It might have been his first ASI Show Chicago as ASI CEO, but Ashish Mittal understood the energy and focus from the word go.

“Our industry has always been built on creativity, relationships and entrepreneurship,” Mittal said.

The 2026 ASI Show Chicago exemplified all three across the immersive and comprehensive Education Day sessions and two days of exhibits, where attendees could do even more networking, conversations, education and planning.

And, of course, there was a bit of fun, too, with the show floor opening each day with music and dancing.

Attendees likened the ASI Show to a real-life version of what they can do on ASI platforms like ESP, with the added bonus of being able to touch (and sometimes taste) products and speak with suppliers about how these items can improve their businesses and resonate with their end-users.

“I always like finding something I’ve never seen before,” said Lesley Bondur of REVOLT Ministries (asi/307698). “It’s also the face-to-face connections: meeting with suppliers I already know and finding new partners who can do what I need quicker and better.”

Amid the hustle and bustle of the expo hall, there were areas dedicated to constructive conversations for attendees to learn more about how ASI can aid them in their quest for growing their business, and also smaller breakout sessions on topics such as effectively adding print to a promotional products distributorship and what pain points new distributors are experiencing as they begin their promotional products journey.

ASI also debuted its Inspire Design Studio, an AI-powered tool within ESP+ that allows distributors to instantly visualize their product ideas without needing to leave the platform, an innovation that Mittal says supports those tenets of creativity, relationship building and entrepreneurship.

“Technology should strengthen all three,” Mittal said. “That’s exactly what we demonstrated in Chicago. AI isn’t replacing the expertise distributors bring to their clients – it’s helping them move faster, create better ideas, deliver more compelling presentations and spend more time building the relationships that grow businesses. The excitement we saw around our new technology, combined with the energy throughout the show floor, reinforces that this industry is eager to embrace what’s next.”

In all, the 2026 ASI Show Chicago brought in more than 4,500 attendees, and the exhibit hall featured 461 supplier companies, including 83-first time exhibitors introducing new ideas and forming new relationships at the show.

Everywhere you went across McCormick Place in Chicago, that theme of growth and evolution was apparent.

Damola Adamolekun’s Keynote Centered Around How Your Humanity Will Be Your Biggest Asset

Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun discussed righting the restaurant brand’s ship with ASI CEO Ashish Mittal.

The Red Lobster CEO had a daunting task ahead of him when he signed on for the job at the beleaguered brand. The famous restaurant chain was on the brink of bankruptcy, but by focusing on what did work rather than only what didn’t, Adamolekun miraculously turned it around. And his story has ample takeaways for promotional products pros – ahead of Exhibit Day 2, he sat down for a candid Q and A with Mittal.

Show Floor Trends Across Hard Goods, Sales Verticals & Product Categories

Seed bombs (SBC3374) from Botanical PaperWorks (asi/41273)

As the “wellness revolution” expands beyond just spas and fitness centers, promo distributors can tap into the quest for personal growth and optimization across a variety of products and customer categories, like home goods, notebooks and journals and more. Some suppliers on the show floor, like Anyrope, demonstrated how product decoration is changing, too, using minimalism and interchangeable pieces that support individuality and sustainability. Botanical PaperWorks (asi/41273) had eco products like seed bombs for planting flowers.

Also, pickleball is still very much a thing, and products beyond just paddles are popular among end-users.

Attendees Are Optimistic About 2026

Sterling McKinley of Clarity AI Solutions (left) and John Young, ASI’s director of software engineering, talk tech at the Education Day Wrap-Up.

2025 was a difficult year with tariffs and other supply chain uncertainty causing ripple effects across the industry. However, as shown at the Education Day Wrap-Up at ASI Show Chicago, attendees are overwhelmingly more positive about their sales this year, with 82% saying that they expect 2026 sales to exceed 2025 figures. The use of print on demand and apparel decoration were also themes of the event.

Q4 Gifting Is All About Value

Mary Furto of Counselor Top 40 supplier PCNA (asi/66887) discusses Q4 trends during Education Day.

In a presentation highlighting end-of-year campaigns and gift programs, Mary Furto and Liz Haesler of Counselor Top 40 supplier PCNA (asi/66887) laid out some of the hottest trends they’re seeing for the festive season, including premium brands, pet products, the continually growing golf category, modern travel and more.

Planning for the Future

Jamie Watson of Certified Marketing Consultants offers expert insights on planning ahead for a business’s future.

Whether you’re planning on selling your promo business or simply want to ensure its longevity, there are steps you can be taking right now. That was the focus of Certified Marketing Consultants COO Jamie Watson’s Education Day presentation, entitled “Future-Proof Your Distributorship: Build Profit, Value & Long-Term Resilience.”

An Intense Journey to Promo Success

Jason McCracken of Counselor Top 40 distributor BAMKO (asi/131431) talked about his past struggles and path to success.

Jason McCracken has been through it all. The account executive for Counselor Top 40 distributor BAMKO (asi/131431) gave a heart-wrenching presentation on his past struggles with abuse and addiction, but ended with how he persevered and became the best version of himself as a professional and as a father.

Drinkware Trends From the Show Floor

The 17-oz. Ocean Bottle from Ocean Bottle Ltd. (asi/74713) has interchangeable lids for different functions.

Being one of the most sought-after promotional products among end-users, drinkware was a major focus in the exhibit hall. This year, suppliers demonstrated how customization and sustainability are features that customers want in their everyday pieces. Also, it’s not just about giant stainless-steel tumblers anymore.

Wearing the Right Piece

End-users can layer with items like the Ideal Thermal Long-Sleeve (8211) from Counselor Top 40 supplier Next Level Apparel (asi/73867).

Apparel trends are cyclical; what’s popular one day will become retro down the line. Right now, apparel seems to be finding its way to the mid-2000s, with design elements like sheer, fitted T-shirts, thermals and zip-up hoodies once again dominating the lookbooks.

Mastering Outbound Strategies

Kevin Baumgart of Sales Ink (asi/513151) explained how distributors can more effectively generate leads and acquire new business.

Kevin Baumgart of Sales Ink (asi/513151) instructed attendees on how they could attract and retain more business more effectively and efficiently. He keyed in on strategies, staffing practices and using technology to track the process to ensure results.