For anyone involved in the decorated garment and promotional merchandise industry, it’s the must-see event in the show calendar.

As you enter the show, you’re greeted by a riot of colour with AWDis’s two stands, promoting their ever popular Just Hoods, Just Cool and Just Sub brands.

All of the big distributors are present, including PenCarrieUKL, Prestige Leisure, Ralawise and, of course, BTC activewear, whose sporting theme begins on the ‘race track’ as soon as you arrive.

Follow the track around to the BTC stand and there’s plenty of fun to be had in the goal shootout competition and on the Wii Sport.

And, you might get accosted in the aisles by one of BTC activewear’s sporting characters including a certain former England manager!

Talking of celebrities, we hear that a young resident from TV’s Coronation Street will be popping along to the show on Monday. Watch this space!

As well as the familiar industry names, we have 25 first time exhibitors, including clothing brands, such as Keya, who are new to the UK market. So even if you’ve attended the show before, you’re bound to see something new and exciting at this year’s show.

All the big names in embroidery

If embroidery is your thing, then you’re spoilt for choice with machinery from all the big names and suppliers, including Happy, Barudan, Amaya, ZSK, Feiya, Brother, GSUK’s Merlin, SWF, Zoje, Meistergram UK and more.

On the promotional clothing front you can have your pick of all the tops brands - with sporting a major theme for this show (as you would expect in the London Olympics year). And if you need a reliable digitizer, look no further!

The sporty theme can be seen throughout the show, with names including Tombo, Finden+Hales and Spiro.

Gazelle Sports are exhibiting for the fifth consecutive year, while Spalding - a new to the market brand with a long sporting heritage, can be found on the Russell stand. In fact Ralawise, in association with Spalding, is offering visitors the chance to win a superb bike.

We must also mention our fashion show joint sponsors Regatta Professional and Dare 2b Teamwear, whose collections can be seen on the catwalk along with a host of other big brands.

Schoolwear is also widely available. Check out Blue Max Banner’s latest offerings (and marvel at the Blue Max Banner magician’s sleight of hand) or visit the Russell stand to take advantage of their show offer on the Jerzees Schoolgear 700 blazer. Buy 10 and get one free!

Emerging trends

A key trend - with tons of profit potential - emerging from the show is 3D sublimation technology. Transfer Supplies is just one of the exhibitors offering this technology. Their Pictaflex machine, part of the Sublideck surface decoration system, is the fastest in the world, producing individual phone cases in 2.5 minutes, compared with the traditional 10 to 12 minutes.

The results are as impressive as the profit margins which can be achieved. It costs around £4.95 to produce a case which retails at £24.95.

There is a big focus on direct to garment printing at the show. DTG specialists, Resolute, are promoting their fantastic R-Jet 4 printer. And their free to attend seminar tells you how you can make the most of this discipline to achieve huge profits.

And one idea really takes the biscuit! According to Resolute, the “next big thing” is going to be DTF - direct to food printing. And if you don’t believe us, visit their stand to see some examples of printed biscuits!

And there’s plenty of advice when it comes to transfer printing. Chris Treadwell from Target Transfers will be running a popular seminar on how to get the most out of your heat press.

There’s plenty of machinery on show for the first time, including the superb mPower digital apparel printer, available exclusively in the UK from J&B Sewing Machines Ltd.

Caps and bags

If caps and bags are needed, there’s plenty of choice from names including Beechfield, Headwear UK and Sharon Lee, which celebrates its 65th anniversary this year.

Screenprinting machines are another big focus at this year’s show, with offerings from Dave Roper Ltd, MHM and Wicked Printing Stuff .

There’s no doubt that having an online presence is key to sales success and at this year’s show both GF Europe and TheMagicTouch are offering e-commerce solutions which will have you up and running in double quick time.

New from TheMagicTouch is DOTMagic, a software solution available as both online and kiosk options allowing customers to have what they want, when they want, with a minimum order of one.

And why not pop around to the GF Europe stand where you can find out about new and existing e-commerce and web solutions… and enjoy a free bag of popcorn!

With free to attend seminars, three superb fashions shows each day and plenty of great advice on tap, there’s every reason to visit Printwear & Promotion Live.

The show is in Hall 12 at the NEC Birmingham. Opening times for the remaining two days are: 10am to 5pm Monday (February 27) and 10am to 4pm (Tuesday, February 28).

To pre-register, visit www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk/visitor or register upon arrival.

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