TREVOSE, PA – August 19, 2009 - Advertising Specialty Institute^®, the largest media and marketing organization serving the advertising specialty industry, today announced its second industry virtual trade show attracted over 2,000 attendees and averaged more than 900 visitors per booth. 

The all-day online event featured more than 20 top suppliers, including Fields Manufacturing Inc. (asi/54100), Tri-Mountain Inc. (asi/92125) and Maple Ridge Farms Inc. (asi/68680).  Distributors, suppliers and decorators networked and sold in real-time through interactive multimedia booths.

The online event also included leading education sessions for distributors with sales tips, research from ASI’s advertising specialties impressions study, information from the Counselor® State of the Industry™ report, and a live broadcast of the ASI Internet Radio Show.
 
For distributors and suppliers who couldn’t attend the virtual trade show this week, it will be available on demand at www.asicentral.com/vts, beginning Monday, August 24.

The second ASI virtual trade show followed an inaugural event that took place May 20 and attracted over 2,000 attendees. 
 
“ASI is meeting current challenges head-on with innovative responses and new technology that allows distributors, suppliers and decorators to connect,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of ASI.  “Our virtual shows are a perfect companion to our extremely successful in-person shows this year, including record attendance in Dallas, and strong showings in Orlando, New York City and Chicago.”

Reactions from virtual trade show distributors today were positive.

“Wanted to let you know that I found the ASI virtual show helpful,” said Bob Roof, president of Business Partner of Polaris (asi/152973).   “I look forward to hearing back from vendors that I have an interest in.”
 
“Thank you for today’s show,” said Linda Richard, owner of K&B/Print City (asi/470621).  “First time trying this.  Found it very interesting and appreciate all the work and effort that went into doing something like this!”

Many useful features were available during the show, including:

• Exhibit Hall.  Booths from top suppliers with product demonstrations, catalogs and samples.  Distributors and suppliers chatted online inside each booth.       

• Networking Café.  Provided distributors with a way to chat online outside of the exhibit hall and share success stories. 

• Education Center.  Distributors turned challenges into opportunities with a variety of leading education sessions. 

• Catalog and Information Room.  Offered one-stop shopping for catalogs and white papers from suppliers, which were all accessible in a PDF format. 

For more information about the ASI Virtual Trade Show, contact Dan Dienna, advertising director for catalogs and electronics, at ddienna@asicentral.com.    

About ASI
Advertising Specialty Institute is the largest media and marketing organization serving the advertising specialty industry, with a membership of over 26,000 distributor firms (sellers) and supplier firms (manufacturers) of advertising specialties.  Supplier firms use ASI print and electronic resources to market products to over 22,000 ASI distributor firms.  Distributor firms use ASI print and electronic resources, which contain nearly every product in the industry from more than 3,500 reputable suppliers, to locate supplier firms and to market services to buyers.  ASI provides catalogs, information directories, newsletters, magazines, websites and databases, and offers e-commerce, marketing and selling tools.  Visit asicentral.com. 

Contact

Dawn Marie,
Executive director of corporate communications

Email industry news and press releases to Chris Ruvo, Digital News Director and Promogram Editor at cruvo@asicentral.com

If you’re a reporter or other member of the news media, please email press@asicentral.com