The British Promotional Merchandise Association (bpma) and business services provider Sourcing City (UPIC: SCITY) have announced a new show for the promotional products industry in the UK. The inaugural Merchandise World, to be held September 19-20, 2017, folds the Sourcing City Marketplace and The bpma Show together in a single event.

“We are delighted to be equal partners in Merchandise World with the bpma, and our teams are excited to deliver a great experience for top industry distributors and suppliers at Merchandise World,” says David Long, chairman and founder of Sourcing City. “More importantly, we want to help create a unique event that will bring true value to everyone’s business.”

Merchandise World will include a trade show area, expected to feature more than 200 suppliers, and “Conversation Pods” designed to foster meaningful conversations between industry business leaders. The bpma’s Annual Awards Dinner will also be held in conjunction with Merchandise World, and its Promotional Products Week will follow shortly after with the intention that bpma members can promote products discovered at Merchandise World.

The bpma Education Day will continue; however, it will be in a new format at a different time of the year. These dates, along with the new dates for Promotional Products Week will be announced later. The opportunity for distributors to invite end-user customers to one of the days of the new two-day show, as trialed at the bpma Show 2016, is also being considered.

“Sourcing City and the bpma have a proven track record in delivering high-quality events to our industry, and we’re thrilled to be working together to raise the bar even higher,” says Graeme Smith, bpma chairman. “We know what it takes to deliver maximum value to both suppliers and distributors, particularly in retaining a focus on the quality and professionalism of those attending this exciting new event.”

The Sourcing City team has been contracted to deliver the management and organization of Merchandise World, and they will be supported by the bpma’s board. The event owners, bpma and Sourcing City, will work together to create the strategy for the event.