We stand by this: Commonality, concentration, clout

The pandemic, the problems with supply chains, inflation, all these have also posed enormous challenges to the promotional products industry. All the more reason for the industry to be proud of how its companies have successfully mastered these difficult times.

Successful PSI Restart

In January of this year, the PSI Trade Show took place again for the first time after a two-year break.  Thousands of visitors from all over Europe and the world came to Düsseldorf. Against the background of the difficult years, this was a very successful restart. This makes us certain that even more exhibitors and even more visitors will find their way to Düsseldorf in 2024.

The PSI Trade Show is and remains the largest and most important meeting place for the European promotional products community with charisma throughout the world – over 50 percent of the trade show visitors come from the international arena. There is no comparable trade fair where suppliers present themselves in such a professional manner and with such impressive exhibition stands. You only have to look at the reactions of invited politicians to see an impressive reflection of this.

Concentrating on strengths

It is our common task to secure the future of our industry. Professional and committed trade fairs undoubtedly contribute to this. But every trade fair is always associated with high costs, especially for the exhibiting companies. Therefore, the goal must be to consolidate and concentrate the trade fair landscape in Germany. Trade fair events should be reconsidered and individual trade fairs perhaps even merged. The multitude of events in this country already has an inflationary character.

Time is pressing

For the promotional products industry, it is of central importance that associations like the GWW pay more attention to political work. In view of inflation, the 10-euro record limit and the 35-euro value limit, this has become almost imperative. Politics must be motivated to finally act here – also and especially against the background of quality and sustainability.

The GWW should act less as a trade fair organiser and instead do association work with all available means – also in the daily support of members in topics such as digitalisation, business succession and marketing measures. The already established trade fair events such as Newsweek and Autumn Trend should be retained: they are useful additions also with a view to the annual product cycle.

Only together for success

No single company is able to muster enough political relevance to be heard in Berlin. In terms of democratic opinion-forming, this is certainly true. In our system of government, it is the task of associations to bundle interests and enter into dialogue with politicians. But in Berlin alone, more than 1,000 lobbyists are vying for the attention of politicians. That’s why we need all industry participants on board: the GWW as a whole, in which the different industry levels are organised; the PSI with its more than 5,000 European members for political weight, also in Brussels; the industry media, the companies on site and the political contacts of each individual.

Only together are we strong, also financially and numerically. Only in a fruitful exchange of opinions and ideas are we powerful and capable of campaigning. If we concentrate on our respective strengths and do not get lost in the nitty-gritty, we will be successful – as a sector as a whole, but also as individual companies.

An initiative of the signatory companies