Four Key Insights From This Year’s ASI Power Summit

ASI just wrapped its annual Power Summit – an annual gathering of promo leaders for three days of networking, education and innovation, held this year in Scottsdale, AZ. This year’s event was chock full of insight and inspiration on topics ranging from AI to tariffs.

Here are four highlights from the show.

Sophia joined ASI President & CEO Tim Andrews for a highly anticipated keynote Q&A during the 19th annual ASI Power Summit in Scottsdale, AZ, earlier this month.

1. The future of AI is already here – and you shouldn’t be afraid.

Keynote speaker Sophia, an AI-powered humanoid robot, was on hand to discuss how AI will impact business and bridge the gap between people and technology. Tech futurist Sam Maule also shared his thoughts on how AI can be used for good and evil, highlighting that it’s up to people to manage the technology responsibly.

2. Inflation right now is a ‘runny nose – annoying, but not debilitating.’

Economist Mary Kelly gave a talk on how business leaders can navigate uncertainty, noting that we’re currently in a “complex economic environment” with moderate growth, but also persistent, though manageable inflation. She also noted that “stagflation,” where both unemployment and inflation are very high, is unlikely to happen in the near future.

3. Supply chain diversity and inventory management are key.

During a panel on global sourcing, promo suppliers and distributors said they’re navigating tariff complexities through inventory management and diversifying supply chains into countries such as India and Vietnam to reduce dependence on China. In addition, unprecedented collaboration between distributors and suppliers has helped the promo industry withstand tariffs and supply chain disruptions.

4. A top promo exec lays out vision for growing into a multibillion-dollar enterprise.

In a Q&A, Jim Hilt, the new CEO of Counselor Top 40 distributor HALO Branded Solutions, said he has aspirations to build his company into a multibillion-dollar firm, primarily through the use of technology and growing at scale, rather than relying primarily on mergers and acquisitions. Hilt envisions HALO’s success as being mutually beneficial across the ecosystem – including clients, employees and suppliers. He also stressed that his company’s mission is to create shared prosperity and elevate the entire promo industry, not just compete against peers.

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