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The largest promotional products trade show in the United Kingdom was back for its first two-day exhibition since before the pandemic.

The director at Norfolk, England-based promo products distributor Totally Branded was only about halfway through walking the trade show floor at Merchandise World, but already it had been a highly productive day.

Thanks to the face-to-face interaction, Tassie had re-strengthened bonds with suppliers he hadn’t seen in person since before the pandemic. He’d connected with new quality vendors for key niche product categories, including football scarves and sliders. (Soccer, not American football.) And, he’d trained freshly hired Totally Branded team members, who were accompanying him, with greater ease and efficiency because such a broad range of products was immediately at hand.

Jointly organized by Sourcing City and BPMA, Merchandise World is the U.K.’s largest promo industry trade show.

“A show like this is the best possible place for training,” said Tassie. “It’s been a great experience. It’s really nice to reconnect with people in person and start new relationships.”

Tassie was among the distributors and suppliers who sang the praises of Merchandise World, the United Kingdom’s largest trade show for the promo products industry, cooperatively organized by Sourcing City and the British Promotional Products Association (BPMA).

Early and crowds just starting to flow in but already that much-needed and long-missed in-person interaction is underway at the UK’s largest #promoproducts show, @MerchWorld_UK Great to see. pic.twitter.com/DpplrQjtX0

A smaller one-day in-person event was held in September 2021, but the two-day Merchandise World on April 13th and 14th at CBS Arena in Coventry was the first major in-person show for the U.K branded merchandise market since the onset of the pandemic.

Nearly 150 exhibitors participated in the show. Through the first day, upwards of 600 attendees had been counted, with the number expected to rise. The attendance and exhibition tallies weren’t at pre-pandemic levels, but nonetheless executives said it represented a strong showing for the U.K. industry as society continues to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and its related restrictions. Organizers, suppliers and distributors noted the high quality and depth of conversations.

Foot traffic at Merchandise World was strong and the discussions meaningful and mutually beneficial for suppliers and distributors. Organizers and attendees emphasized that quality of conversation was a key facet of the experience.

“The U.K. promotional merchandise industry is historically very relationship-based,” explained David Long, founder and executive chairman of Sourcing City, a trade service organization that provides a suite of solutions to the U.K. promo market. “It was important to get back to in-person for a number of reasons. People like to meet the people they’re doing business with to engender trust and build relationships. Also, physically seeing product and discussing face-to-face is always more effective than other channels of communication.”

Carey Trevill articulated similar sentiments.

“We’re a human-to-human industry – everything we think, feel and do is connected to the right brain leading to emotional reaction,” shared Trevill, CEO of BPMA, a professional trade body serving the approximately £1.5 billion promotional products industry in the U.K. “Anyone looking for inspiration and innovation needs to see and feel this in person to ensure they can sell these amazing goods.”

PF Concept, Europe’s largest supplier and a business division of Polyconcept, had a large exhibition space that resembled a trendy retail shop.

Many suppliers said the same, opining that being able to put items in distributors’ hands and chatting in person is a more effective method for helping those potential customers understand what differentiates a product and makes it uniquely attractive to certain end-clients.

“Virtual is good for certain things, but seeing and feeling a product makes a massive difference,” said Jonathan Woodcock, a business development manager at WCM&A Ltd, a supplier/manufacturer that specializes in a range of Made-in-Britain products, including badges and awards. “It’s amazing to be meeting with people again.”

The way Nigel Pearce sees it, sustainability isn’t a trend; it’s a movement that will only grow in the years ahead.

The products showcased at Merchandise World testified to the assessment from Pearce, owner of England-based supplier Bagco.

Suppliers in virtually every product category – from apparel, headwear and bags, to journals, writing instruments, technology items and more – emphasized that sustainability was a top focus for the U.K. promo space and thus was being reflected in the products they were bringing to market. Time and again they shared that end-market demand is growing for products that are produced with more sustainable materials – think recycled plastic bottles, organic cotton – and made by companies that are doing everything they can to minimize the impact of their operations on the environment.

Sustainability in process/operations and in product materials is one of the big themes from suppliers at @MerchWorld_UK Growing end-user demand a key factor in the trend. pic.twitter.com/3OcnDn7xxe

Take Pearce’s Bagco. Key pieces of the supplier’s line included a journal featuring a cover produced from recycled car windscreens. Then there were the various makes of stylish bags made from rPET (recycled polyethylene tetraphyte). Those offerings included an innovative item that could double as a cooler and business bag. “The movement toward sustainability in our industry and beyond is unstoppable,” said Pearce.

More eco-focused innovation at @MerchWorld_UK : This product, which doubles as a cooler and business bag, is made from rpet - recycled polyethylene tetraphyte. Via Supplier Bagco pic.twitter.com/uOHYR3voUv

Supplier Clipper was exhibiting no shortage of goods made with an eco-ethos in mind. The firm showcased, for instance, a notebook with pages that were 100% made from recycled paper, while the cover was manufactured from used coffee grounds (that smelled warmly of coffee). Other products included a laptop sleeve with an exterior that Clipper manufactured from discarded apple cores bound with potato starch and whose interior featured recycled cotton.

Another cool product seen @MerchWorld_UK: Supplier Clipper made this notebook from recycled paper (pages) and used coffee grounds (cover). Smells of coffee. #Sustainability #promoproducts pic.twitter.com/Y9KOuN5VBi

Spotted at @MerchWorld_UK: A laptop sleeve and beauty case made from recycled apple cores bound with potato starch - and also recycled cotton. #sustainability #promoproducts pic.twitter.com/mmeOgGLciI

Elsewhere on the show floor, the team at Desktop Ideas was busy explaining the green features of their technology products. Popular items included the Mr. Bio, a charging cable in which the cord itself is made of biodegradable material. As Desktop Ideas’ Alan Doyle explained, eco-aligned packaging is important too – a reason why the firm packages speakers in attractive retail-style boxes that are made from FSC-certified recycled paper. “People are more conscious of the environment now, and the products and packaging have to reflect that,” said Doyle.

Spotted at @MerchWorld_UK: The Mr. Bio charging cable from Desktop Ideas is made from biodegradable material. Continues the keen focus on #sustainability from suppliers at the UK’s largest #promoproducts trade show. @ASI_MBell @asicentral pic.twitter.com/etZUOnVdtP

As for headwear, supplier Sharon Lee Ltd. was showcasing a range of beanies and curved-bill hats made from materials like recycled polyester. “So many distributors are asking for it,” said account manager Hollie Williams, who shared that unstructured dad hats, suede-finish ball caps and, most of all, bucket hats are trending. “The bucket hats are popular with the music industry, festivals and retail,” Williams continued. “Even corporate [end-customers] are picking up on them.”

When it came to writing instruments and eco, Germany-headquartered supplier Uma was showcasing items that included pens with a barrel made from recycled plastic bottles and a cap produced from recycled aluminum cans.

Keeping with repurposed bottles: Supplier United Brands of Scandinavia spotlighted a collection of apparel products, including polo shirts and fashion-forward jackets, manufactured from recycled plastic bottles. The Sweden-based firm, which has also worked hard to make its operations more environmentally friendly through steps like reducing water consumption and use of harmful dyes, noted the particular number of bottles recycled for specific garments in its catalog. “It seems that post-pandemic customers are looking for higher-quality – for real value,” said Ian Hewlett, a sales representative for United Brands.

These pens from supplier Uma are made from recycled plastic bottles and recycled aluminum cans.

Kingly was keen on telling its sustainability story too. Apparel and socks made from materials like upcycled cotton and chemical-free organic cotton were on offer. In marketing materials and discussions, the supplier articulated that it operates a traceable transparent supply chain that demonstrates efforts to minimize environmental impact. “Third party transaction certificates, accreditations and a cradle-to-grave platform prove we are truly sustainable, ethical and compliant throughout the entire supply chain,” the company noted in a pamphlet.

For sure, being able to provide proof that backs up any claims regarding sustainability efforts is essential, said Trevill in a seminar she conducted at the show. Greenwashing – which involves conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company’s products are more environmentally sound – must be eschewed as it’s not only unethical but can also run afoul of regulators.

Merchandise World came at a pivotal time for the U.K.’s promo products industry. As in North America, COVID routed industry sales in 2020 and it’s been a case of fits and starts to get back to normal given impositions and revocations of societal lockdowns over the course of the pandemic.

Still, distributors and suppliers alike reported that through the first quarter of 2022, business has been heating up and there’s a sense that things may truly be back on track.

Data seems to support that narrative.

Sourcing City provides a searchable online database where promo pros source a gamut of promotional products. Statistics from the firm show that product inquiries in the database through the year’s first three months are approaching 70% of the peak 2020 monthly average. During the dark days of the first COVID lockdown in March 2020, inquiries were running at only 35% of the previous year’s average.

The figures indicate that “there is a sustained recovery at present in the promotional merchandise industry,” Sourcing City said in a bulletin. “This trend gives reason for optimism and distributors and suppliers report that these figures are reflecting their personal experience.”

One supplier that’s having an excellent 2022 is WCM&A. Customers have been drawn in by the company’s Made-in-Britain capabilities and commitment to sustainability in its operations and products. “Business is back to pre-pandemic normal and then some,” said Woodcock.

Of course, there are caveats. While sales are increasing, margins have been squeezed amid supply chain challenges and runaway inflation. “Costs,” said Trevill, “are biting.”

“The industry is both optimistic and cautious,” noted Long. “Generally business has picked up since the height of the pandemic, but most of the trade are still short of pre-pandemic levels. People are cautious as significant risks still face our industry with inflation, skyrocketing fuel costs, rising transport costs, exporting difficulties to the European Union and the horrific war in Ukraine. It remains to be seen what full impact these risks will have on the industry in the coming months.”

Even so, Long, Trevill and others see the general trajectory of the promo industry in the United Kingdom as being on the way up. “Overall,” said Trevill, “I’d say we’re headed for a good year and we should expect to see the real benefits kick in toward the end of 2022.”

Footy skills on display at @MerchWorld_UK ! Fun, and a smart way to attract booth visitors. pic.twitter.com/i6GqIxTGTk

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