The Caribbean Advertising Specialties Association celebrated 35 years of regional leadership and connection during its annual trade show, held March 24-26, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The three-day event, which featured 13 leading suppliers and more than 250 attendees, kicked off with an anniversary reception where Hit Promotional Products was honored for its 35 years of continuous support.

  • Also recognized were CASA’s founding members and current board of directors, ASI CEO Tim Andrews and Kara Keister, MAS, CEO of Social Good Promotions and Regional Relations Committee delegate to the PPAI Board of Directors.


“CASA is small but mighty,” Keister says. “This regional association operates a little differently than our typical regional association and I’m thankful I got to see that in action. CASA is doing an incredible job of fostering relationships and meeting its members where they are. I’m excited to bring back ideas to better collaborate and support CASA and all regional associations.”

CASA is doing an incredible job of fostering relationships and meeting its members where they are.”

Kara Keister, MAS

Regional Relations Committee Delegate, PPAI

End-User Experience

On the last day of the event, the focus shifted to end users. Seven distributors brought a total of 150 customers to the show, where they previewed the latest branded merchandise and marketing tools available in the industry and engaged through CASA’s passport system, which encourages interaction between exhibitors and attendees.

RELATED: PPAI Research: Regional Associations See Membership Growth

CASA Executive Director Sylvia Gonzalez points to innovating while honoring its roots as central to CASA’s mission.

  • The regional association has streamlined show setup by investing in custom Showdown Display backdrops, eliminating the need for pipe and drape and resulting in major cost savings. 
  • Educational moments were also woven into the experience, including a featured speaker presented by Hit and SanMar.
  • Sock101 exhibited at CASA’s event for the first time this year. That support was gained through onsite outreach by CASA’s directors at The PPAI Expo 2025, highlighting the power of national events in strengthening regional relationships.


CASA continues to recruit and engage regional suppliers and distributors through personal outreach at industry events. The organization also remains committed to fostering face-to-face engagement, a core value for its distributor base.