Three Hot Promotional Product Trends For 2012

We've just returned from the biggest promotional product trade show of the year - the 2012 Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) Expo at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. It's a massive showcase of new promotional products, decorating methods and innovations for the coming year.

At 1,000,000 sq ft, the Mandalay Bay Convention Center may be the 5th largest convention center in the United States, but don't worry, that didn't stop us from covering every inch! We gathered as much information as we could and sussed out the good stuff, just for you!

To start, here are three hot promotional product trends that emerged from the chaos of the show:

Hi-Tech Accessories
Nearly one in three people in the U.S. now owns a smartphone and one in 10 owns a tablet computer. And, of course, all of those folks love to accessorize their devices--a fact not lost on our industry. Custom cases, portfolios, styluses and stands for tablets were everywhere, as were car mounts, desk stands, chargers and cases. Additionally, for all of you audiophiles out there, we saw speakers and headphones with fun customization options, such as all-over full-color printing or custom molding that can replicate your logo in 3D. And last but not least, to keep all these touch-screen devices smudge-free, many vendors were offering new types of screen-cleaners and wipes.

Bright, Vibrant, Full-Color Logos
Life comes in full-color, so why shouldn't your promotional products? Full-color logos used to be limited to certain promotional products - or worse, had to be built up from a series of expensive spot colors. Luckily, change is in the air! For 2012 many of our vendors are now offering full-color printing on a wide range of products, including logoed bags, imprinted drinkware, promotional apparel and more. And they're coming at a cost savings to you.

QCA-Certification
What do you do to protect your brand? It's a question more and more organizations are considering. We're proud to be at the forefront of a growing trend in the industry by offering select promotional products that are endorsed in the following areas: Quality Assurance, Supply Chain Security, Environmental Stewardship, Product Safety and Social Compliance. Read What Are the Benefits of QCA-Certified Products? to learn how this accreditation program can help your organization and look for the QCA logo on certified products in our online catalog.