Nearly 200 industry leaders gathered at the 20th annual ASI Power Summit, held at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego, for three days of networking and thought sharing.

The event began on Sunday, Oct. 25, with archery, hiking and golf, followed by an opening networking reception complete with team challenges.

The Welcome Networking Reception featured team challenges and a plated dinner.

The next morning, ASI CEO Ashish Mittal welcomed attendees by asking everyone to think big. “This is our Davos,” he said, referring to the global leadership summit held each year in Switzerland. “Let’s start asking: What is your business today, and what does it need to be tomorrow? What makes this industry special is the connections it creates – in a world driven by machines, promo is increasingly valuable. Let’s start solving for the future.”

Louisa Nicola Ph.D., a neurophysiologist and cognitive performance coach, kicked off professional development sessions with a keynote address discussing the mechanics of the brain, cognitive fitness and daily habits – including physical activity – that can mitigate brain degeneration over time, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. And three-time Power Summit speaker Mary Kelly Ph.D., an economist, retired Navy commander and CEO of Productive Leaders, shared up-to-date statistics on both promising signs in the economy and areas of concern: For example, while consumer spending is relatively healthy, labor market participation is lower than it should be. Tariffs also continue to be a challenge for business owners, both the cost and the uncertainty.

On Monday evening, ASI unveiled the 2026 Counselor Power 50 list during the annual Power 50 dinner.

Below is an overview of the sessions on Day 2.

The Private Equity Debate & the Power of AI

In recent years, private equity has gained traction in the promo industry. A panel made up of representatives from PE-backed and non-PE-backed firms, moderated by ASI’s Andy Cohen, debated the pros and cons of PE capital investment.

“I’ve found that if you logically make the business case for something, the sponsor usually agrees to back what you’re asking for,” said Chris Anderson, CEO of Counselor Top 40 supplier HPG (asi/61966) and a member of the Counselor Power 50 of the industry’s most influential people. “There are no limits to what you can set out to do.”

Meanwhile, Megan Spire, executive vice president of Bella+Canvas (asi/39590), acquired by Counselor Top 40 supplier SanMar (asi/84863) in June, said she appreciates the longer runway for decision-making at a privately held company. “You can be patient for a return,” she said. “There’s still urgency, but we can reach a strategic perspective even if it takes time. We can make the right decision because we have the time to see it through.”

From left: ASI’s Matt Barnes moderates a panel on AI, automation and print on demand with Maddy Alcala of Taylor Corp., Jon Norris of Hit Promotional Products (asi/61125) and Ryan Hutchison of ASI.

A panel on AI, automation and print-on-demand technology emphasized the power of frictionless ordering and production.

“With POD, you get what you need when you need it,” said Maddy Alcala, president of OrderMesh (part of Taylor Corp.), who joined Jon Norris of Counselor Top 40 supplier Hit Promotional Products (asi/61125), ASI’s Chief Technology Officer Ryan Hutchison and moderator Matt Barnes, ASI’s chief operating officer, on stage. “There’s less concern with minimums, and you can be more agile. But it depends on the use case – for some it makes more sense than for others.”

Business Sentiment & Next Steps for the Industry

ASI’s Nate Kucsma and Sara Lavenduski presented data from recent industry surveys as well as questions recently posed to this year’s Power Summit attendees, with insights on sales expectations, AI use and popular revenue drivers.

The word cloud for Q3 2026 was very chaotic, with words like “slow,” “uncertain” and “cautious” taking precedence among survey respondents asked for the word they would use to describe business activity in the quarter. For Power Summit attendees, surveyed just ahead of the event, there’s more clarity, “but that doesn’t mean it’s easy,” said Kucsma. “What’s clear is that things are evolving and changing in the industry.”

Just before lunch, ASI CEO Ashish Mittal sat down for a Q&A with ASI Co-Chairs Stephanie Schaeffer and Matthew Cohn to discuss his first seven months with the company and what Mittal is planning on tackling next.

ASI CEO Ashish Mittal and Co-Chairs Stephanie Schaeffer and Matthew Cohn discuss Mittal’s first seven months in the industry.

“We’re doubling down on distributors,” said Mittal. “We want to be even more indispensable than we already are. Tech should be doing a lot of work it’s not doing yet today, and focusing on distributors will be great for suppliers. Solving for the distributor helps the supplier.”

He shared, though, that he’s concerned about fragmented technology as industry companies and organizations look to find solutions individually. “There needs to be some collaboration so the issue doesn’t get worse,” he said. “I’m worried about this right now. Bringing competitors together can be hard. ASI sits on top of the industry, so we can piece and hold it together and streamline it for everyone. This industry moves faster every day, and I want to move forward together – how do we do that?”

Tackling Tough Questions & Building an Iconic Brand

Following lunch and a session on agentic AI with Isar Meitis, CEO of MultiplAI, Michele Bell, ASI’s senior vice president of editorial, education and global alliances, moderated a panel with supplier Brittany David, chief revenue officer at Counselor Top 40 supplier SnugZ USA (asi/88060) and a member of the Counselor Power 50, along with distributors Debbie Abergel, chief strategy officer of Counselor Top 40 distributor Nadel (asi/279600) and a member of the Counselor Power 50; Vera Muzzillo, CEO of Counselor Top 40 distributor Proforma (asi/300094) and a member of the Power 50; and Sean Ono, CEO of Counselor Top 40 distributor Eagle Promotions (asi/185320). The group answered questions on topics such as budget decisions, noncompete agreements and protecting a company’s reputation.

From left: Debbie Abergel of Nadel (asi/279600), Vera Muzzillo of Proforma (asi/300094), Sean Ono of Eagle Promotions (asi/185320), Brittany David of SnugZ USA (asi/88060) and moderator Michele Bell of ASI answer questions on industry challenges.

“We’ll always do what’s right to make sure we’re protecting our stakeholders,” said Muzzillo, in reference to the recent lawsuit against Proforma co-founder Greg Muzzillo. “Keeping people calm isn’t always easy, but you have to listen to the people you trust and care about.”

Following the keynote Q&A between ASI CEO Ashish Mittal and Juan Jose Sánchez, chairman of Clase Azul México, during which attendees enjoyed “Power Water” cocktails, staff from Circular Fashion LA were on hand to facilitate a ReDye to ReLove Workshop, which involved tie-dyeing pre-loved garments, including T-shirts, hoodies, sweaters, yoga pants, denim jackets and more.

Attendees apply dye fixative to their upcycled garments.

“Upcycling projects extend the life of gently used apparel, helping to keep it out of landfills,” Mittal told attendees ahead of the activity. “Research shows that extending the lifespan of clothing by just nine months could reduce its carbon, water and waste footprints by up to 20%.”