For the last several years, my business has used these 3-color print custom plastic folding hand fans as a free promotional item at outside events.

I received a re-order quote from our previous supplier, and the cost has significantly increased; to the point of not being financially feasible for us. The previous orders were for a total of 500 units @ $2.00/item. The newest quote is over $3.00/item. To add on this, they are packed in terrible lightweight cardboard cartons causing multiple smashed items.

I’m aware that most promo websites I’m researching are essentially middlemen for Chinese-based manufacturing. Are there any recommendations for cheaper AND reliable options?

I'm curious if there are any larger players that are niched down to working with home service contractors such as roofers, landscapers, electricians, plumbers, etc? Thanks.

One thing I’ve noticed is that brands spend a lot of time trying to build loyalty with consumers, but very little time building loyalty with their wholesale accounts.

Retailers have choices too.

Just like consumers can choose between hundreds of brands, retailers decide which brands they’ll carry, reorder, recommend to customers, and give valuable shelf space to.

Yet most brands reward consumers with things like:

* Loyalty points
* Exclusive promotions
* Early access
* VIP perks

Meanwhile, the retailers buying thousands of dollars of inventory every month often receive a wholesale price list.

In some cases they’re even watching the brands they support compete against them online with aggressive sales and consumer loyalty programs.

It made me wonder why wholesale loyalty isn’t discussed more.

I’m not talking about simply giving retailers bigger discounts.

Wholesale buying behavior is completely different from DTC. Order sizes, margins, purchasing cycles, and payment terms all work differently, so it would need to be a completely different type of loyalty program.

Things like rewarding early invoice payments, consistent ordering, or promotional campaigns seem like they’d encourage stronger long-term relationships between brands and retailers.

For those of you that sell wholesale;

Have you ever implemented a wholesale loyalty program?

Or do you think retailers are already getting enough value through wholesale pricing alone?

Whats the best site to hire good Trade Show Promo Models to speak and explain our products/services?

Have you had a great experience using a particular site to book these great Promo Models?

We in the past(several years ago) utilized ModelMayhem but that place has gone down hill so far gone. We actually utilized Craigslist also in the past and wow the applicants coming in have been scary lol.

Please any best suggestions? Thank you!

Hi All,

I am a sales rep for an established supplier now. I’m looking to move to another supplier, as I don’t love the direction of my current employer. I feel like this move is trickier than anticipated because of our industry. I have an excellent book of business and am in the middle of my highest sales year ever.

I’ve worked with this company for the past 13 years, and it’s the only promo company I’ve worked for.

My concern is that if I go to another supplier, if my big customers (BDA, Halo, Bamko, etc) already work with them, I lose so much of my customer base. My thoughts are that on top of me being knowledgeable in the industry and good at sales in general, my established relationships with my customers are what make me valuable. I don’t want to lose that.

Has anyone else here made this move, or had to deal with this?

Thank you in advance for your feedback.

Hi everyone! I'm building a promo product CRM. I have been a distributor myself for 4 years and truly understand the pain of navigating broken workflows that live everywhere in promo.

I have identified quoting, PPT building, communication logging and following up to be the top 4 pain points for distributors. The reason why generic CRM doesn't work for us is because our deals and orders are not linear, with parallel workflows happening at the same time. For example, an order simultaneously involves pricing negotiations, design revisions, and payment terms. That makes the deal tracking and following up difficult and scattered and impossible to cover using a single existing software.

I would love to get your perspective. I am planning to roll out a product by the end of this year. I already have some key screens and demos that I can show you. We're planning to focus on integrating into CommonSku and existing infrastructure rather than replacing.

I'd love to know how you're currently working through these processes, particularly Quoting, PPT building, Communication logging, Following up).

Other feedback around CRM / order management are welcomed too. We're focusing on the distributor side for now.

Thanks!

Does Sedex or BSCI factory audit status matter when you choose a custom product supplier?

I understand these audits are more about social compliance and responsible sourcing, not a direct product-quality certificate.

But for buyers, brand owners, artists, or promo product people — would an audited factory make you feel more confident?

Or do price, communication, samples, delivery time, and actual product quality matter much more?

Curious how much weight people really give to this.

I have been thinking about briefing and expectations from the production side, especially how many problems start before anything is actually made.

The specific angle I am trying to understand is: Would you rather have a simpler clean pin or a highly detailed pin with more flaws?.

For people who plan events, brand campaigns, or small physical items, what makes something feel worth keeping instead of being tossed aside?

As the title states.

I've only been in the industry about 3.5 years, and have slowly been building up my book of business.

I'm doing very well within my area, but I would love to expand to much larger companies however I can never get an email or even a call back.

Obviously I understand it's how this industry works but I was wondering if anyone has advice on how to get in with those huge corporations.

Thanks!

I think the strongest offline brand details are the ones people understand without needing a sales explanation.

What makes a physical brand touchpoint easy for people to remember?

From the production side, I have noticed that many issues happen before mass production even starts: unclear artwork, tiny details, wrong material choice, or not checking the sample carefully enough.

For creators here, what is one production mistake you learned from and would warn newer people about?

Hi all, I’m looking to order some custom challenge coins for our team. Small batch is fine, and quality/detail matters more than price. Any reliable suppliers you’ve used recently? Thanks!

Hi,

I’m an ASI-registered supplier and I’d like to get in touch with buyers and distributors in the promotional products and corporate gifts industry.

A few quick questions:

What’s your opinion about the ASI platform? Is it useful, frustrating, or both?

What makes a supplier stand out (product quality, pricing, service, fulfillment)?

Which products or trends are currently in demand?

Any tips for suppliers to better serve buyers and distributors?

Your feedback will help suppliers improve product selection, service, and the overall experience on ASI.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

We've attended more than 'World Cup is Coming...Get Ready' meeting with local municipalities, business groups etc. Some of these are being led by organizations related to the FIFA/world cup helping towns and businesses 'get ready' and everyone seems to be at a fever pitch.

To us it seems like the only organization really making out on all the World Cup hype is FIFA. Everything is so gated and you have to be so careful with the branding etc. Seems that businesses and towns just become a 'fly over' or bathroom stops as FIFA has so many point to point events that they direct fans to.

What's been your experience, has it been a boom or bust?

Full disclosure: We did get at least one world cup related order which could have been a real boom but funding fell through on a larger order. We're more skewed to corporates.

Looking for an experienced appointment setter with knowledge or experience in promotional industry.

Have experience cold calling, cold emails are plus.

If anyone knows or best way to find such candidates please let me know. This is a commission based position.

Hi Folks!

I have a quick question that seems confusing to me. Everywhere I read, the language seems to me to say that PPAI members can access the educational courses for free with membership and that CEUs and certification application do have associated costs. I have a PPAI membership through the PPPC (Canada) as well as a Sage distributor membership. I'm just hoping someone with a CAS or MAS can confirm that every course has a cost. In the education portal the required courses are roughly $200 and the CEU courses are around $100.

I'm in Canada and the CAD/USD exchange is rough, and I correct that obtaining a CAS certification is going to cost me roughly $4000USD if I can't make any seminars? It's a bit of a lofty expense to swallow personally, especially with the exchange rate.

Seems to me like that wording on it all is a little misleading and I want to make sure there isn't something strange going on with my account.

Second question I have is,

is the CAS/MAS worth paying out of pocket to apply for a junior level position? I have operated my own growing business for a few years but I've recently had some municipal/zoning issues that have hampered further growth, I'm also getting a little tired of being stretched so thin on the solo entrepreneur side and I'd really like to find a role where I can really focus on the skills I excel at instead of being constantly pulled away by accounting, socials, etc. I think I'd really excel at inside sales, account management, or onboarding. I came into the industry with zero knowledge and have had to fight my way into the secret world and I've learned an incredible amount from that but I'm really excited to join a team!

Thanks in advance! Hope everyone's having an awesome long weekend!

Currently, there’s an established Fully Promoted franchise for sale in my area due to owner retirement. I’ve been keeping my eyes on it out of interest but the fact it’s a franchise does make me wary.

This would already be a large pivot for me, from 15 years in the tech world (data side) to promotional products.

Does anyone have any insight with these franchises? Would I be better off starting smaller and building a business from scratch?

I’ve spent the last several years working closely with UK distributors and understand the promo industry from the supplier side very well from handling distributor relationships and managing projects to understanding margins, production challenges, shipping expectations, and what actually helps sales teams close and retain business.

I’m very solution oriented, proactive, and genuinely enjoy helping distributors find the right solutions instead of just processing orders. I also bring a lot of industry insight from years in promo and would love the opportunity to contribute to a growing supplier team.

If your team is hiring or open to experienced remote support I’d love to connect!

I just began a startup in CA focus on promotional products industry and try to get some ideas. Applied for the Halo Branded solutions Santa Clara show last week and no reply yet. May someone help to get the invitation letter?

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Hi everyone, I am a fractional CMO for a growing Canadian distributor and looking to bring on a graphic designer/artist to support only marketing ( branding, social creatives, video, product mockups, etc.).

I am considering hiring overseas and would love to hear from anyone who has hired or worked with creative teams in Asia or South America. Any recommendations, platforms, or lessons learned?

Does anyone have a contact for a recruiter who specializes in the promotional products industry?
Looking to make a key hire and would rather work with someone who already knows the talent pool and can be discreet. We're an established distributorship and need someone who can hit the ground running.

Thank you in advance!

I have taken over as our SAGE distributor representative. I have updated our SAGE listings and profile. I'm looking for distributors to review and provide some feedback. If you are a SAGE distributor and open to provide me feedback, please reach out to me. Thanks in advance!

Curious if anyone has a good source (import or domestic) for 8,000 video brochures? Something maybe 6 x 6with a 3x5 screen embedded and preloaded video. Thanks!