Milan, 30 January 2024 - A unique moment for trade operators: the 2024 edition of PTE-PromotionTrade Exhibition, the event dedicated to advertising objects, giftware, promotional textiles and customisation technologies, at Fiera Milano, Rho, from 30 January to 1 February, is ready to provide an outline of the market through a complete and varied offer.

There are more than 110 exhibiting companies: importers, distributors and manufacturers from 12 countries, with the largest attendance from Italy, Germany, France, Austria, Spain and Poland. Thanks to the offer of the key players in the sector, it will be possible to evaluate the novelties of the promotional world and the customization technologies. An edition even richer than usual: among the exhibitors, 32 companies are new entrants from both the promotional and the tech sectors. Several new brands for the first time have therefore decided to exhibit and will allow operators to discover products never seen before in the event.

A unique event in Italy for promotional products agencies, communication and marketing experts, printers and e-commerce specialists who are interested in planning investments and purchases, updating and networking.

SUSTAINABILITY, DURABILITY, UNIQUENESS AND EXPERIENCE: TRENDS ON SHOW

PTE will once again be an opportunity to discuss the new trends that will guide the purchase choices in the next months.

Sustainability is now part of the industry's DNA, a must for manufacturers and distributors, expressed in a thousand shades. It is a mature concept: it goes from low environmental impact to end-of-life management. It is declined as a value and choice, in the materials - from recycled plastic to natural fibers, from ethical fabrics to low impact inks - but also in the certifications of the entire production chain.

The water bottles, symbol of the green choices, always experiment with new materials, 100% recyclable and free from bisphenol A, establishing itself as an ideal material for making beverage containers.

There will be many proposals in RPET, which wink to fashion, proposing briefcases and bags soft and durable, but above all environmentally friendly.

Also on the tech front, the commitment to protecting the planet continues, with water-based ink - less impacting and cheaper -  and energy savings machines.

Sustainability is not only an ecological choice: today the green soul of the promotional sector gives up the concept of "disposable object" to propose the idea of a useful and durable gadget, which became a real accessory. A uniqueness that comes from the choice of the material - quality, resistant to daily use and certified - but also from the craftsmanship that is behind the object, as in the case of office articles in genuine leather or greeting cards in fine paper with finishing in hot gold and dry overhang. Gifts of value, with a great appeal for the foreign buyers, who appreciates this feature of the Made in Italy production.

To multiply the possibilities of customization, the offer is tailor made: today the machines represent a key element, because it is from technological innovation that starts the possibility of producing very particular effects on increasingly limited runs.

Even customization seems to have made an evolutionary leap, with maximum attention to details which make each object unique. Now everything is customizable and printable: t-shirts, sweatshirts and caps, but also albums created by professional illustrators, cookies, candy, lollipops, chewing gum, handmade pralines and truffles declined in a wide range of colors and packages, able to offer almost endless branding possibilities.

The customization extends from the product to the experience and involves wellness items, napkins for great events, gift boxes that offer trips or adrenaline activities.

Finally, it is confirmed the attention to office supplies: stationery, but also many technological items, useful in the era of remote working, such as customizable wireless devices and power banks (still among the best in class in the industry), which make it possible to work anywhere, as comfortably as in your office.

PTE LAB: THE VALUE OF THE EXPERIENCE

A unique opportunity to discover the various customisation techniques in a practical and hands-on way, the PTE LAB is back at PTE. A real production laboratory within the exhibition area, where different companies work side by side, producing items live using new customisation technologies. Screen printing, sublimation, laser, digital printing, embroidery and heat presses: PTE 2024 is an opportunity to discover new techniques, creatively exchange ideas and network with key industry players.

Gravotech Italia will present WeLase, the compact laser marker for engraving jewellery and personalising objects, cutlery, gifts and perfumes.

GI–AN will show the revolutionary DTF i700, a machine that prints directly onto film with automatic, fast adhesive distribution and heat transfer on all types of fabric. Thanks to its state-of-the-art technology, it reduces the delivery time of finished products while maintaining very high print quality, with brilliant, long-lasting colours and the ability to print very small, thin lines and objects.

AW SERVICE will showcase its heat press: magnetic, high-pressure and unique. Ideal for heat transfer of images onto T-shirts and objects. The removable plate makes it easier to position garments without burning hands and optimises space, while the closure does not require pressure as it is secured by an electric magnet to prevent operator fatigue.

T-SHIRT MAKERS will show in operation the plotter HD60-4T. It is part of the brand-new DTF modular printing system; it comprises a plotter and an inline oven, allowing maximum optimisation of production processes thanks to its reliability and speed. The ideal solution for workshops that require maximum production capacity, excellent quality and unrivalled reliability. At PTE LAB, the company will also demonstrate a second machine: the HD60 - 4TFR inline film applicator/shaker/dryer with new air-driven powder glue recirculation system.

MARKET SCREENTYPOGRAPHIC will show a camera embroidery machine demonstrating how to embroider detail over a print. There will be a digital printer connected to a PC for printing. From printing, we move on to embroidery, which, thanks to the camera, is triggered to embroider only the specified detail.

PTE MEET: COMPARISON AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

Three days of professional training realized thanks to the contribution of prestigious partners and industry experts who will alternate in the dedicated area: PTE Meet, through a calendar of talks, seminars and workshops, will allow visitors to take stock of the state of the art of the market and its trends and discuss customization technologies.

Angelo Barzaghi - Accademia Serigrafica will propose two workshops. The first on the prospects of screen printing, the second focused on the necessary evolution of the market, focusing on the changes that are involving technologies, people, the relationship with customers and the management of companies.

Piero La Puca - T-shirt Makers will also hold two talks: one on the opportunities to bring online graphic companies, the other on DTF UV, the new frontier of digital customization.

Fabrizio Selis will hold a seminar on how business changes and the necessary skills so that the printed object is not replaced by virtual proposals. He will also propose a meeting focused on printed shoppers: how to print them and make them a successful marketing tool.

To better understand the market trends, Promotion Magazine will present a survey realized in collaboration with PTE, on the demand for promotional products.

The appointment with PTE – Promotion Trade Exhibition is at Fiera Milano, Rho, from today 30 January to 1 February, in Hall 10.