UK – The ninth edition of the Pro-Ad Promotional Merchandising Expo opened its doors on March 15, 2023 at Kingston Park, the home stadium of the Newcastle Falcons rugby team in Newcastle upon Tyne, in the north of England. The promotional products agency Pro-Ad, UK-Morpeth, belatedly celebrated its 40th anniversary at the event. According to the agency that specialises in merchandising and marketing, over 1,000 products from the world of haptic advertising were presented at 30 stands, which were examined by several hundreds of guests, who are interested in promotional products and corporate fashion. According to own accounts, Pro-Ad received around 450 product enquiries in the course of the event and was able to wrap up 20 concrete orders within a week of the show.
The event was accompanied by two lectures by Melissa Chevin, Managing Director of Globefish Consulting and board member of the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA), and Antonia Brindle from the full-service marketing agency, Get Brindled. The Pro-Ad Promotional Merchandising Expo was rounded off by the appearance of a magician and a goodie bag that contained a colourful potpourri of items customised with the Pro-Ad logo ranging from a wellness set, to socks through to a toy Lego car.
Carlo Nardini, the founder of Pro-Ad, was delighted at the re-start of the event after a longer break during the COVID pandemic: “The Promotional Merchandise Expo turned out to be a fabulous day for our visitors, who buy and use promotional products or corporate clothing. The attendees discovered thousands of products on display, hundreds of new product ideas and some of the industry’s most prestigious experts showcasing a wide range of sustainable and UK made products. It was also enjoyable to host over 40 new and existing suppliers at a dinner the night before the event, where we celebrated our anniversary and being back together.”
Photo source: Pro-Ad
