KEY01 – KEYNOTE: 50 Years in the Making. What’s Next Is Up to Us

What makes a shirt more than just a shirt? What turns an idea into a brand people connect with, a product they want, and something they're willing to pay more for?

Join acclaimed artist Matt Cliff, whose creative work includes Pearl Jam, The Eagles, The Doors, The Killers, Post Malone, Leon Bridges, and Phish, as we celebrate 50 years of Impressions and explore The BIG IDEA: bringing artwork, apparel, decoration, production, marketing, and business together to create something that truly matters.

Get inspired, discover how every piece of a successful brand works together, then experience The BIG IDEA throughout the conference, with classes that teach it, live show floor activations that bring it to life, and ideas you can take back to your own shop.

Who Should Come

Everyone! Shop owners, artists, designers, screen printers, embroiderers, production teams, sales professionals, and entrepreneurs who want to create better products, build stronger brands, and grow more valuable businesses.

All Conference Pass and Session Pass holders are invited.

What Attendees Will Take Away

• The Power of a BIG IDEA: Discover how a meaningful concept becomes a connected brand experience rather than just another decorated product.
• Design That Connects: Learn from Matt's experience creating merchandise for world-class artists and why storytelling, audience understanding, and creative details matter.
• Making Every Piece Work Together: Understand how artwork, garments, decoration, production, marketing, and sales contribute to the value of the finished product.
• Creating Something Worth More: Explore why thoughtful design, craftsmanship, and brand experience help products stand out and command greater value.
• Learn It. See It. Take It Home: Discover how the classes and live show floor activations connect, giving you practical ideas and techniques to implement in your own shop.
• The Next 50 Years: Leave inspired to embrace new ideas, learn new skills, and help shape the future of the decorated apparel industry.

Your customers need more than shirts. Why not be the one to sell it to them? Discover how to expand into branded merchandise, from drinkware and bags to headwear, accessories, and creative promotional products, without investing in new equipment. Join Sage Thomas to learn how to find products, source suppliers, explore decoration options, and turn existing customers into bigger sales opportunities using SAGE.

Who Should Come

Screen printers, embroiderers, DTF decorators, print shop owners, sales teams, and entrepreneurs interested in adding branded merchandise to their offerings.

Ideal for beginners exploring promotional products and established decorators looking to diversify revenue and better serve existing customers.

What They Will Learn

• Beyond Traditional Promo: Discover creative branded merchandise opportunities beyond pens, notebooks, and basic giveaways.
• Finding the Right Products: Learn how to select merchandise that fits your customer's brand, audience, budget, and intended use.
• Creative Decoration Options: Explore different branding and decoration techniques available through merchandise suppliers.
• Sourcing Made Simple: Learn how to use SAGE to search products, compare options, connect with suppliers, and source finished merchandise.
• More Revenue Without More Equipment: Understand how to expand your offerings by partnering with suppliers rather than producing everything in-house.
• Become a One-Stop Shop: Learn how to combine apparel with complementary branded merchandise to increase order value and encourage repeat business.
• Getting Started: Walk away with practical tools and ideas to begin offering branded merchandise to your existing customers.