Exciting Conference News, EDP Initiative & ASI Research
Dear Member,
Welcome to today’s Insight, where we bring you news about the theme and features for the 5th GXN Conference, alongside other news including exciting research from ASI’s 2026 Ad Impressions Study, the GXN Executive Development Initiative, and other member narratives shaping the promotional article industry and adjacent industries. We hope you enjoy the coverage.
The GXN Conference 2026
GXN Conference 2026 marks the network’s 5th anniversary. Located in Kitzbühel at the Grand Tirolia Hotel Kitzbühel, Eichenheim 8-9, Kitzbühel 6370, Austria from 6–9 October, we continue the tradition of executive-level peer dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and long-term vision setting. The main topic will be the ‘Globalisation of the Merch-Industry in the current tradescape‘. Here is an overview of the programme:
6 October: Arrival, Cocktail Reception
7 October: GXN Golf Tournament, Golf Clinic or other activity, Evening Dinner Event
8 October: Conference-Day, Networking, Austrian Dinner Experience
9 October: Conference ends around 1pm
We are pleased to announce that we have confirmed two keynote speakers. Panels including Technology, Sustainability, as well as the latest updates on other initiatives such as the GXN Executive Development Program and the “Think Tank”, will be featured.
Today we are pleased to introduce Achim Berg, one of our keynote speakers in Kitzbühel. Achim is a multiple board member and former President of Bitkom and a leading voice in Europe’s digital landscape. He brings decades of experience at the intersection of technology, business, and innovation from his senior leadership roles at Microsoft in Seattle, Deutsche Telekom, Dell and Bertelsmann to his work as a private equity investor for leading US investors and advisor for large enterprises. With expertise in international business, indirect sales, retail, digital transformation, private equity, Berg has helped drive the digital transformation of entire industries.
Talking about conferences, many of you will remember Hannah Lyrek’s ‘Lessons from a Musher‘ in Lisbon where she shared her inspiring journey into the world of long-distance races. In 2026, she once again competed in the Iditarod, the world´s longest dog sled race, covering approximately 1,600km (1,000 miles). She achieved an outstanding 11th-place finish and received the prestigious “Most Improved Musher Award”. We send Hannah and her team of dogs our congratulations and are looking forward to her new experiences and adventures in Kitzbühel.
We will bring you more news about the program in the next insights. Registration is available at https://gxn-net.org/conference-registration/ and a downloadable travel guide from Munich Airport is available now on the GXN website gxn-net.org.
GXN Initiatives
Today we bring you news of important industry research and an update on GXN EDP podcasts.
Research from ASI 2026 Ad Impressions Study
This is the just-released Advertising Specialty Institute ASI 2026 Global Ad Impressions/Cost-Per-Impression Study for the EU/UK Market. The ASI Ad Impressions Study reveals the incredible strength of the promotional article. We hope to speak about the latest research at the conference, and in the meantime here are 3 key takeaways:
• ASI’s 2026 Ad Impressions Study found that international consumers have an overwhelmingly positive view of promotional products, with 95% saying they would view an advertiser more favorably after receiving a promo item.
• In addition, 92% of consumers said they’d be more likely to do business with the company that gave them a promo item.
• The study also revealed that practical, high-quality products resonate most with international audiences, with T-shirts and mobile power banks ranking among the most desired promo items.
ASI released the US version (Ad-Impressions-2026.pdf) and the Canadian version (ASI’s 2026 Ad Impressions Study: 3 Key Findings From Canada). Click the link to the study.
GXN Executive Development Programme
We continue to build the executive development programme (EDP) by populating the website with ‘GXN In Conversation’ articles and podcasts for members to access. Since the last Insight, we have recorded podcasts covering ‘Sponsorship and the Power of Sponsoring’ and ‘Leading & Managing across Contexts & Cultures’ with Drew Holmgreen, President & CEO, PPAI, and myself. More are scheduled in the coming weeks. If you would like to take part as a guest speaker or to lend your experience, expertise and perspectives on topics, please reach out to Dr. Lack at georgielack@icloud.com. The first podcasts will be available on Spotify over the coming weeks.
Best regards,
Michael Freter
Chief Network Officer
Supported by
