The pandemic helped to redefine the concept of well-being, which today coincides with achieving a better work-life balance. A goal that can be achieved every day, at home as well as in the office, also thanks to customizable gadgets and items that help people feel good and make everyday life easier.

In the PTE 2023 exhibitors' catalogues, sections dedicated to fitness have become more substantial and, in addition to promotional clothing, present a broader and more diverse range of sports and gym accessories. Examples are the elastic training bands, gym and golf bags, and towels from the 'Be Creative' collection by Anda Present, a new made-in-Hungary line of products that can be customized with high-resolution digital prints. Among the various disciplines, yoga, which refers to an ideal of physical and mental balance, seems to have carved out a special place for itself in the promotional proposals. Among customizable accessories, at the fair we saw cork-coated mats and cork bricks, to be used as support to physical exercise, by Get Impressed.

Naturally beautiful

The proposals exhibited at PTE 2023 included beauty and personal care products, also with options for the creation of customizable gift boxes or travel sets. Beauty products were mostly natural (made from vegetable ingredients) and sustainable, multipurpose (i.e., one product to cleanse face and hair) or in solid format, therefore plastic-free. These are the characteristics of the offer presented by Asiatrade - Makito Italy, which includes a lip balm packaged in a bamboo sphere and the Vegan line of dermatologically tested solid shampoos and soaps that can be combined with hair brushes or scalp massagers, inter alia, also available in environment-friendly packaging, such as organic cotton cloth bags or boxes made from certified recycled paper.

Small rituals

Scented candles and fragrance diffusers with wooden sticks are customizable products that help create an instant mood of well-being, at home or in the office. Such as the candles and diffusers of the Ukiyo gift set by Xd Connects, inspired by Japanese Zen aesthetics, or the candles of the new 'Candlesphere' brand proposed by Maxim Ceramics. The latter, made in Europe in soy wax, can be customized in colour, in the shape of glass containers and even in fragrances, to evoke the different atmospheres they help create, as their names say: Romantic, Glamour, Dream, Aura.

Ready-to-wear office

Even if true digital nomads - those who choose to live and work remotely in distant and exotic locations - are still a small niche, there is no doubt that remote-working and 'hybrid' solutions are now increasingly popular ways of working, so up-to-date, high-performance solutions have been promoted for these activities. That's why new proposals include objects that simplify life by making work a pleasure, such as the smartphone video kit and the lamp that simulates the sunset proposed by Midocean or the office lines in sustainable materials, including cardboard or wood, rPET, and organic cotton by Pelco.

Noty Deluxe, a truly 'mobile' workstation from Misa is also made from rPET (recycled PolyEthylene Terephthalate) and takes up little space; when closed, it looks like a normal agenda, while open it reveals a mobile phone and pen holder, and a side pocket for business cards. Finally, a special mention should be made of customizable solutions dedicated to urban commuters, many of whom are beginning to prefer green mobility. The 'Bike Race' bag by Inspirion, a backpack that can also be attached to the bike, equipped with several compartments, including a padded inner pocket where your tablet or laptop can be stored, is specifically dedicated to green travellers.