Strategy CANADIAN NEWS July 14, 2026
ASI Show Comes to Chicago Next Week
Attendees can participate in education sessions, explore supplier exhibits and hear from Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun during a keynote address.
Key Takeaways
• ASI Show Chicago, July 21 to 23, will begin with a full day of education covering sales, marketing, AI and decoration trends, followed by two Exhibit Days featuring new products, Power Sessions, networking opportunities and a keynote with Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun.
• The event marks CEO Ashish Mittal’s first ASI Show; he’ll meet with attendees and exhibitors throughout the event and unveil new announcements about the future of ASI and ESP+.
The industry is heading to the Windy City.
ASI Show will host its third and final trade show of the year at Chicago’s McCormick Place, from Tuesday, July 21, through Thursday, July 23.
The Chicago River runs through downtown Chicago. ASI Show is headed to the city’s McCormick Place Convention Center from July 21 through 23.
Kicking off the event on July 21 is a full day of education sessions, with presenters such as Shawna Suckow of The Buyer Insider and Kevin Baumgart of Sales Ink, who will discuss topics that include sales, marketing, AI and decoration trends, complete with live demos. The New Product Preview Reception at the end of Education Day will spotlight exhibitors in a pre-show “sneak peek” setting, where attendees can share quality conversations and refreshments with suppliers ahead of the official opening of the show floor.
Exhibit Day 1 on July 22 will feature a bustling hall with displays from top industry suppliers showing off the newest trending products, as well as Power Sessions on topics such as “Finding the Real Decision-Maker & Closing the Deal” with Jason McCracken of Counselor Top 40 distributor BAMKO (asi/131431) and “Partnering for Success: Building a Trusted Printer Network” with Allee Bruce of PRINTING United Alliance.
July 23, Exhibit Day 2, kicks off with a keynote by Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun, on “Charting a New Course: Lessons From a Legacy Brand Turnaround,” during which he’ll discuss successfully righting the Red Lobster brand’s ship. On both Exhibit Days, attendees can find out more about ASI and ESP+ at the main ASI booth on the show floor.
It’s also ASI CEO Ashish Mittal’s first-ever show. “I can’t wait to be there,” he said from the ASI warehouse outside Philadelphia, where staff members are busy preparing for the event. “I can’t wait to feel the passion, the excitement, the energy and get my hands on these products. I’ll be at the registration desk, on the expo floor, in our booth. And I’m even going to get up on stage and make some exciting announcements about the future of ASI and ESP+.”