{"id":5066,"date":"2025-07-25T15:03:36","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T19:03:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asicentral.com\/?p=5066"},"modified":"2025-08-07T10:49:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T14:49:15","slug":"asi-chicago-draws-nearly-5k-energetic-enthusiastic-promo-pros","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asicentral.com\/press-releases\/asi-chicago-draws-nearly-5k-energetic-enthusiastic-promo-pros\/","title":{"rendered":"ASI Chicago Draws Nearly 5,000 Energetic, Enthusiastic Promo Pros"},"content":{"rendered":"

TREVOSE, PA \u2013 July 25, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

From gridiron to giveaways, Bears legend Brian Urlacher thrills crowd with behind-the-scenes stories of football and big brands<\/p>\n

\u201cOur show floor was packed with professionals eager to discover new products, sharpen their skills and connect with industry leaders.\u201d
\n\u2013 ASI CEO Tim Andrews<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Advertising Specialty Institute<\/a>\u00ae<\/sup>\u00a0(ASI), the leading authority in the $26.6 billion promotional products industry, today announced the successful conclusion of ASI Chicago, the Midwest\u2019s largest promotional products trade show and the final major industry event of 2025.<\/p>\n

Held July 22\u201324 at McCormick Place Convention Center, North America\u2019s largest convention venue, ASI Chicago attracted nearly 5,000 enthusiastic promo professionals, including 12 large distributor groups such as HALO, AIM and Deluxe\/Safeguard. The bustling show floor featured 75% of the Counselor Top 40 suppliers, plus 72 first-time exhibitors, offering attendees fresh product ideas and powerful networking opportunities.<\/p>\n

The show included 361 women- and 195 minority-owned companies, 403 companies from Illinois, all 50 states and 17 countries.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year\u2019s ASI Chicago was electric,\u201d said\u00a0Timothy M. Andrews<\/a>, ASI president and chief executive officer. \u201cFrom the moment the doors opened, the energy was palpable. Our show floor was packed with professionals eager to discover new products, sharpen their skills and connect with industry leaders. It\u2019s clear the promo industry is thriving and ASI is proud to host such a dynamic, forward-looking event.\u201d<\/p>\n

A highlight of the 26th annual ASI Chicago trade show was a lively appearance by Chicago Bears legend and Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher, who shared branding insights and personal stories during an on-stage Q&A with Andrews. Urlacher tossed autographed footballs into a roaring crowd and spoke about his experiences with promotional products, saying, \u201cYou look for what stuff you\u2019ll actually use, what stuff you\u2019ll actually wear.\u201d He praised branded golf items and emphasized the value of personal branding. \u201cYour brand is worth a lot,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Attendees were thrilled, including those at the keynote. \u201cUrlacher was my childhood idol. It was a big surprise he was here,\u201d said Josh Gingerich of Pinnacle Point Graphics (asi\/581910) in Arthur, IL. \u201cI enjoyed the football aspect but appreciated more hearing about what he\u2019s doing now since we can incorporate it into our day-to-day business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Distributor feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Ally Rock, of Ally Rock Co. (asi\/119078) in Troy, MI, who said, \u201cThis was my first ASI show and it was great,\u201d she said. \u201cVery well put together, well organized, liked the location, very convenient. Nice to see all the apparel options here. I attended as many learning opportunities as possible and really enjoyed the New Product Preview Reception.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suppliers appreciated the busy show floor. \u201cThe traffic was amazing and there was a ton of participation,\u201d said Brian Stidham, of Indianapolis-based EMT (asi\/52263). \u201cI also appreciated the number of high-caliber distributors here. Plus, there were a lot of new distributors to meet.\u201d<\/p>\n

For EMT\u2019s Whitney Adcox, the ASI Show app got A+ marks. \u201cReally liked the push notifications and getting the pre-loaded hand-outs from education. And the therapy dogs were great stress relievers!\u201d<\/p>\n

Highlights from ASI Chicago 2025:<\/strong><\/p>\n