This year, as the snow blanketed Denver, we found ourselves excited to return to the Outdoor Retailer (OR) show. Even in this era of rapid changes and the shifting role of trade shows, OR remains an opportunity for our industry to come together, share our passions, and discover up and coming brands. The pandemic has forced us all to shift gears. Virtual events and hybrid sales models have changed how brands and retailers engage with each other. But, being able to shake hands with old friends, work with current partners, and start relationships with new brands will always be relevant.
New Brands & Steady Partners
While the opening day was slower than in years past, there was still a general level of excitement among the folks on the floor. Despite the smaller footprint of the show, it was still a thrill to discover new brands. Nanga, Namuk, and Outerknown were highlights, and the more intimate nature of this year’s show made it easier to seek out and find these new brands.
As always, being able to connect with our current partners in person and get introduced to their new products for the coming season is always invaluable. Sunski’s new eyewear line is absolutely crushing it. California Cowboy gets more and more stylish by the minute, and Joules continues to stay fresh with their women’s and kid’s product assortments.
An Exciting Future
The glimpse into the future was smaller this year, but the desire to discover upcoming products and uncover new brands was palpable. Chatter around staying connected with retailers as trade shows begin to shrink was a common occurrence. But, the biggest question was how can we keep trade shows relevant and strengthen the experience while harnessing the latest crop of digital tools that keep us all connected?
Staying Connected
We have some answers. Envoy B2B has a host of tools that make it easy to strengthen that trade show experience and go beyond the booth.
Showroom
Showroom is the content destination that can act as a virtual booth, engaging retailers with your brand story, product highlights, marketing, education, and direct access to your catalogs. And since it’s all shoppable and trackable, it’s how you carry on conversations with your retailers to build assortments and orders for the upcoming season.
Rely On Your Reps
Enabled reps can use template builders and assortment campaigns to further that conversation. Retailers and reps can edit and add notes in collaboration to visually line plan on-the-fly, in real time, picking up those show floor conversations where they left off.
Watching people connect and support each other as they explored ways to create mutual success made the show a motivating experience. We are all in this together, with a shared love of the outdoor experiences, and we are all passionately seeking ways to move our industry forward. Envoy B2B has the tools to keep those connections strong. Get in touch to learn more.
