The Imprinted Sportswear Show in Atlantic City Showcased New Performance Styles and Decorating Methods

The Imprinted Sportswear Show in Atlantic City, held annually at The Atlantic City Convention Center, opened on Friday, March 9 at 10 a.m. By 10:45 a.m. the floor was already packed. "It has been a very, very steady Imprinted Sportswear Show in Atlantic City," said Mary Ellen Nichols, MAS, director of marketing communications for Bodek and Rhodes, Philadelphia. The steadiness relates not only to increased traffic, but also orders. Jessica Clifford, marketing coordinator for Kavio!, Commerce, Calif., agreed with Nichols. "The show has been really great for us so far. It's just the first day of the show and everything is so busy," she said. Clifford added that "lots of traffic" and "lots of interest" have helped the Kavio! booth stay active.

According to Nichols, the specific interests of show attendees were in young, contemporary sportswear and unique designs. "What we are finding is that we have a lot of customers coming here to work on projects," she said. To fill this need, Bodek and Rhodes presented new styles (the whole Next Level line) as well as new imprinting technology (T 360). "We've introduced a brand new product, which is the first overall print T-shirt. It's called T 360, which means 360 around. It's a whole, all-over design that can be done on any cotton or cotton-poly shirt," she explained. Nichols went on to say that the T 360 shirts have been the "wow" of the show. "We've given away boxes and boxes of samples, and it's only 3 p.m. [on the first day of the show]. We are really excited about the reception," she added.

Clifford had similar success at the Kavio! booth. "Our new stuff people are going crazy for (the snow and the slub) because it's brand new to our line," she said, although noted that the classics still draw a big crowd. "Sublimation stuff is still going strong."

On the imprinting side, decorators showcased their materials and machinery to reveal exactly how imprints are made. Veronica Vargas, co-owner of VS Rhinestone Designs, Wylie, Texas, explained how the rhinestone manufacturer creates its embellishments. "We have rhinestone-setting machines. We draw the designs. We also do custom. We have over 1,700 stock designs," she said. Many of the stock designs were displayed around the booth for sale and sample. This was a staple at booths on the show floor, making it easy for distributors to purchase apparel and imprints all in one place.

For more information about ISS Atlantic City or other ISS shows, visit www.issshows.com.