Savannah Bananas' Jesse Cole Gets ASI Trade Show Singing, Dancing and Vying for Logoed Underwear

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A standing-room-only crowd at ASI Show Orlando went bananas when Jesse Cole, owner of exhibition baseball team the Savannah Bananas, hit the stage in his iconic yellow tuxedo and top hat. "It's show time," Cole said.

Promotional products distributors attending ASI's three-day trade show at the Orange County Convention Center January 3-5, were soon belting out Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" during a sing-off, vying for a pair of Cole's banana-branded tighty-whities. "Best promo item we've ever had," Cole said. "Create a moment, get people talking – that's what people remember."

Promo products – a.k.a. swag (Stuff.We.All.Get) – are items imprinted with logos or slogans to market a company, brand, product, achievement or event, and to thank employees or clients, and typically given away free. ASI's trade show attracted 4,500 promotional products buyers and sellers.

"ASI Orlando 2024 – where innovation met inspiration," said Timothy M. Andrews, president and CEO of ASI, the most authoritative technology, marketing and information provider in the $25.8 billion promo products industry. According to ASI Research, Florida alone contributed $1.7 billion of the $9.9 billion in promo products sold last year across the South.

Cole launched a baseball phenomenon, earning 1 billion social media views, with half a million fans on a ticket waiting list. His team plays a unique brand of "banana ball" that includes modified rules and choreographed players dancing in yellow uniforms, with stilt walkers, flaming bats and more.

"We're not in the baseball business," Cole said. "We're in the entertainment business."

Another of the trade show's keynote speakers, Beth Paretta, described her inspiring journey from a 5-year-old race car fan to leading the first women-forward INDYCAR team.

Mary Smith, of I Can Market That, loved the challenge Paretta gave the audience: Consider how much you can accomplish in the same number of seconds a racing team crew has during a pit stop. "I thought, 'I could make a cold call in 6.2 seconds,'" Smith said. "She was a very good speaker and made me laugh."

About ASI
The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI^®; asicentral.com) serves a network of 25,000 suppliers, distributors and decorators in the $25.8 billion promotional products industry. ASI's flagship product, the technology platform ESP^®, manages the industry's entire supply and marketing chain.

SOURCE Advertising Specialty Institute