FIBO invites you to discover the world of advertising and selling

More than 500,000 product ideas for merchandising

The World of Advertising and Selling opens its doors on 7^th January in Dusseldorf with more than 500,000 product merchandising ideas on show

The BVB Dortmund is there, as are the big brands from sport, as well as the heroes from film, radio and television. They will all be at the World of Advertising and Selling to find out what new products are out there and which best fit their merchandising and licencing businesses. More than 1000 exhibitors and around 30,000 trade visitors are expected in the five halls at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre from 7^th – 9^th January. According to the event’s director, Petra Lassahn of organizer Reed Exhibitions, “This is what makes the World of Advertising and Selling the largest and most important trade fair affiliation in Europe for textiles and haptic and visual forms of advertising”.

Boundaries in this particular area have long been blurred. No matter whether you are talking about hoodies, cups or beach flags in the field of sportswear, sometimes they are used as advertising media, sometimes they make up part of a whole merchandising product range. It is no wonder that more and more brands marks have recognised the value of this particular trade fair affiliation. An affiliation that covers the whole range from marketing to merchandising, and also brings three trade fairs together under one roof – PSI, Europe’s largest trade event for the promotional product industry, PromoTex Expo, conceived as an international trade fair for promotional, sports and workwear, and viscom, Europe’s trade fair for visual communication.

The concept has been a huge success right from its initial launch last year. This came as no surprise to Petra Lassahn, however, “We are able to offer what many marketers, merchandising agencies and marketing experts have dreamt of for many years: a central event which brings together pretty well all forms of haptic, textile and visual advertising. We deliver ideas and inspiration for marketing and advancing the cause of merchandising”.

500,000 product ideas, ‘mass-customised’ right from the initial roll-out

Anyone looking for inspiration will find more than 500,000 products spread across five halls at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre next January. There will be the usual classics such as baseball caps, ballpoint pens and calendars, then lifestyle and fashion products, right through to products for the burgeoning sportswear market. Print products and printed merchandising items provide the focus of viscom, proving that it is possible to print, emboss, flock or foil-coat pretty well anything with a logo in the meantime. Furthermore, the whole job lot can be customised right from the initial roll-out. This sort of thing fuels the imagination and opens up new possibilities in the fields of brand management and merchandising range design.

A Ferrari cap individually embroidered with the name of its wearer? A large run of shirts, yet where each and every one is unique? This sort of thing has been possible for quite some time now. A visit to the special “Make Your Shirt” area will reveal just how to do this, demonstrating mass customisation in action. With the aid of a QR code, visitors can go on a journey that begins with the shopping experience of the future, conflates along its way both digital processes and analogue technologies, and ends up with a fully finished product as its destination. You can visit three stations on this journey as you move stage-by-stage from the original draft of the printed or embroidered motif via processing through to a wearable T-shirt.

Mega trends: sustainability and haptic brand experiences

However, it is not just this that is lending wings to the industry: the topic of sustainability is also gaining in significance. As the sensitivity of consumers and those who bring products into circulation is increasing, the risk of triggering a shit storm by bringing out products that have been unfairly traded or manufactured has increased significantly. “PSI has a pioneering role to play here. We have already awarded PSI Sustainability Awards to products and CSR sustainability concepts for five years now”, says Petra Lassahn, who feels that this is also a highly relevant topic.

As a result, sustainability is also a key focus of all three events. This is particularly evident in the case of PromoTex Expo which, in collaboration with numerous institutes, is devoting a lot of space to sustainability and social standards in manufacturing. “A second trend that we are currently facing,” according to Petra Lassahn, “is something that I like to call the haptic revolution. ‘Digital only’, was yesterday. Today, in the age of arbitrary digital reproduction, people are seeking brand experiences that are real and multisensory.”

The turnover of the industry has grown to €14.9bn

A mega trend that has naturally had a positive effect on the whole industry: the business with promotional products generates a total turnover of €14.9bn in Europe, at least according to the “Industry Structure Analysis 2017-19”. This is the first empirical survey of the European promotional product industry and was put together in cooperation with PSI with the support of a total of 13 partners and organisations. Germany alone has a turnover of €3.58bn, making up almost a quarter of the European market, followed by Great Britain, France and Italy.

PSI writes success stories in merchandising & licensing

According to Petra Lassahn, “This dynamic development is reflected by three events that make up the World of Advertising and Selling. More than 1000 manufacturing companies from 58 nations offer visitors a range and wealth of promotional products that is unique in this form in Europe”. And quite often, it is also the beginning of a success story.

As was the case with Shahin Moghaddam, for example. Five years ago, he visited PSI for the very first time as a young start-up with just a small stand. He had developed sunglasses for all kinds of fans and brands and had them patented. You can see the club’s badge or an advertising logo on the front of the glasses. The badge or logo does not interfere with your ability to see properly through the sunglasses though. After PSI, things started to move very quickly. BVB Dortmund became one of his clients. Others followed, including Bayern Munich, and in the meantime, his company, blueprint, has become one of the leaders in the marketplace.

For Petra Lassahn, this is no isolated case. As she says, “No matter whether we are talking about major sporting events such as UEFA EURO 2020, live acts or merchandising for sports, music or entertainment brands – the fair is a central meeting point for exchanging ideas and innovations by everybody in the business. We also provide support with our online tools such as Matchmaking, for example, which can be used to arrange appointments ahead of the event.” There is, however, one matter that has to be observed: visiting PSI requires prior qualification by all non-members and also precludes any direct marketing.

PSI takes place in parallel with PromoTex Expo and viscom at Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre from 7^th – 9^th January. The exhibition halls are open from 9am, to 6pm on all three days of the event. Additional information is available from psi-messe.com