ASD Market Week Part 2 With Ed Lynch on Grassroots Marketing. ASD Market Week features thousands of exhibitors and attracts 45,000 buyers twice a year. ASD Market Week is the leading event for low-to-mid-level merchandisers and was voted “Trade Show of the Year” by TSNN Trade Show News. Nearly 3,000 vendors from department stores to convenience stores, from college book stores to general stores from grocery store distributors to fashion boutique stores and many more attend to find unique merchandise that will set their business apart. ASD began as a military surplus trade show in 1961. In fact, ASD at one time was the abbreviation for Associated Surplus Dealers. This west coast trade group was founded by Walter Fletcher and began as small trade shows held in Santa Monica, Ca. ASD added Associated Merchandise Dealers (AMD) to their name: “ASD/AMD Trade Shows”. ASD began as a military surplus trade show in 1961. In fact, ASD at one time was the abbreviation for Associated Surplus Dealers. This west coast trade group was founded by Walter Fletcher and began as small trade shows held in Santa Monica, Ca. ASD added Associated Merchandise Dealers (AMD) to their name: “ASD/AMD Trade Shows”