D – Sixteen companies, countless promotional products distributors and central locations – this describes the “Welcome Home” tour, which stopped off at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart on October 8, 2026. In a bright setting, slightly apart from the main exhibition area, the participating suppliers – Aditan, Daiber, Fare, Geiger Notes, Halfar, Jung, Kalfany, Koziol, mbw, Polyclean, Reflects, Reisenthel, SND, Stabilo Trendfactory and uma –set up their booths in a circle, creating a cosy, intimate atmosphere. The Dutch platform for branded merchandise and workwear, PromZ, was also on board as a guest to showcase its new B2B platform.
As the visitors – as usual, the event was exclusively open to promotional products distributors – moved from stand to stand to learn about new products and potential applications, comfortable sofas in the centre and a spacious catering area provided the perfect environment for further networking.
“The Welcome Home tour has truly established itself as a brand, and we suppliers really value the pleasant, intimate atmosphere here. There is a buzz everywhere and it is easy to engage in a dialogue,” reported Uwe Thielsch of Koziol. By mid-morning, all the stands were already bustling with activity as industry professionals explored the wide range of products on display. The fact that this series of events, which kicked off earlier this spring with three separate events, also serves as a venue for unveiling new products was evident among others at Jung’s stand. “One of the items we are presenting to the visitors today is a genuine premiere. A product that won’t even appear in our catalogue until next year. Offering this unique preview has gone down very well,” stated Alexander Schwaderer from Jung. The bonus programme that offers price advantages to specialist retailers once again made sure the attendees visited every single booth. “Since the trade fair is quite small, there is plenty of time to have in-depth discussions with clients and explore specific projects. Many clients aren’t even aware of the full range of possibilities offered by the products on display,” Silvia Heinrich from Fare noted.
Even after visiting all the booths, the trade visitors remained on-site, dwelling in the catering area to chat with exhibitors and other guests so the exhibition space remained lively. By the afternoon, some retailers even appeared in traditional attire. The day didn’t end when the trade fair closed. From 4:00 p.m. onwards, the group headed to the Stuttgart Wasen for a spirited, traditional get-together. This year, the “Welcome Home Tour” will also travel to Hamburg (November 25) and Munich (December 2). //Sophia Arnold
Photos: Sophia Arnold, © WA Media