With the start of the new year, we thought it was high time we checked in with Impressions Expo show director Kayla McGarry to get the latest on what to expect at the first Impressions Expo of 2026, taking place in Long Beach, California, January 21-24.
Impressions Magazine: With only a few weeks to go until the start of the 2026 Impressions Expo in Long Beach, how are things shaping up at this point?
Kayla McGarry: As attendees from last year will recall, the 2025 Impressions Expo in Long Beach was literally the biggest show we’d had in decades, with more than 300 exhibitors reserving over 100,000-square-feet of floor space; and I’m happy to report this year’s event is picking up right where last year’s left off. At present we have 310 exhibitors scheduled to take part, reserving an incredible 117,000-square-feet of exhibition space. We’ve also seen the energy surrounding last year’s show hasn’t diminished in any way, either, with attendee numbers and educational conference session registrations tracking well. Simply put, I think the upcoming Impressions Expo in Long Beach, California, is going to be a great way to kick off what I’m hoping is going to be another great year for apparel decorating.
IM: It’s been a strange year economically, to say the least. From where you’re sitting, how has this affected the custom decorated apparel industry?
KM: I’m not going to pretend we weren’t a bit concerned when the administration’s new tariff policies weren’t announced last spring. In the beginning we also saw some hesitation on the part of some of our international exhibitors as well. As the year progressed, however, the industry as a whole again proved its resilience as it found a way to not only continue getting the job done but remain profitable. On the expo side, this was especially evident in the feedback we’ve received from our exhibitors, with reposts of strong leads and even sales at all three expos. Even on those days when attendees traffic may have been a bit on the light side, the quality of the attendees meant exhibitors still had great shows. I’m expecting more of the same at this year’s Long Beach show.
Conference Sessions: Screen Printing, Heat Pressing, Social Media and AI
IM: You mentioned the Impressions Expo educational conference sessions, what kinds of sessions and topics will this year’s program include?
Be and sure and check out the live, T-shirt screen printing activation. Design by Chris Drew
KM: This year’s conference program will again cover everything from the basics of screen-printing, heat pressing and embroidery to the cutting edge with respect ot everything from online marketing and social media to the role of AI. The first day of our 2026 Long Beach conference series, which begins January 21—the day before the exhibition portion of the show opens—will include a series of hands-on sessions led by renowned screen printer Charlie Taublieb and designer Dan Clement, and the heat-press experts over at STAHLS’. There will also be a full day of embroidery classes hosted by Trouble Me Knot Embroidery principal Katie Wubben and veteran digitizers Joe Kramer, Erich Campbell and Justin Armenta.
In the days that follow, attendees will be able to sit in on sessions covering everything from diagnosing and preventing embroidery digitizing disasters to the ins and outs of direct-to-film (DTF), company branding, workplace “hacks” to get the most out of your company’s production capabilities, and the use of automation and artificial intelligence in everything from design to social media.
IM: The last couple of years have been great ones, both for Impressions Expo and the decorated apparel industry as a whole. What are your thoughts on what 2026 might have in store?
KM: As has been the case the past couple of years, the increasing use of automation, e-commerce, sustainability and AI will undoubtedly continue to feature prominently the industry. That said, couple of other things grabbing our attention here at impressions these days are the growing interest in custom embroidery and print-on-demand, or POD. With respect to embroidery, today’s increasingly sophisticated embroidery machines in combination with the many digitizing services out there make it possible for a growing number of decorators to get involved in what has historically been a somewhat daunting form of apparel decoration—as opposed to outsourcing the work to another shop. Regarding POD, faster turnaround times and small and smaller order minimums are simply becoming part of what it takes to remain relevant these days.
Cutting Edge Machine Embroidery, Print-on-Demand
IM: Anything special going on at the 2026 Impressions Expo in Long Beach, California, that attendees should be aware of?
KM: As always, we want attendees to have a great time from the moment they arrive to the moment they return back home to their businesses. Before they even enter the expo hall, they’ll be able to take advantage of some really run displays and activations being put together by a number of the show’s sponsors, including STAHLS’ (Booth #1011). Once inside the exhibition hall attendees will have a live T-shirt screen-printing booth sponsored by Hanes (Booth #1594) to check out as well. There will also be a free happy hour sponsored by Momentec Brands (Booth #1149) at the end of the exhibition’s second day, Friday, Jan. 23 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, adjacent to the convention center. In other words, there will be something for everyone!
Bottom line: you’re not going to want to miss out on what promises to be yet another great show! To register, click here. For the latest news and updates on Impressions Expo Long Beach 2026, click here. See you soon!
