TREVOSE, PA – March 31, 2009 - The Advantages Roadshow, managed by The ASI Show, announced today that preliminary numbers show 750 distributors and 57 supplier companies participated in the tour’s Southeast 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, 5,125 distributors have attended the first seven weeks of Advantages Roadshows. 

Distributors in Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh/Durham spent time with leading suppliers, introducing new advertising specialties for the start of the year. 

The Advantages Roadshow was co-located with the Stitches Roadshow in Atlanta.  Attendees and exhibitors experienced 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:

• Ash City, asi/37127 
• Aunt Beth’s Cookie Keepers, asi/37461    
• Custom HBC Corp., asi/47934      
• Debco, asi/48885    
• Fields Manufacturing Inc., asi/54100  
• Hotline Products, asi/60960 
• Lanco Corp., asi/66224  
• Marathon Mfg/Prestige Lines, asi/68707   
• SanMar, asi/84863 
• Virginia T’s Inc., asi/93917     
• World Wide Lines, asi/98290 

A total of 175 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 link here 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 Orlando, Tampa, Sarasota and Ft. Lauderdale March 30-April 2.  Click here to register and to see the entire exhibitor list, which includes these respected industry suppliers: 

• American Ad Bag, asi/35290 
• Bodek & Rhodes, asi/40788 
• Enduraline, asi/52480       
• Fields Manufacturing Inc., asi/54100  
• Hit Promotional Products, asi/61125 
• Molenaar LLC, asi/71980 
• Numo, asi/74710 
• Prime Resources, asi/79530 
• SanMar, asi/84863
• Staton, asi/89380     
• Whispering Pines Sportswear, asi/97027 

“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.

“I’m already planning ways to put all the ideas I got during the show to work,” said distributor Tricia Perry of Atlanta-based Sublime Design Promotions Inc.  “These days, you’ve got to keep moving forward and the Advantages Roadshow helps give me the competitive edge I need.  I really benefited from the time I was able to spend with the exhibitors, as well as the free education offered at the Roadshow.”
 
“The Advantages Roadshow consistently delivers a much-needed boost in these challenging times,” said supplier Jimmy Vassil, of Whispering Pines Sportswear.  “It’s amazing to me how many new distributors we can met in just a few short hours, while reconnecting with old friends interested in this year’s new products.”

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.

Contact

Dawn Marie,
Executive director of corporate communications

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