Expo Bound: Goldstar Connects Print Providers to Branded Merchandise

As PRINTING United Expo approaches, Promo Impressions is catching up with promotional products decorators and suppliers to discuss industry trends, growth opportunities, and what they're looking forward to at the year's event. For this edition, we spoke with Heather Smartt, global head of Goldstar, a promotional products supplier and Alliance member.

Heather Smartt, Goldstar

Why was exhibiting at PRINTING United Expo important for Goldstar this year?

PRINTING United Expo represents an important milestone for Goldstar as we continue to expand our presence and connect with new audiences within the broader print and decoration industry.

We’ve been watching this space for several years, taking the time to understand how it aligned with our vision for branded merchandise and where we could bring meaningful value. This year felt like the right opportunity because our capabilities have evolved significantly. With solutions such as print-on-demand services, a more flexible pricing model, and a stronger global infrastructure, we are now positioned to support this audience in new ways.

For us, this is about more than simply entering a new channel. It’s about becoming part of a wider industry conversation, building new partnerships, and making sure businesses understand the full range of opportunities available through Goldstar.

Who are you hoping to connect with on the show floor?

We’re excited to connect with print service providers, apparel decorators, resellers, and businesses looking to expand their capabilities into branded merchandise.

One of the biggest opportunities we see is connecting with companies that may not traditionally identify themselves as part of the promotional products industry, but whose expertise and customer relationships naturally align with what we offer. We want to show them how easy it can be to add branded merchandise to their portfolio and create new opportunities for their customers.

Of course, we also look forward to strengthening existing relationships and building new ones. At Goldstar, partnerships are at the heart of our business. We want to meet this audience, understand their needs, and continue developing solutions that help them succeed.

The ASI Show Pavilion brings promotional products suppliers together within a larger print industry event. What value does that combination bring to your team?

The Pavilion provides important context for attendees who may not be familiar with our side of the industry. Seeing branded merchandise suppliers together tells a story that no single booth can tell on its own, and it helps businesses recognize how naturally our capabilities connect with their own.

It also creates space for meaningful collaboration. The relationships built at events like this are what move our industry forward, and being surrounded by peers and partners allows us to exchange ideas about where the market is heading and what customers will need next.

For Goldstar, that combination is a strategic advantage. We gain visibility with a broader audience while staying close to the community we already serve, and we come away with a clearer view of how to continue evolving.

Beyond exhibiting, what technologies, equipment, or trends are you planning to explore while you're at the show? 

Sustainability remains a central focus for us. It has been a continued priority through our rebrand, and we are encouraged to see the wider industry advancing in the same direction, particularly around consciously designed products.

We are also watching the growth of independent sellers and smaller-scale producers on platforms like Etsy. Many of these businesses are already operating within our industry, and helping them understand how to access branded merchandise through a distributor relationship represents a significant opportunity for the market as a whole.

More broadly, an event spanning commercial print, apparel decoration, wide-format, packaging, and fulfillment gives us an efficient view of where decoration technology is heading. Understanding those developments directly informs how we invest in our own capabilities.

When the Expo wraps up, what would make the event a success for your team?

Success for us is measured in relationships. We want to leave the show having connected with businesses that are new to Goldstar and having introduced them to what we offer, from our decoration capabilities to the flexibility of ordering blank or decorated.

We also want this audience to understand our truly global infrastructure. SimplyGlobal spans three continents with hundreds of SKUs available worldwide, and within Europe a single purchase order ships across 21 countries at the same U.S. pricing and to the same decoration standards. SimpleSource adds another layer, giving distributors factory-direct access to our bestsellers and, in exchange for longer lead times, allowing their clients to specify colors, finishes, and full-panel artwork that stock products cannot offer.

Ultimately, if we come away with new partnerships, a deeper understanding of this market, and a clearer sense of how to keep expanding our capabilities, that will be a strong result.