TREVOSE, PA – March 20, 2009 - The Advantages Roadshow, managed by The ASI Show, announced today that preliminary numbers show 785 distributors and 48 supplier companies participated in the tour’s third Midwest 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, 4,375 distributors have attended the first six weeks of Advantages Roadshows. 

Distributors in Minneapolis, Des Moines, Omaha, Overland Park and St. Louis 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 St. Louis.  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:

• Augusta Sportswear, asi/37461 
• 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   
• Stouse, asi/89910      
• Whispering Pines Sportswear, asi/97027 

A total of 133 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 Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh/Durham March 23-27 (Southeast series), where it will co-locate with the Stitches Roadshow.  The entire exhibitor list, which includes these respected industry suppliers: 

• AZX Sport, asi/30250
• Ash City, asi/37127 
• Enduraline, asi/52480       
• Debco, asi/48885    
• Fields Manufacturing Inc., asi/54100  
• Hotline Products, asi/60960 
• Lanco Corp., asi/66224  
• Marathon Mfg/Prestige Lines, asi/68707   
• Sabina, asi/84470
• SanMar, asi/84863
• Staton, asi/89380     
• Virginia T’s Inc., asi/93917 
• World Wide Lines, asi/98290 

“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.

“The Advantages Roadshow has opened up a flood gate of new clients, rivaling our success at other shows,” says supplier Kenneth Wallace for Action Illustrated, a Vector Art supply company, asi/12310.  “We have found the relaxed one-on-one environment to be very easy to work in.  Our new sales projections are 25% higher for the year.  We look forward to being at all future Roadshows.”
  
“The Advantages Roadshow really makes it easy to do business,” said distributor Tami Molitor of Molitor Sports and Leisure of Milwaukee.  “So much is packed into the day I go home brimming with new ideas.  The Roadshow features a roster of top suppliers.  I’ll definitely be back.”

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.