio, TX (asi/103058).  “We connected with a number of leading suppliers and exchanged recession-busting ideas that will really help us move forward.”

For more information about the Advantages Roadshow and for the full 2009 schedule across 70 cities, click here.    

About the ASI Advantages Roadshow
The ASI Advantages Roadshow is the official traveling tradeshow of ASI, visiting over 70 top cities throughout North America every year.  The ASI Advantages Roadshow is the largest and best-attended traveling show in the advertising specialty industry, connecting more top industry suppliers with more quality distributors and salespeople than any other traveling show.  In 2009, the Advantages Roadshow is also co-locating with the Stitches Roadshow in six locations.  Visit www.advantagesroadshow.com.