To support their continued growth and expansion, Staples Promotional Products, Europe (SPP) is delighted to announce that a number of new associates have joined their team.

Firstly, Steve Carroll joins SPP’s International Sales Team, as Account Manager. Steve brings a wealth of experience from within the merchandise arena and will be responsible for developing existing client relationships and driving incremental sales. Formerly with key distributors such as Dowlis, Steve comments “I’m pleased that I’m joining SPP at such an exciting time in the development of the business and I’m looking forward to leveraging their market position and resource to help further my career and the company’s success”.

In addition to Steve, SPP also welcomes Franziska Richter to their team as an Account Executive and Jilka Brandt as Programme Manager. Both Franziska and Jilka join from within the industry and will help further strengthen the company’s international capabilities and wider teams.

Xindao are pleased to announce the opening of their new UK office on 1st September. Paul Maye will be heading up the operation for Xindao and is planning to improve awareness of the range and develop new and existing business in the UK and Ireland. Paul has 15 years experience in the promotions industry with The Prime Time Company and leaves on good terms wishing Prime Time all the best for the future. Paul says 'Xindao's extensive range of Eco, Outdoor, Tools, Bags and Lifestyle products, incorporating their own design (XDDesign) products, plus the plans to expand the range, represent a great package for the promotional industry and I look forward to representing Xindao UK Ltd.' The Xindao Group has continued to show stable growth in the promotional product industry, both in Europe and overseas markets, over the past few years. The Group is benefiting from an early presence in the Chinese market - since 1992 – and now employs 160 staff worldwide. The innovative drive of the company is centered in Shanghai with a Design Studio and Product development department that now staffs 14 foreign and local designers. Dutch based Xindao Group have recently employed a new CEO and Commercial Director and are opening the new UK office as part of their strategic plans for future growth and expansion of their range.

The British Pavilion worked very well again at Pro/PSI, with 14 UK suppliers supporting the event. The show attracted many sizeable buyers and some of the enquiries generated by UK companies were substantial, including an 80,000 diary request. A number of the suppliers, including I Name It, The Logo Lollilop, & Hainenko, even took orders from the show. The Pavilion, supported by Sourcing City and endorsed by the BPMA, has proven to be a popular overseas collaboration, with many of the suppliers commenting how easy it was for them to exhibit. New exhibitor Pod Packaging, who generated over 210 enquiries, was initially unsure about coming and found the show an excellent way to break out into Europe. MD Mark Glanville commented "As a relatively small company the pavilion concept was cost effective and the BPMA and Sourcing City helped create a real community among the suppliers. We are very keen to commit again next year”. Gordon Glenister, Director General of the bpma, who ran one of the conference sessions was quick to praise the event. “The bpma has a strong mandate to help UK suppliers expand into Europe and Pro is just one of the important events we are supporting. I was delighted to see how well some great products are being received on the continent”

For the whole of September, Carole Group are offering a £20 Red Letter Days voucher with every order over £1200. Offer available on all products from Pencyclopaedia, Tops, Topico & Folio ranges. Order value includes print, origination & carriage.

September organic Sweetener from Everything Environmental. Evan will be giving away free ORGANIC chocolate from Green and Blacks with every order placed in September. From Mini to Mega bars the bigger your order the bigger your chocolate bar treat. “If it’s a success we’ll definitely run this on until Christmas” says Evan who adds “if you’re feeling generous we can send your chocolate treat direct to your customer as a little thank you on your behalf”. It’s simple, send us your order and we’ll send you some delicious Organic Chocolate to say thanks.

Order a minimum of 12 dozen Callaway or Titleist golf balls and receive free origination until 31st August 2010 from Yob Golf.

The Mitchell wind and water resistant mens outdoors jacket has been reduced to £14, a 30% discount, plus free delivery until 31st August 2010 from United Brands of Scandinavia.

www.britishmadepromotionalproducts.co.uk is now live. Featuring bespoke made textile products, all manufactured and printed in Britian.

Just arrived. Huge stocks of BT60 Budget Drawstring Bags. Available in 5 colours. Prices from 56p, printed one colour & despatched within 5-7 working days. Minimum Quantity 250. Hurry while stocks last.

To celebrate their 7th birthday, Business Baubles have teamed up with Swarovski to create an exclusive christmas bauble. Minimum Quantity 30. See press release for more details.

Tomlinson Golf are offering Free Embroidery Set-up on All Greg Norman Clothing until Sept 30th. Minimum 25 Garments.

Cross Pens have launched their Autumn offers early this year. Offers include up to 30% saving on popular styles, Cross Signature journals, Franklin Covey and the ever popular Free Pencil offer.

Promotional Paper Works have confirmed that they will be featuring their brand new 'Promo Box-Bagz' at the forthcoming APG Events in September. They are the ideal presentation pack that adds the perfect final touch. Available in small, medium and large, they are produced in FSC stock paper and can be printed to full colour process and laminated to add that touch of class.The whole 'Box-Bagz' range is available on a quick turnround service.

Low Cost Cotton Canvas & Duffle Bags with 4 colour transfer, available in 48hrs from Keepme Bags. Minimum Quantity only 100 bags.

United Brands are offering their Mitchell Jacket in navy blue for an amazing £14, representing a 30% discount off the normal trade price. Terms & conditions apply. Offer ends 31st August 2010.

The first ‘BPMA Design Innovation Award’, sponsored by 3M, has been won by Andrea Pisa, a design student at Brunel University. The Competition challenges UK based undergraduate design students to create a new product idea for the promotional merchandise industry. Launched by the bpma, the annual competition seeks to create new British designed products for the promotional market, and to focus UK design students on the large and thriving UK promotional industry that will be largely unknown to them. Winning designer, Andrea, created an easy to use bag lock that requires two hands to open it & included a large branding area. BPMA director general Gordon Glenister was delighted with the first Design Innovation Award, and commented “I am always fascinated by the design talent this country has to offer and was particularly excited to receive over 120 entries for this first year award. Any industry needs fresh innovative ideas and lateral thinking and some of the products we saw have definite commercial application.”

Certnfase the award winning trade only textile screen printer and embroider, are pleased to offer an increased print size of 425 x 600mm for all T shirts, sweatshirts, Hoddies etc .

Customers will still enjoy the same great service, now with an increased print area.

Buy 500 recycled PET shopper tote bags at £1.25 each and received 500 free recycled paper pencils including origination and carraige until the 31st August from Everything Environmental.

An amazing clearance price is available on the Belle Vue ball pen for just 12p with a 5 day delivery including a one colour print in one position from Pencom Ltd.

United Brands are offering free origination & express delivery on their Drop Highlighter ref 81409 until the end of August. Prices from 55p including a one colour print. Minimum Quantity: 300pcs.

250 Standard Keyrings for £99. Available in standard square, round, rectangular and oval shapes. 5 Day Delivery.

Free origination on all Callaway & Titleist balls during August. Offer ends 31st August 2010. Minimum Quantity: 12 dozen.

High Profile, the UK’s leading manufacturer of standard and bespoke made plastic promotional products, is continuing its development of green options for customers by launching a new environmentally friendly water bottle made from 95% PCR recycled materials. The majority of the products available from High Profile have been created, designed and assembled in the UK. The Baseline Recycled Bottle is ideal for anyone who needs a refreshing drink on the go but worries about the effects of plastic on the environment and their own physical well-being. Water bottles are the perfect branded giveaway for today’s lifestyles. They are valuable to provide refreshment at the gym, in the office or on an overcrowded hot train. Practical, smart and safe, the new sports bottle is convenient and easily kept as well as being designed to reduce the use of disposable plastic bottles that harm the atmosphere by filling landfill sites with tons of non-biodegradable waste. The 500ml Baseline Recycled Bottle body is made from post consumer recycled containers and the cap has been reused from packaging films. It’s the UK’s first manufactured sports bottle on the market made from 95% PCR. The bottle is EN71 and food contact approved for its clean, non-toxic properties. It is robust, eco-friendly and cost effective producing a minimum carbon footprint. Initially available in natural with black, red, green, blue and yellow caps, other colours are obtainable when ordering in high quantities of 10,000 units and over.

Published half year figures from 4imprint have shown a solid performance by the company. Group revenue increased to £95.18m, which was up 18% on last year, and underlying operating profit was £4.46m, an increase of 193%. The Direct Marketing Division (4imprint) was 17% ahead of last year at £62.78m, the End User Division (Brand Addition) achieved revenue of £25.33m, which was 24% ahead of the first half of 2009. The Trade Division (SPS) also saw 7% growth to a turnover of £8.89m in the first half.

To read the full report click the link below: 4imprint Group Plc - Half Yearly Report

With regret, we shall no longer be able to show the Promota membership logo against member companies in Sourcing City, Sourcing Planet or Promotional Directory. We have been advised that following a Promota committee meeting last week that the Promota membership list will not be provided to us as a Promota member, or as service to the trade. The Promota membership list has for several years been openly available to all members, & downloadable from the website, however we have been advised that the members list is no longer available to members. Members can now only communicate with other Promota members via ‘PromotaMail’. We had made a special request for a list to validate the Promota members in our database, however this has been refused. Therefore, without the ability to validate members we have had no choice other than to remove the Promota logo against all members. The decision of the Promota committee is ludicrous from our point of view & in many ways quite sad.

The consequence of Promota decision means that distributor users of Sourcing City will no longer be able to immediately see that a supplier is a Promota member, it also means that end users using Sourcing Planet or Promotional Directory will not be able to see that a distributor is a Promota member. Users of our online services will however continue to see which companies are BPMA members, as they happily provide members information to us for the benefit of their members. Whilst we have for many years been an ardent & vocal supporter of Promota we are really concerned that this, & many other recent decisions, continue to contribute to the evident demise of a once important & respected trade association.