Awards & Honors

The Counselor Power 50 recognizes the most influential people in the promotional products industry. The list is announced at the ASI Power Summit typically in October. To arrive at the new list, we use the prior year’s Counselor Power 50 as a base and survey members of the industry, as well as members of the Counselor Power 50 themselves to find out how influential they believe each member to be. The results of that survey, along with any new nominations, help the in-house committee arrive at the final list. The editorial department generally begins the Counselor Power 50 survey process in July, and the results are published on ASICentral.com in October.

Rules/Requirements: Distributor salespeople, supplier salespeople and supplier customer service reps working at ASI-listed companies in good standing are eligible. To qualify for Distributor Salesperson of the Year, reps must generate $1 million or more in annual sales revenue. Previous finalists will be considered but must demonstrate additional sales growth and notable achievements since being named a finalist. Distributor reps are also eligible for two additional awards (neither of which has revenue requirements): Up-and-Comer of the Year: a rep with three or less years of industry sales experience who exhibits tremendous potential and has recorded demonstrable sales growth. Veteran Rep of the Year: a rep with at least 20 years of industry sales experience who has demonstrated continued success and consistent sales generation. For supplier salespeople, judges base selections on size of base, sales growth percentage, number of clients supported and distributor feedback. For customer service reps, judges base selections on examples of top-notch support delivered, testimonials and number of clients supported.

Methodology: Nominations are collected via an online survey, and a winner is selected based on the award criteria listed in the rules/requirements section.

Timeframe: The editorial department begins to call for nominations in November. The award profiles are published on ASICentral in May.

Deadlines: Nomination deadline is January 12, 2026; nominee survey deadline is February 16, 2026

• Nominate Distributor Salesperson of the Year – A rep who generates $1 million or more in annual sales revenue.
• Nominate Distributor Up-and-Comer of the Year – A rep with three or less years of industry sales experience who exhibits tremendous potential and has recorded demonstrable sales growth.
• Nominate Distributor Veteran Rep of the Year – A rep with at least 20 years of industry sales experience who has demonstrated continued success and consistent sales generation.
• Nominate Supplier Salesperson of the Year – A rep who shows consistent sales growth, professionalism, creativity and superior product knowledge.
• Nominate Supplier CSR of the Year – A rep who delivers top-notch customer service to distributor clients that exceed standard levels.

These awards recognize the creative and effective use of promotional products — top campaigns that used unique products, generated incredible results or got everyone talking. To be eligible, companies must send samples from their promotions, when applicable, or have high-res photos of the samples available. Recipients are chosen by an in-house committee. The editorial department generally begins to call for Promo Campaign Awards nominations in late spring and results are published in the Fall Counselor. Suppliers and distributors can nominate themselves in the following categories:

• Distributor Client Promotion
• Distributor Self-Promotion
• Supplier Self-Promotion
• Best Sustainability-Driven Campaign Award (distributors & suppliers)
• Best Use of Video (distributors & suppliers)
• Best Integrated Print & Promo Campaign

This award, which is offered every other year, recognizes the companies that provide the best work environment for their employees. Companies nominate themselves to participate. After nominations are received, Counselor then surveys employees at participating companies. Survey results are then analyzed to arrive at the final list. To qualify, a company must have at least 10 employees. The editorial department begins its call for Best Places to Work survey process beginning in October. Results are published in Spring Counselor and on ASICentral.com in April.

Methodology:
Companies self-nominate for the Counselor Best Places to Work recognition. Upon meeting the qualifications for consideration, each company is sent a company-specific link that is then forwarded on to their company’s employees for participation. All responses to the survey are anonymous. A minimum level of participation is required from all employees for consideration of inclusion in the Best Places to Work ranking. All questions are on a 5-point scale where 5 is most positive and 1 is most negative. Ratings can be interpreted as follows:

• 4.50 or higher – strong satisfaction
• 4.25 – 4.49 – reasonably strong satisfaction though improvements are possible
• 4.00 – 4.24 – moderate satisfaction
• Under 4.00 – opportunities for improvement exist.

For this annual award, the editorial team watches industry trends and analyzes ESP data to determine the product that has had the most impact on the industry in the past year. This award is announced on ASICentral.com in December and in the Winter issue of Counselor.