In a (marketing) world that becomes more digital all the time, the communications with customers often become fleeting and less tangible. However, trade visitors, who attend the HAPTICA® live ’17 in Bonn/Germany will experience that marketing can also be sensual and concrete: On March 22, 2017 the “Experience of Haptic Advertising” at the World Conference Center Bonn will present marketing tools that are impossible not to feel and that convey long-lasting advertising messages to the target group.

The BPMA and Sourcing City are delighted to announce the creation of Merchandise World.

Merchandise World, their new jointly owned event, has been formed by bringing together The BPMA Show and Sourcing City Marketplace. It will take place on
19-20 September, 2017 at NAEC Stoneleigh, Warwickshire.

The BPMA will independently run the prestigious BPMA Annual Awards Dinner on the evening of 19 September 2017, with Promotional Products Week running a week or two later, enabling BPMA members to proactively promote products discovered at Merchandise World.

The Ignite Group returned to Warwick Racecourse on 29 September for its annual exhibition and race day.

Another record turnout of 42 supplier companies brought 54 people and 40 distributors. The weather was once again kind, even if not quite on a par with the previous year’s balmy heat wave. It should be noted that as the racing calendar returns to an October event next year.

The BPMA presented the new look BPMA awards event at Whittlebury Hall, following the BPMA Show at Silverstone. Around 250 guests from the promotional merchandise industry got together for a great evening of fun, networking and recognition. The evening was compered by director general Gordon Glenister.

The BPMA held its 4th Annual Education Day and was enthusiastically welcomed by members of the association – more than 90% of attendees felt that it had exceeded their expectations. Around 140 attended the event on 13 September at Whittlebury Hall, close to Silverstone where the BPMA show was held on the following day.

The BPMA held its inaugural show at Silverstone on 14 September to great feedback from visitors and exhibitors alike. The one-day members’ show attracted almost 400 distributor visitors from the promotional gift industry with many of the larger promotional gift distributors sending almost their entire sales teams. The BPMA decided also to trial the idea of distributors inviting their customers along. Around 20 end user buyers attended and were denoted by their own different coloured lanyards.

The final Sourcing City Marketplace went out on a high in September. The event ran on Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd September 2016 at the FIVE Show Centre, Farnborough, and was attended by around 90 suppliers.

The BPMA is back with vengeance at the New Connaught Rooms, London, close to Covent Garden. The event, on 16 December has been running for more than 20 years and is seen as a traditional end of the promotional merchandise season.

This year’s PPW, the fourth, was different and formed part of a whole week of activity by the BPMA. 

The new look BPMA show was the main event and saw PPW teaming up with a major charity in the form of Pancreatic Cancer UK.  

Promotional Products Week’s main purpose is to raise the profile of our industry as well as creating some excitement within it. A number of members got involved. Outstanding Branding launched its own OBTV channel, which has already reached more than 5,000 views.

European promotional products trade show, PSI, is changing its show days from Wednesday to Friday, to Tuesday to Thursday this January.

The kick-off event will take place in Düsseldorf on 10-12 January. Another change is that, for the first time, distributors will be able to invite industry customers to attend PSI on the last day of the event.

Promotional Products Week is almost upon us. It’s another opportunity to get your company noticed on the back of this campaign.

This year the bpma is encouraging anyone to have their photo taken or video made with a promotional product, and in doing so, making a small donation to Pancreatic Cancer UK. The mascot this year will be a toy elephant kindly sponsored by Ravensden.

The Advantage Group made a return to Sopwell House Hotel and Country Club, St Albans to celebrate its 17th annual catalogue launch and awards dinner. 

A record attendance ensured a fun, lively atmosphere with Group Member of the Year being picked up by Mojo Promotions. Outstanding Branding and Stay Sourced, the Group’s most consistent award winners, collected Highly Commended positions, while Initial Incentives took the position of Commended.

With more than 90 stands representing most of the major players and an array of different features, visitors to the bpma show can expect a great experience.

Visitors will be offered £3,000 worth of trade vouchers (60 £50 vouchers) from many of the exhibitors. Meanwhile, distributors will be able to bring end-user clients to the show.

UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has awarded bpma, a UKTI accredited trade organisation, with 16 £1,500 grants for eligible suppliers exhibiting at PSI, Dusseldorf 2017. The sums can go towards the cost of the stand and exhibition graphics, and marketing material.

The eagerly awaited new bpma show has almost sold out with just three stands remaining as Product Media went to press. 

“I’m particularly pleased with the range and quality of suppliers supporting our inaugural show,” said director general, Gordon Glenister.

“It’s all about service.” That was the message to the 150 delegates at the bpma Annual Conference on 19 May at Park Inn Hotel, Heathrow. 

The second industry mystery shopper results were also shared with the delegates which led to in-depth roundtable discussions between suppliers, distributors and experts. The conference offered nine additional seminars across three seminar rooms ending with an inspiring and moving keynote session from Kevin Byrne, founder of Checkatrade.com. Delegates also networked and had one to one discussions with an array of business experts.

The 2016 bpma student design competition concluded with an exhilarating pitch to industry experts at the Museum of Brands in London on the 10 June.

A number of universities took part to find the next best promotional product, with Nottingham Trent scooping all three top prizes. Student James Plimmer won top prize with his Switch dual function camping light that could be used as either a lantern or torch by changing its orientation. While not in use the watertight container can be used for the storage of small items.

The two end user partner events proved a big hit with members and visitors alike. The bpma merchandise message was also very visible.

Marketing Week Live exhibition held at Olympia, London in April attracted almost 6,000 visitors and many bpma members exhibited, some for the first time.

The PAGE group launched its 2016 catalogue to members before its 2016 conference and awards dinner where it celebrated its distributors. Held at Brandon Hall Hotel & Spa in Coventry on 2 June 2016, the conference was followed by a table top exhibition where 33 suppliers showed the products that had been selected for the new catalogue. The awards dinner was attended by 150 dinner guests including the top UK business gift suppliers and distributors.

Now in its 4th year, Promotional Products Week (PPW) will be partnering with Pancreatic Cancer. This year it takes on a new twist as the bpma education day, the new bpma show and the new look bpma awards will be a part of the week too.