TGA 2.0: What's in a name?
By TGA Editorial Staff, full article featured in the 2025 Winter Issue of the TGA Magazine.
In the world of branding, sometimes the biggest step forward starts with letting go.
When Starbucks Coffee quietly dropped the word “Coffee” from its logo in 2011, many were skeptical. Just a few years later, Dunkin’ Donuts followed suit. In 2018, it officially rebranded as simply Dunkin’, shedding the “Donuts” to embrace a more expansive identity.
These bold brand decisions didn’t come with out risk. For both companies, the changes prompted headlines, public debate, and questions from loyalists.
Sales held strong. New audiences took notice. And both brands found themselves with more room to grow, expand, and evolve. By breaking free from the limits of their original names, Starbucks and Dunkin’ made it clear: brand identity isn’t just about what you sell — it’s about the experience you create.
They weren’t changing who they were — they were evolving how they were understood.
We were suffering from the same brand confusion Starbucks and Dunkin’ once faced. Because as the Travel Goods Association continues its own evolution — aligning the show, the magazine, the content, and the community under a unified TGA identity — we’re asking the same big questions:
What do people expect from a brand name today?
When does a name stop representing what you’ve become?
And how do you honor your legacy while building for what’s next?
From this moment on, every part of what we do will share a common banner— TGA:
• The TGA Show (The Travel, Gear, and Adventure Show)
• TGA HUB
• Unpacked with the TGA (our podcast)
• On the Go with the TGA (our vlog)
The consistent use of the TGA identity allows us to build familiarity, trust, and momentum. It connects our offerings in a meaningful way and allows everyone — brands, retailers, creators, consumers — to understand who we are and what we stand for.
Brand identity isn't just about what you sell — it's about the experience you create.
At the Travel Goods Association, our name has always meant more than three letters. It’s a promise. It’s a reflection of who we are, who we serve, and the industry we represent. As we move into this next chapter—adding outdoor, strengthening partnerships, and expanding our vision—we’re leaning into the power of our name:
TGA = Travel + Gear + Adventure
T = TRAVEL
We’re not just part of it — we help shape it.
Travel is no longer just a flight to a vacation destination or a business trip to a conference. It’s become a way of life, woven into work, wellness, and identity. Today’s traveler is hybrid: one day flying for business, the next overlanding through a desert, the next joining family across the globe.
By bringing these voices into our ecosystem, we strengthen the bridge between products and experiences.
Travel is the reason people gather, connect, and seek. And the Travel Goods Association is here to guide, inform, and inspire—making sure our industry continues to move people forward.
G = GEAR
This is where we’ve always excelled.
Gear is the backbone of travel. It’s the quiet partner that makes every journey possible, the thing people rely on without always thinking about it—until they can’t.
For over 85 years, TGA has been the home for innovators, makers, and storytellers who design these tools. And we’ve done more than just showcase them—we’ve elevated them.
Gear is what makes the industry tangible. It’s what retailers sell, what buyers look for, what consumers demand. But more than that—it’s the place where creativity meets functionality, where inspiration meets design.
A = ADVENTURE
Because what is a trip without it?
Adventure is the soul of travel. It’s the part no one can fully plan for. Sometimes it’s the unexpected detour, the missed train that leads to a new discovery. Sometimes it’s a long-awaited milestone: a first solo trip, a bucket-list hike, a family journey years in the making.
That’s why adventure belongs in our DNA. At TGA, we’re not simply event organizers or publishers. We’re curators of possibility, connectors of people and ideas, storytellers who understand that gear is just the starting point. The real story begins when someone picks it up, packs it, and takes it somewhere new.
The Meaning of TGA 2.0
It’s about clarity, recognition, and momentum. It’s about stepping into the role we’re meant to play as leaders of an industry that inspires movement, connection, and discovery.
So here’s to a name that means something more.
Here’s to Travel. Gear. Adventure.
Here’s to TGA 2.0
Dive deeper into this story and explore more insights, trends, and research in the just-released 2025 Winter Issue of the TGA Magazine.