Former Zillow VP Matt Gilliland joins ASI as chief product officer. Gilliland will be tasked with helping shape the future of the ESP+ platform and accelerating development of new AI-powered tools. Key Takeaways - ASI has hired former Zillow VP of Product Matt Gilliland as chief product officer. - Gilliland will lead product strategy, oversee ESP+ and drive development of new AI-powered tools for distributors and suppliers. - The appointment creates separate leadership for product and technology at ASI, with Gilliland focusing on product innovation and CTO Ryan Hutchison concentrating on the company's technology infrastructure. Matt Gilliland has found a new home at ASI. The former vice president of product at Zillow is taking on a new role as chief product officer at ASI, the company announced today. In the position, Gilliland will lead the company's product organization, help shape the future of the ESP+ platform and drive development of new AI-powered tools for distributors and suppliers. Matt Gilliland will start his role as chief product officer at ASI on Sept. 14. "ASI has spent decades building something technology alone can't create: deep industry expertise, trusted relationships and a thriving community of distributors and suppliers," said Gilliland, who will begin his role on Sept. 14. "I'm excited about the opportunity to combine that foundation with modern technology that takes work off our members' plates, amplifies what they're capable of and lets them spend more of their time on relationships, creativity and their customers." Gilliland joins the technology, marketing and information provider with more than 18 years of product and tech experience. He began working at Zillow in 2014 and moved up the ladder to director and senior director, before eventually landing the position of vice president of product. Before Zillow, Gilliland held roles at Blizzard Entertainment, Microsoft, ADP Dealer Services and Holland America Line. Gilliland will report to ASI CEO Ashish Mittal and join the company's executive team. "Promo is moving too fast for incremental thinking," said Mittal, who became ASI's CEO in April. "Matt knows how to take complex technology and turn it into products people want to use every day. His experience at Zillow is especially relevant to ASI because both businesses sit at the center of large, fast-moving, two-sided marketplaces. We're building the technology our members will need next - and Matt is exactly the kind of leader who can help us get there faster." ESP+ gives distributors access to more than 1.2 million promotional products from more than 3,000 suppliers, with search tools to quickly narrow results. Distributors can then turn product ideas into branded presentations, quotes and orders and manage client relationships within the same platform. In July, ASI introduced the AI-powered Inspire Design Studio, allowing distributors to create realistic lifestyle images, find company logos and generate original visual assets without jumping between multiple AI tools, design programs and websites. With the hiring of Gilliland, ASI's Ryan Hutchison will now focus solely on technology as chief technology officer, leading the infrastructure and technology behind ASI. The company says the new structure gives ASI dedicated leadership across both product and technology, helping the company move faster as it develops tools that make it easier for distributors to sell, create and run their businesses.

ASI Show Chicago 2026: full recap & all its coverage. The ASI Show Chicago welcomed more than 4,500 industry professionals for networking, learning and fun while growing their businesses. Key Takeaways - More than 4,500 attendees and over 460 suppliers gathered at ASI Show Chicago, which featured new ESP+ technology expert-led Education Day sessions and face-to-face networking. - Education Day polling showed strong confidence for the year ahead, with 82% of attendees expecting 2026 sales to surpass 2025 results. - Show floor and education sessions emphasized growing demand for wellness, sustainability, premium gifting and more. It might have been his first ASI Show Chicago as ASI CEO, but Ashish Mittal understood the energy and focus from the word go. "Our industry has always been built on creativity, relationships and entrepreneurship," Mittal said. The 2026 ASI Show Chicago exemplified all three across the immersive and comprehensive Education Day sessions and two days of exhibits, where attendees could do even more networking, conversations, education and planning. And, of course, there was a bit of fun, too, with the show floor opening each day with music and dancing. Attendees likened the ASI Show to a real-life version of what they can do on ASI platforms like ESP, with the added bonus of being able to touch (and sometimes taste) products and speak with suppliers about how these items can improve their businesses and resonate with their end-users. "I always like finding something I've never seen before," said Lesley Bondur of REVOLT Ministries (asi/307698). "It's also the face-to-face connections: meeting with suppliers I already know and finding new partners who can do what I need quicker and better." Amid the hustle and bustle of the expo hall, there were areas dedicated to constructive conversations for attendees to learn more about how ASI can aid them in their quest for growing their business, and also smaller breakout sessions on topics such as effectively adding print to a promotional products distributorship and what pain points new distributors are experiencing as they begin their promotional products journey. ASI also debuted its Inspire Design Studio, an AI-powered tool within ESP+ that allows distributors to instantly visualize their product ideas without needing to leave the platform, an innovation that Mittal says supports those tenets of creativity, relationship building and entrepreneurship. "Technology should strengthen all three," Mittal said. "That's exactly what we demonstrated in Chicago. AI isn't replacing the expertise distributors bring to their clients - it's helping them move faster, create better ideas, deliver more compelling presentations and spend more time building the relationships that grow businesses. The excitement we saw around our new technology, combined with the energy throughout the show floor, reinforces that this industry is eager to embrace what's next." In all, the 2026 ASI Show Chicago brought in more than 4,500 attendees, and the exhibit hall featured 461 supplier companies, including 83-first time exhibitors introducing new ideas and forming new relationships at the show. Everywhere you went across McCormick Place in Chicago, that theme of growth and evolution was apparent. Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun discussed righting the restaurant brand's ship with ASI CEO Ashish Mittal. The Red Lobster CEO had a daunting task ahead of him when he signed on for the job at the beleaguered brand. The famous restaurant chain was on the brink of bankruptcy, but by focusing on what did work rather than only what didn't, Adamolekun miraculously turned it around. And his story has ample takeaways for promotional products pros - ahead of Exhibit Day 2, he sat down for a candid Q and A with Mittal. Seed bombs (SBC3374) from Botanical PaperWorks (asi/41273) As the "wellness revolution" expands beyond just spas and fitness centers, promo distributors can tap into the quest for personal growth and optimization across a variety of products and customer categories, like home goods, notebooks and journals and more. Some suppliers on the show floor, like Anyrope, demonstrated how product decoration is changing, too, using minimalism and interchangeable pieces that support individuality and sustainability. Botanical PaperWorks (asi/41273) had eco products like seed bombs for planting flowers. Also, pickleball is still very much a thing, and products beyond just paddles are popular among end-users. Sterling McKinley of Clarity AI Solutions (left) and John Young, ASI's director of software engineering, talk tech at the Education Day Wrap-Up. 2025 was a difficult year with tariffs and other supply chain uncertainty causing ripple effects across the industry. However, as shown at the Education Day Wrap-Up at ASI Show Chicago, attendees are overwhelmingly more positive about their sales this year, with 82% saying that they expect 2026 sales to exceed 2025 figures. The use of print on demand and apparel decoration were also themes of the event. Mary Furto of Counselor Top 40 supplier PCNA (asi/66887) discusses Q4 trends during Education Day. In a presentation highlighting end-of-year campaigns and gift programs, Mary Furto and Liz Haesler of Counselor Top 40 supplier PCNA (asi/66887) laid out some of the hottest trends they're seeing for the festive season, including premium brands, pet products, the continually growing golf category, modern travel and more. Jamie Watson of Certified Marketing Consultants offers expert insights on planning ahead for a business's future. Whether you're planning on selling your promo business or simply want to ensure its longevity, there are steps you can be taking right now. That was the focus of Certified Marketing Consultants COO Jamie Watson's Education Day presentation, entitled "Future-Proof Your Distributorship: Build Profit, Value & Long-Term Resilience." Jason McCracken of Counselor Top 40 distributor BAMKO (asi/131431) talked about his past struggles and path to success. Jason McCracken has been through it all. The account executive for Counselor Top 40 distributor BAMKO (asi/131431) gave a heart-wrenching presentation on his past struggles with abuse and addiction, but ended with how he persevered and became the best version of himself as a professional and as a father. The 17-oz. Ocean Bottle from Ocean Bottle Ltd. (asi/74713) has interchangeable lids for different functions. Being one of the most sought-after promotional products among end-users, drinkware was a major focus in the exhibit hall. This year, suppliers demonstrated how customization and sustainability are features that customers want in their everyday pieces. Also, it's not just about giant stainless-steel tumblers anymore. End-users can layer with items like the Ideal Thermal Long-Sleeve (8211) from Counselor Top 40 supplier Next Level Apparel (asi/73867). Apparel trends are cyclical; what's popular one day will become retro down the line. Right now, apparel seems to be finding its way to the mid-2000s, with design elements like sheer, fitted T-shirts, thermals and zip-up hoodies once again dominating the lookbooks. Kevin Baumgart of Sales Ink (asi/513151) explained how distributors can more effectively generate leads and acquire new business. Kevin Baumgart of Sales Ink (asi/513151) instructed attendees on how they could attract and retain more business more effectively and efficiently. He keyed in on strategies, staffing practices and using technology to track the process to ensure results.

ASI enhances ESP+ with time-saving updates that simplify proposals, pricing and online stores. TREVOSE, PA - April 7, 2026 Latest update reduces manual work, improves accuracy and streamlines day-to-day workflows ASI (Advertising Specialty Institute(R) today announced new ESP+ tools designed to help distributors better manage proposals, pricing and online stores as their businesses grow. The updates reduce the need for manual work across these areas, making it easier to keep information consistent and operate more efficiently as order volume and complexity increase. The ESP+ platform supports distributors across the sales process, from creating client materials to managing orders and online stores, helping keep key parts of their business connected. Watch a demo of what's new. "As distributors expand, keeping everything aligned across their business can become time-consuming," said Ryan Hutchison, ASI chief product and technology officer. "These enhancements are designed to simplify operations and help companies deliver a more consistent experience to their customers. The end result is a more professional, scalable business with less hands-on maintenance." Keep websites up-to-date without constant updates New website tools reduce the need to manually update product selections, including turning saved searches into product pages and controlling how curated collections are displayed. This helps keep sites fresh, relevant and consistent with the company's brand and current offerings without ongoing upkeep. Create client-ready proposals Updates to presentation tools make it easier to turn product ideas into polished proposals. Faster virtual samples with one-click background removal and automatic product charges help ensure pricing is accurate. New download options make it easy to generate and share PDFs of product pages and virtual samples. Set pricing rules in online stores New store features allow distributors to apply personalization charges and set order minimums to support bulk ordering and limit single-unit purchases. These updates make it easier to match supplier requirements or internal preferences while helping protect margins. Reduce repeat steps in order and customer management Updates to CRM and order workflows make it easier to reuse products from previous orders and provide a clearer view of customer activity across presentations, projects and orders. Distributors can create orders more efficiently, reducing repeat data entry and making it easier to manage customer relationships as volume grows. These enhancements reflect a continued investment in technology, supporting how distributors operate across proposals, online stores and order management. ESP+ remains central to that effort, helping distributors manage their business more efficiently and scale with greater control. The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI(R), asicentral.com) is the premier technology, marketing and information provider in the $27.7 billion promotional products industry. ASI's flagship platform ESP+ connects tens of thousands of distributors and suppliers through a powerful, all-in-one system for product discovery, sourcing, presentations and online stores. Family-owned since 1962, ASI also delivers trusted industry news, research, shows, events and education that helps companies grow.