Each January Team Brio treks to the desert of Las Vegas for an annual gathering of the coolest merch makers, branding badasses, and all the New, New, New! This year, the PPAI Expo 2024 attracted more than 16,000 people, who visited nearly 1,000 suppliers and manufacturers. It was epic.
Since we're from rural Maine, we take this foray into the masses to look out for the trends that are percolating and grab the tail of any geists (zeit or otherwise) we notice. This year we clocked the new 'rizz, saw some bonkers stuff, oh, and a lot of Stanley tumblers.
Trend #1 : Bags for your 40oz Drinkware of Choice
There's no doubt about it, the huge 40oz handled mugs haven't gone anywhere. We saw plenty of new brands coming out with their own version of the ubiquitous Stanley Quenchers. ( I am currently rocking a Denali by ETS express, but the colors of the Elemental Commuter 40oz are 😍. What we were absolutely living for in Vegas WAS THE BACKPACKS FOR YOUR BIG ASS CUPS!
Yes, you heard me right. Backpacks...for your mug. There were a few styles we saw, but all of them were perfect, just perfect. They won PPAI 2024. We can't wait for the tiny water bottle to fit in the tiny pocket in front.
Trend # 2 : Unconventional Materials = less waste
Sustainability, thankfully, is still gaining momentum and growing into a cornerstone of more and more brands. This push for sustainable products has led to the developments of cool new materials, or ways of reusing and recycling materials that don't add to the landfill.
ApPeel Journal
The ApPeel Journal is made out of apple peels and pulp; the cover and the pages. Also the paper is crafted using 100% green hydroelectric energy. The journals come in apple colors ( obvious but also adorable) and as a truly amazing bonus, the journals smell like apples. We have one in the shop already and it puts me in a good mood every time I see, and smell it!
Literal Coffee Mugs
We like when a material can be meta. Take these Perka®️ mugs from LogoMark; they're literally full of beans. Both the Barbarossa and the Guji coffee tumbler are made from a blend of recycled coffee grounds and recycled polypropylene, and the inner wall is made of post-consumer recycled 18/8 stainless steel.
Trend #3 : Brand Collaboration Bonanza
This is more of a continuation of a trend, but our suppliers are partnering with more and more retail brands allowing organizations and businesses to collaborate with a name that is so loved and trusted. We have more suppliers than ever offering Stanley products but other drinkware brands like Owala, Larq, Blender Bottle, and Field and Co are making an appearance. Apparel brands like Tentree, Anetik, and our neighbour from New Hampshire Minus 33. Tech brands added headphones and speakers from Cleer and iLive And bags from American Tourister and Feed. Sometimes you just need to go big and co-brand!
We hope your 2024 is stellar and look forward to all the great things we'll get up to together! We've just put the finishing touches on updating our curated shops with all these new items so check there for some promo-inspo.
If you have any questions or want to talk swag get in touch, and Here's to 2024!