For the first time in three years, Eagle presented its 23rd Marketing and Branding Expo in Anaheim on August 11. The entire Eagle team had a wonderful day reconnecting with vendors, customers, and others after a far-too-long absence.
The event welcomed nearly 200 clients and prospective customers—which was a promising turnout for the first, post-pandemic event. All attendees received a generous swag bag, and everyone present enjoyed a delicious, complimentary barbecue lunch hosted by Eagle and expertly catered by Highway 39 Catering.
Here are some of the highlights in text and photos.
The 2022 Eagle Expo Venue
Highway 39 is truly a fun and unique venue like no other. It features a private, museum-quality collection of classic American cars, as well as vintage neon signs, original 1950s gas pumps, Cushman scooters, and a wide variety of other antiques accumulated over the years by the venue’s owner, Art Astor.
As one of our vendors told us afterward, “This is quite a special venue, which uplifts the mood of attendees and makes them happy to be there.”
Exciting Prize Drawings
All Marketing and Branding Expo registrants who attended were automatically entered to win one of nine valuable door prizes.
Four delighted guests walked away with these amazing items:
- YETI Hopper Soft Cooler (valued at $300)
- Citizen Corso Watch (valued at $300)
- YETI Rambler 30-ounce Travel Mug
- A pair of Los Angeles Angels tickets!
Represented Brands and Manufacturers
A total of 30 exhibitors, 50 tables, and additional vendors of Eagle’s top printing and promotional product suppliers were present at this year’s Expo, featuring a strategic, curated selection of top classic and trending brands. Attendees had the opportunity to meet representatives from many of the industry’s most innovative manufacturers, including:
- Travis Mathew Apparel
- BrüMate
- adidas
- Igloo
- Solo New York
- And many more!
Michael Del Bucchia, Strategic National Accounts Manager of Terry Town, shared his experience as an exhibitor: “I found the Expo to be a very positive, efficiently organized client show. With such a select group of suppliers, guests were not overwhelmed, and the traffic flow was reasonable. Nothing replaces ‘touch and feel for the clients, so this gave them an important ‘sense memory’ of our product line.”
“It was great to be there and I was impressed by the large turnout,” said Larry Frodyma, Senior Accounts Manager of Evans Manufacturing, Inc. “The Eagle Expo was better than most of the 30 regional shows I’ve done this year and ranked among the top four!”
Creative Ideas for Our Clients
The annual Marketing and Branding Expo showcased the hottest on-trend, must-have promotional products, branded apparel, print solutions, and more, all designed to inspire new ideas and propel our clients ahead of their competition.
With three full aisles of vendors, there was a wide range of in-demand products and apparel for attendees to see, touch, and ask about—from drinkware and food-related items to jackets, T-shirts, caps, and safety apparel, to premium blankets and towels, to technology, games, pens, and many other items.
“Thank you for inviting us to your annual event,” wrote Sheri Coury, Product Development for Wyland Foundation, in an email after the show. “I’m so glad we were able to attend, and it was super important for our president to be there—he loved it and got lots of new ideas!”
“EPD’s Annual Marketing and Branding Expo is a giant think-tank that promotes the flow of information for informed product strategy, “says RJ Espinoza, Director of Alumni Relations for Western State College of Law. “It’s a great place to explore new ideas in a hands-on environment that promotes creativity and furthers business development.
“Connecting with representatives in person, especially since the pandemic drove everything to virtual, was a wonderful experience—and the ability to talk with manufacturers directly and learn not only about the production but their capabilities as well, was invaluable. I enjoyed learning about the increased use of organic and recycled materials to create eco-friendly products, such as awards, and alerted to the increased production times of one-off items.
“Most importantly, Eagle always excels in the area of personal connection and makes you feel as if you are their #1 customer. At the Expo, I was impressed by the willingness of every employee and vendor/manufacturer to go above and beyond their duty to help foster growth within my organization and industry.”
Get EXPOsed with Eagle!
Whether you made it or missed it in August, we hope you’ll be able to join us next year at Southern California’s best printing and promotional event! If you would like to follow up on any of the products you saw (or just want us to give you some great ideas), give us a call at 714-978-2200 or contact the Eagle team online.
