While exhibiting at SAAGNY’s Promotions East in June, I was asked, “Considering you’ve been doing these shows for the last few years, do you think this year’s response was better?”
The answer was yes. That question stuck with me.
Sparkpolo launched at The PPAI Expo 2024. As we enter our third year in the branded merchandise industry, I realize these reflections are worth sharing.
It’s A People Business
One lesson stands out most: this industry is built on relationships.
When we entered the market, we weren’t expecting immediate business. Relationships take time, and our approach was intentional from day one: show up consistently, learn from others and become a part of the community. Over time, those consistent efforts began to add up. In retrospect, that has been one of the best investments we’ve made.
As these relationships grew, one of the biggest surprises came not only from meeting distributors, but also from the relationships I’ve built with fellow suppliers. Coming from outside the industry, I expected competition. Instead, I found generosity.
Siva Kandaswamy
Founder/CEO, Sparkpolo
Some of the most valuable advice we’ve received over the past three years has come from neighboring booths and conversations during and after the show floor closed, often from suppliers who had absolutely nothing to gain by helping a new company. They shared lessons from their own journeys, introduced us to people and offered encouragement that helped us avoid mistakes we otherwise would’ve made.
As a result, regional association shows became more than just places to exhibit. They became places to reconnect, continue conversations and strengthen relationships. Today, many conversations no longer start with introductions – they simply pick up where we left off months earlier.
Listening Is Vital
These conversations have shaped many of the decisions we’ve made at Sparkpolo.
We entered this industry believing fully custom apparel had room to grow, not by taking business away from existing categories, but by helping distributors create new opportunities for their clients. Listening to distributors encouraged us to expand beyond polos into coordinated apparel collections and inspired the development of our distributor portal, making collaboration from concept to delivery simpler.
Nearly every meaningful improvement we’ve made began with listening before building. That’s another lesson this industry continues to reinforce: innovation doesn’t always begin with a breakthrough idea. Often, it begins with listening carefully to the people you serve.
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Regional associations create opportunities for these conversations to occur throughout the year, while PPAI brings the industry together on a national stage and helps strengthen the community that makes this possible. If I could offer one piece of advice to any new supplier entering this industry, it would be this:
Don’t measure a trade show by the orders you receive. Measure it by the relationships you’re building.
Products will evolve. Technology will continue to change. Markets will shift. But the branded merch industry will always be built through conversations, trust and relationships that grow over time.
Three years in, that’s still the most valuable lesson I’ve learned.
Kandaswamy is founder and CEO of Sparkpolo.
