The inaugural Imprint Canada Show was held in Calgary in 1999 and continued annually through to 2019. After a three year pandemic-related hiatus, the Western Imprint Canada Show returned September 23 & 24, and the tremendous response proved that you can indeed go home again.

Nearly 950 trade buyers – along with more than 125 end-buyers – visited the Show to see 70 suppliers on hand to support the western Canadian marketplace.

Post-Show surveys revealed that 81.7 per cent of attendees rated the Show as “Very Good to Excellent”, and 85.4 per cent gave the same rating to the cross section of exhibitors and product offerings. For 2023, 87.8 per cent reported that they already plan to return next year.

The Calgary Show was called an “Amazing way to immerse your client into the promo world atmosphere, giving them a first hand look at products we can provide to them and their employees,” said Tara Blonde of Staples Promotional Products. “(The Show) lets clients see the ‘other side’ and gives them an opportunity to pick swag that they never would’ve thought of before just by looking at pictures.”

Colleague Mary Bailey of Staples agreed: “It was wonderful to see the latest and greatest when it comes to special promotional products. I made a lot of connections with new vendors offering new ways to customize merchandise and I’m excited to connect with them on projects.”

Many attendees enjoyed the selection of product-decorating equipment and supplies. “It was so interesting to see the various decoration machines in motion, as well as the latest and greatest in decoration methods!” added Kristen Loates of Cotton Candy.

The Western Imprint Canada Show will return in 2023, dates to be announced soon.

August, 2022 – Mint Green is proud to announce the appointment of Craig Lockhart in the role of Director of Corporate Sales, a newly formed division within the leading Sports & Lifestyle company.

Craig is a respected leader and trusted authority within the Canadian Corporate Promotions market, having honed his experience and reputation over the last 20+ years in the field. In this new role, Craig will be responsible for the launch and growth of Mint Green’s Corporate Division, leading all aspects of corporate sales and merchandising within this key channel.

Mint Green’s portfolio of brands for the Corporate Channel include ’47 Brand, Greg Norman and Srixon Golf Balls, as well as the launch of a Private Label collection of apparel and accessories developed specifically to address the unique needs of the corporate channel, planned for later in 2023.

Leading Canadian supplier Canada Sportswear Corp. is pleased to announce that Scott Pearce has been promoted to Director of Sales in the apparel division and has been charged with a mandate
to grow the business.

“I look forward to working with Scott in building our business to new heights. Scott comes with considerable apparel experience, and we welcome him to Team Canada Sportswear,” said Canada Sportswear Corp CEO Ralph Goldfinger.  “Scott is committed to developing strong customer relations and has been an asset since joining our team in 2021. Our industry is experiencing
challenging times and we see opportunities to help our customers by accelerating our investment in stock depth, in technology and people. We look forward to helping you grow your business,” he added.

“I am excited at the opportunity to help shape a sales culture with a singular focus – service to our customers” says Scott Pearce.

For more information, please visit www.canadasportwear.com

August 4, 2022 – Gildan Activewear Inc. (GIL: TSX and NYSE) announced results for the second quarter ended July 3, 2022. “We are pleased with our record sales and earnings for the quarter, underpinned by the Gildan sustainable growth strategy, including our focus on innovation and ESG,” said Glenn J. Chamandy, Gildan President and CEO. “Furthermore, our first half performance points to the tight control we currently have over our supply chain and cost structure, which puts us in a good position to support our customers’ demand as we move through the remainder of the year.”

Key Highlights:

• Record sales of $896 million, up 20% over prior year
• Operating margin of 19.4% and adjusted operating margin1 of 19.6%
• Record GAAP diluted EPS of $0.85, adjusted diluted EPS1 of $0.86 up 27% over Q2 2021
• Cash flows from operating activities of $210 million and strong free cash flow1 of $159 million in the quarter
• Company announces renewal of Normal Course Issuer Bid to repurchase up to 5% of outstanding shares
• Gildan named one of Canada’s Top 50 Corporate Citizens by Corporate Knights

Read the full press release here

May 4, 2022 –  Gildan Activewear Inc. (GIL: TSX and NYSE) announced results for the first quarter ended April 3, 2022. “Record results in the first quarter and a strong start to 2022 reflect the impact of Gildan’s Sustainable Growth (GSG) strategy,” said Glenn J. Chamandy, Gildan president and CEO. “Our team’s clear focus on capacity driven growth, innovation and ESG, leveraging our world class, vertically-integrated manufacturing platform, is putting us in a strong position to service customer demand while effectively managing inflationary cost pressures.” 

Sales for the first quarter ending April 3, 2022, totalled $775 million, up 31% over the prior year, consisting of activewear sales of $667 million, up 38% over the prior year, and sales in the hosiery and underwear category of $108 million, up 3% over last year. The activewear sales increase was largely driven by volume growth and net selling price increases, as well as favourable product-mix. Activewear volume growth reflected strong demand in North American markets, particularly in the distributor channel, partly offset by lower international shipments due to ongoing demand weakness in Europe and Asia.

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The National imprint Canada Show made its long-awaited return to Toronto April 22 & 23, welcoming 2,380 trade buyers!

While so much has changed in the previous two years, the enthusiasm and excitement from attendees and exhibitors alike remained as strong and optimistic as ever.

“I always look forward to The Toronto Imprint Show. It’s a great chance to see new suppliers,” said Beverly Way of The Promotional Way.

“It was awesome seeing reps and suppliers,” said Seb Gravelle of Artext. “I brought all the staff to the Show and they loved it.”

David Phillipo of Promotional Elements was happy to be back to live events: “After a couple of years not being to attend the Show, it was great to finally go again and reconnect with familiar faces in the industry and learn about what’s new.”

Right from the show’s opening Friday at 10am, there was an unmistakeable energy for the industry to come together once again.

“The Imprint Shows are a must-attend event for anyone in the industry, said Trevor Walsh of Kenora Management Group. “It is the one place in Canada where you can speak face-to-face with reps and see the next innovations in equipment, products, software, and supplies.”

“Great show and turn out!” added Brian Bettencourt, Talbot Marketing. “It was nice seeing and chatting with suppliers face to face once again.  Nothing replaces the in-person conversations that the Show garners.”

New attendees were equally excited: “This was my first Imprint Canada Show and I really enjoyed it.  I really liked seeing the decoration methods and companies that make those machines.  It helps me share those details with my client,” explained Darryl Andree of BAMKO.

“This was my first time attending the show and I was blown away!” added Sally of The Promo Guyz. “I found so many new suppliers and was able to find solutions for issues I’ve had.”

Exhibitors were thrilled to be back as well.

“Wow, what a great two days!” exclaimed Leslie Ashby of Strategic Sales Team/Your Promo Reps. “Great Show, good attendance – doesn’t get much better than that!”

“It was definitely great to finally be back after such a long shutdown and to see everyone again,” said Elena Lombardi of Martini-Vispak. “It was a great turn out.”

S&S Activewear was voted Best Sales Environment at the Show, while Les Industries HW Canada took home the Best Booth Design honours.

Paul Bami of DezineCorp was announced as recipient of the Robert L. Scott Award for his contributions to the industry from the supplier level.

Congratulations to Elaine Rumanek of Customized Medical, winner of $1,000 courtesy of Twiga Industries and ZSK!

The Imprint Canada Show’s next stop is Le Salon National « Imprint Canada », returning to Montréal, Québec for the first time since 2001. Following that is the return of the Western Imprint Canada Show in Calgary, last held in September 2019.

The National Imprint Canada Show will return to Toronto January 6 & 7, 2023.

April 21, 2022 – Imprint Canada is pleased to announce that the winner of the Robert L. Scott Memorial Award is Paul Bami, President and CEO of DezineCorp!

Bami founded his own company, Hydeport Inc., upon immigrating to Canada with his family in 1991. With a focus on leather goods, Bami found himself inspired by the possibilities within the promotional products industry, particularly within the value-added categories of customizable engraving and gift set creations. Bami thinks locally but sources globally, bringing in the best quality promotional products from around the world to be customized in his Mississauga-based factory.

He has led the DezineCorp team since 2009, building on his 25+ years of experience in the manufacturing industry to head one of Canada’s leading decorated promotional product providers. Bami has led the DezineCorp team through the unprecedented changes that the global pandemic brought to the supply chain, ensuring that the company pivoted its business to begin offering high-demand health and wellness items, including organic cotton reusable face masks, hand sanitizers, and face shields. His commitment to his team and his forward-thinking vision has ensured that, despite economic uncertainty. (more…)