Happy President's Day!

We're in the office today- feeling a wee bit jealous of schools and government employees- ready to kick off the week with another recap of the ASI Show in Dallas.

If you missed Part 1 on Friday, we covered apparel and drinkware. Go read that first, then join us below to learn about new items for 2013 in audio, desk and displays. Grab some coffee too- this post is a little lengthy.

Audio

Every time I attend a show, one of the first suppliers I visit is OrigAudio. These guys know quality audio products, and they always always have something superbly cool to demo. You might remember me gushing about the Cubicool speakers in last year's Orlando recap. This year, the spotlight was on their new portable vibration speaker, the Epishock.

OrigAudio has had great success with their other vibration speaker product, the Rock-It, but unlike the Rock-It, the Epishock produces excellent sound quality on any firm surface (the Rock-It works best on hollow surfaces) with ten times as much power.

Another difference between the two products is their decoration potential. The Epishock is decorated with full color digital printing, an improvement from the Rock-It's spot color screen print.

An added bonus is this adorable packaging. LOVE the retro lunchbox set.

Check out the Epishock in action:

Another theme in audio products at the show was Bluetooth compatibility. The stereo headphones in the picture above have control buttons for volume, play/pause, forward/reverse, accepting/rejecting mobile phone calls and redial. A built-in rechargeable battery gives you 10 hours of use when fully charged.

Desk


In desk items, I saw a lot of little cord keepers, designed to keep your work space neat and tidy. I like that there were models of varying size. If you have a detailed logo that doesn't print well at small dimensions, there are plenty of styles that afford a few square inches of imprint area.


In the category of padfolios and portfolios, I really dug this flip portfolio for iPad. The front cover contains a swivel window, giving you the option to face your tablet out (convenient for presentations) or in (for travel and protection).



3M came out with a few fun additions to their Post-it Note line this year. The folded piece above caught my eye for its imprint potential; it gives you four times the space of a normal sticky note pad to display your message and logo. The blue notes on the far right are specially marked with rounded corners because they have adhesive across the entire backside.


Also from 3M is this adorable pink Post-it Note compact. So fun for a female-targeted promotion.



I can't say I saw anything revolutionary in journal books, but there were plenty of beautiful pieces on display that reminded me just how far a die cut cover and custom insert page will get you.


Interesting cover textures and mini journals with die cut slots for a pen also caught my attention.

Power banks and charging devices are another item category that I saw at just about every booth. There is an item out there to suit every budget and every charge duration need.



Stylus pens are all over the place right now. Read more about the benefits of using a stylus here. My favorite stylus pen from the show was definitely this piece from Fisher. Yep, the makers of the infamous space pen have come out with a stylus pen that will write upside down, underwater, in freezing cold and zero gravity. I want one.




This post is getting a little lengthy- if I haven't already lost you, I'm sure I am about to- so I'm going to move through these last few finds quickly. The hard cover business card folio and gel phone wedge, seen above, would make great choices for an inexpensive trade show giveaway. And for all of you brand-crazed readers that really, really want to look at your alma mater or company's logo all the livelong day, a custom keyboard skin would be totally up your alley.

Displays

Moving on to trade show displays, the most interesting item I saw in Dallas was this geometric popup number.


Floor displays are notorious for being a pain in the neck to assemble, but this lightweight popup frame with interchangeable fabric banners is a cinch to set up. The frame weighs more than 50% less than other comparably sized floor models, and I love that the fabric panels are machine washable.


The same stretchy, dye-sublimated fabric is used in this pyramid tent and fitted table cover. I think they have a really sharp, clean look.

So, that sums up my favorite finds from Dallas in audio, desk and displays. Come back on Wednesday for our final post- Health & Home, Auto and Fun ← real catch-all category right there!

I spent last Thursday and Friday scoping out new product at the ASI Show in Dallas. You all seemed to enjoy our recap posts after the Orlando Show in 2012, so I made sure to snap plenty of pictures this time too.

I've got a lot to share with you, so I'll be splitting the info up across a few posts like last year. If you're not particularly interested in reading about everything from mini silicone spatulas to ladies' work apparel, I'm planning to split up the posts like so:

Friday-- Part 1: Drinkware and Apparel 

Monday-- Part 2: Desk, Audio and Displays

Wednesday-- Part 3: Health & Home, Auto and Fun

Please be sure to stop by the blog next week if you're looking for new ideas in any of those categories. Alright, let's get started!

Drinkware

If the number of suppliers carrying a particular piece is any indication of its future success, these double-walled party cups (available with or without a lid) are promising to be the next acrylic tumbler and straw a.k.a. the next big craze in drinkware. They have that stupid, silly, fun appeal- the same sort of appeal that made Toby Keith's "Red Solo Cup" one of the most popular country songs of 2011. Get 'em while they're hot.

Another drinkware piece rocking the country party vibe is this Mason Jar Tumbler. They come in a wide range of colors, not just orange. Don't you just want to fill it with sweet tea?


Pint glasses- in unique materials like bamboo and silicone- were another common trend at the show. The silicone cups are really versatile. They're virtually unbreakable, and they withstand extreme temperatures (you can even use the shot glass size as a baking cup/liner/mold).

How sweet is this mug with heart-shaped inner taper?


If you're in the market for a nice water bottle, I was really impressed with the Contingo AutoSpout Addison bottle. The one touch push button spout is strangely satisfying (and addicting) to press.

This accordion water bottle is inexpensive and fun for a charity race or school promotion... maybe even for a yoga studio... stretchy!

Apparel

We just covered major trends in corporate apparel on the blog last week, so I'll try to move quickly through what I saw in Dallas. I realize that some of you may not find wholesale clothing as interesting as I do!






Apparel suppliers seem to be paying particular attention to ladies this year; many of them have launched new lines geared specifically to women. I was very happy to see feminine details like ruffles, flattering necklines and unique buttons in these new additions. They're a lot more special than traditional ladies styles, in which a fitted torso and narrow shoulders really seem to be the only elements differentiating them from their male companions. Whether or not you're a lady, you should certainly keep their preferences in mind when purchasing apparel for staff or a large group.





Other trends of note: bright colors, especially jewel tones, and interesting prints and textures (heather, houndstooth and acid wash, for example).

That's all for now! I'll cover desk items, audio gear, and displays on Monday. Have a great weekend!

Happy Valentine's Day, all!

Hopefully you're reading this before 10:00 AM and aren't yet burnt out on all things chocolate and sugary, because we've got a sweet post for you today.

Edibles is a huge category within promotional products, encompassing everything from restaurant dinner mints and personalized M&M's to holiday snack towers and cheese boards. The whole goal of promotional marketing is to put your logo on an item that people will take, keep, use and like, so candies and food items, which we all enjoy, are very popular choices.

With most promotional food items, your logo is placed on the packaging or an accompanying item. I mean, you can't exactly brand a nut (or can you?), so you brand a sticky note holder or crystal bowl instead. Mints, gum, nuts- generally the imprint goes on something else.

With cookies, brownies and certain other treats, however, you can get away with a direct imprint on the edible itself. Surface area isn't a limiting factor and edible inks keep the piece safe for consumption.

A current favorite in our office are these chocolate dipped picture treats with sprinkle border. We're partial to the Oreo, but there are also graham crackers, Nilla wafers, brownies, marshmallows, sugar cookies, crispy rice treats and fortune cookies.

Am I making your teeth hurt? Relax, here's an apple.

The edible inks allow for full color artwork, and there are more than 45 sprinkle varieties available to accent your design. If you go the fortune cookie route, you can even customize the paper fortune inside.

Next time you're in the market for an edible promotion, keep these creative picture treats in mind. They're almost too pretty to eat.

This week at Sonic Promos, we're working on...

... laminate bags for Discover Tile in Boston.

... hooded zip sweatshirts with a vintage print, coffee sleeves, bags and lanyards for the Schusterman Family Foundation.

... and table throws for the Phelps School's recruiting efforts.

"This Week at Sonic Promos" is a regular feature on our blog.
Read all past posts here.
Check in every week to see some of the work that's going on in our office.

Meet Julianne:

How long have you been working at Sonic Promos?
Well, the company came with the spouse, so I have been at least tangentially involved since 2000. I began actually coming into the office back in 2006.

What role(s) do you play here?
I am the COO and have my hand in HR, accounting, marketing and sales.

Best part of the job?
On the personal side, I love getting to see Seth (my husband) during the weekdays, being able to bring my dogs to work, and a flexible schedule that allows me to make it to every kid school play and parent teacher conference. On the professional side, I love when we come up with a cool image or a super witty tagline. And having clients respond to our work feels incredible. I remember one order of T-shirts where the client wrote in to say this was the first time he had seen his company name on something real- it was the realization of a lifelong dream. Pretty cool to share in that!

Worst part of the job?
When I am wearing my HR hat and need to put an end to the "fun", whether it be a heated discussion that is getting a bit political (any mention of Chick-fil-A has been banned from our internal group chat) or language not appropriate for use around our high school interns. It makes me feel like a spoil sport. Also, the horrible, painful spot in the pit of my stomach when, for some reason, an order doesn't go right. The stress of waiting for the UPS truck to arrive, with minutes to spare before an event starts- just ugh!

What's your favorite kind of project to work on?
I keep the T-shirts and mugs and pens from experiences in my life that have significant impact. I like doing projects where I feel like the recipient- not necessarily the client, but the person they are giving the item to- will get that same sentiment. Medals for individuals completing races, items for employee appreciation, shirts for a big conference or concert... those things hold memories for years. Memory totems, if you will.

What do your coworkers love to tease you about?
I call ground beef "hamburg". I forget things people tell me almost instantly unless I write it down. I can't hold my liquor.

Years ago, Seth told the office that my college nickname was "One Can Julianne". At the next conference we attended, my name tag said "Onecan Weiner". Every person I met that day looked at me funny and said something like, "Oonacanay, it's nice to meet you." Took me a while to figure out why.

Keep reading for more staff interviews in the coming weeks. In case you missed it-
Meet Rahmie
Meet Jen
Meet Mallory
Meet Lindsay
Meet Jamie
Meet Seth