We’re back from the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance (GOA) Connect trade show! It was our first time at Connect, and we loved being part of it all. Reno is a cool town, and it was a great setting for the event. We made a ton of new friends, saw a Reno Aces game, and still had a jam-packed, productive trip.
The show felt truly genuine and the people that we talked with really wanted to be there. They were ready and willing to put in the work to make the time productive, and the conversations we had made that abundantly clear. This is a retailer-focused trade show, built around, and guided by, their needs. That’s a stark contrast to many of the other more marketing-focused shows we’ve attended. People were here to connect and get work done. That meant booked calendars, tightly scheduled line showings, and strong open-to-buy planning sessions.
Getting It Done Together
For us, we got an incredible amount of work done at the show. It was a bit mind-blowing, but also energizing. We had countless sessions with both brands and retailers on ways that we can enrich their seasons with our software. We talked about what technology hurdles they need to overcome, and what strategic gaps they’re dealing with that we can help them close. And, they picked our brains on the state of the industry and what opportunities are coming down the pipeline. It was a blast!
Fun was also had at happy hours and well-earned relaxation times after solid days spent at the table with the industry’s best. To us, that’s the GOA/Connect experience. It’s a community of like-minded people in industries we know and love, putting in the time and hard work to make the show successful. But, it’s also about taking the time to celebrate together – on both a personal and professional level.
We are so grateful to have been a part of that community and we are thankful to all of the wonderful people we met. Thanks for having us! See you at the next show...
Team Envoy
