It has been the most important event in the British promotional products calendar for many years: At the Merchandise World that is organised twice a year by Sourcing City and the BPMA (British Promotional Merchandise Association), visitors from the British and Irish promotional products industry meet up with their local supplier partners, but also with many suppliers from mainland Europe, who come here to seek and cultivate contacts on the British market. According to Sourcing City, 187 exhibitors – which was more than the previous year – took part in this year’s January edition, which was staged on January 21 and 22, 2026, at the CBS Arena in Coventry, England, 20% of which were international companies. “We are exhibiting independently for the first time and the feedback is good,” reported Gábor Tihanyi from Easy Gifts, for instance.
In fact, the organisers themselves talked about “record attendance on the first day”. 950 visitors were counted on Day 1, according to the official figures of Sourcing City, followed by over 450 visitors on the second day, whereby several hundreds of distributors attended on both days. The participants also included visitors from mainland Europe, particularly from multinationally operating promotional products agencies. “It is very interesting to get an impression of the British market here, we are also using the visit to meet up with our British colleagues,” explained Mirco Häßlich, Geiger Germany.
Many of the exhibitors were satisfied with the quality and quantity of their leads. “The first day in particular was really good,” said a delighted Matt Dyl from Tancia. “One senses a certain confidence among the trading partners, many are now taking the lead, who tended to be rather reserved over the past years.” Jake Field, CHX, also found the “first day strong.” On the other hand, Elke Roehm from BIC Graphic, had had higher hopes: “We were present with a team of eight, but the frequency of the visitors simply wasn’t high enough to justify that turnout.”
The traditional BPMA Annual Awards Dinner on the first evening of the trade show was in any case completely sold-out – for many it is the networking highlight of every Merchandise World. 600 guests took part in the gala evening, which formed the festive setting for the award ceremony of this year’s BPMA Awards. 17 Awards in total were presented to suppliers, distributors and individuals. The posthumous presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Sourcing City founder, David Long, who passed away in December 2025, was a moving moment.
The next Merchandise World is the September edition, scheduled to take place in Milton Keynes on September 23, followed by the January edition on January 20 and 21, 2027 in Coventry.
//Till Barth
