by Board Retailers Association | Sep 12, 2016 | Industry, Trade Shows
Last week marked another successful bi-annual Surf Expo in Orlando, Florida. Members of the Board Retailers Association and over 2,500 booths of apparel and goods came together for three full days of exciting events! Featuring demos, fashion shows, education seminars, award ceremonies, and more, Surf Expo is one of the largest trade shows in the nation. BRA continues to attend this well-organized event, walking away more impressed each time. Although there are so many aspects to rave about on this tradeshow, here are a few qualities that really stood out to us at Surf Expo this year. Layout and Organization – Easy to Navigate Upon entering one of the largest convention centers in America, it could be easy to become overwhelmed. However, the smooth layout of this trade show was very well-organized and easy to navigate. The areas of the convention center were organized by the category of products, such as surf, wind, boating, boutiques, SUP, skate, and beyond. As you went down the escalator to enter into the abyss of exhibitors, you could clearly see the structure of the setup from above. All 9,500+ storefronts had their own booth for showcasing their products, and the fluid flow of the floor plan was ideal. Seminars and Education The best and the brightest in the industry attend Surf Expo each year, bringing vast amounts of knowledge to the attendees. There were a variety of educational and entertaining seminars, including seminars on working with Amazon and social media marketing and SEO by BRA President, Mike Duncan. In addition, seminar topics ranged from e-commerce to paddle boarding to surfboards, etc. It’s safe...
by Board Retailers Association | Sep 6, 2016 | News, Trade Shows
It’s almost here! Surf Expo 2016 kicks off tomorrow for another year of the largest and longest-running board sport and beach/resort lifestyle trade show in the world. With the best and brightest industry vendors in attendance, an array of intriguing speakers, and endless exhibits to visit, this event is guaranteed to be a success! Here are just a few things that we are excited to see and do: Demo Day Surf Expo’s Annual Demo Day takes place the day before the tradeshow kicks off! Demo Day allows retailers the opportunity to have face-to-face interactions with SUP, Wakeboard, Kayak, and Canoe market leaders. Demo new products before they hit the market! 2500+ booths Attendance records will be broken at this year’s Surf Expo! More than 2500 booths will be displaying incredible products that will definitely add value to the watersports industry. In fact, more than 250 new brands will be featured at the tradeshow. Buyers will be in heaven as they get first dibs on the newest coastal products to hit the market. 9500+ store fronts Easily find what you are looking for at Surf Expo 2016! The event will feature nine different categories of products, including: swimwear, resort, surf, wake, wind, skate SUP, kayak/canoe, boutique, footwear, coastal gift, and performance. With over 9,000 store fronts under one roof, you are sure to find products that will exceed your expectations. 27,600+ attendees Surf Expo 2016 is the industry’s largest trade show in the world, with exhibitors and buyers attending from all over the world. This event is also a trade only event and not open to the general public. Therefore,...
by Board Retailers Association | Sep 22, 2015 | Trade Shows
Earlier this month, BRA representatives attended the much-anticipated Surf Expo in Orlando, Florida. For three days, we met awesome brands, attended great seminars, and had an amazing time. Here are some of the highlights: The Neighborhood This year, Surf Expo set up “The Neighborhood,” which was a lounge area that combined like-minded brands and amazing handcrafted coffee—a wonderful pairing, especially at such an intense trade show! Located at the heart of the surf section, it was the perfect way to keep energy high and connect with some of our favorite companies while exploring the Expo’s extensive offerings. Two of our favorites were the Wake section, which made a standout appearance this year thanks to incredible displays and top-of-the-line wakeboard boats, and the Freaker brand, which hail from our hometown of Wilmington, NC. They traveled with their band, the Harmonica Lewiniskis, whose tunes wowed the crowd at the end of each day. The Seminars As usual, Surf Expo hosted an exceptional series of educational seminars. With three seminars on Thursday and Friday and one on Saturday, attendees had many opportunities to sit in and listen to the speakers. In case you missed it, here were some great takeaways: Retail Innovation Panel – Selling an Experience This great seminar was moderated by Glenn Brumage and included Todd Canipe, George Leichtweis, and Lee Elliot. Together, they discussed the power of “experiential retailing,” or the idea of selling an experience rather than a product. Offering in-store events and VIP parties are a great way to create loyalty and encourage community among your customer base. Optimize your Online Presence for the 2015 Digital Landscape...
by Board Retailers Association | Aug 31, 2015 | Industry, News, Trade Shows
The Board Retailers Association is dedicated to promoting and supporting the world of board sports in every possible way. One of our methods is by connecting our members to other organizations with a similar mission. Today, we want to draw your attention to SIA. SnowSports Industries America (SIA) is the only non-profit, member-owned trade association that represents suppliers and service providers of consumer snow sports. Founded in 1954, it counts constituents in the retailer, rep and resort communities among its members. The organization offers its members a number of amazing benefits, which can help your individual business and the snow sports community as a whole survive and thrive. These benefits include: Research As a member of SIA, you’ll enjoy free access to the latest and greatest industry research. From important marketing trends to hidden opportunities, SIA will give you the knowledge you need to make a difference in your community and industry. Resources SIA has a comprehensive media database and directory that can help you increase your visibility—and your sales potential. The organization also offers public relations assistance, which can be especially useful for smaller businesses that don’t have a dedicated PR department. Snow Show SIA’s Snow Show is the only trade show dedicated to the snow sports industry—and it’s only open to SIA members. Each year, over 18,000 industry members attend it, making this an event you can’t afford to miss! Discounts SIA offers great discounts to its members on everyday costs, such as FedEx shipping, freight, car rentals, booth warehousing, and more. They also offer exclusive package exhibit booths. These discounts make it easier to accomplish your...
by Board Retailers Association | Aug 12, 2015 | Trade Shows
Surf Expo is the largest and longest running watersports and beach lifestyle tradeshow in the world. It’s been around since 1976 and last year’s September show sold out, which isn’t surprising in the least. When you consider the fact that Surf Expo is the best place to identify new trends, preview new brands, and get business done, it makes sense that everyone wants to be there! As we gear up for the 2015 event (September 10-12—less than one month away!) we’re already getting excited. Here are some numbers to help you see the scope and power of this iconic trade show: 2,600 booths 7,500 store fronts 26,000 attendees $2 billion in buying power #1 in award-winning trade shows In addition to these impressive numbers, there’s another bonus to Surf Expo that we’re particularly excited about. It’s called Board Demo Day, and it takes place on September 9, from 11AM to 4PM. Board Demo Day supports the stand up paddle, wakeboard, and wakesurf markets, and it’s amazing opportunity for retailers to test drive new products before stocking them in their stores. It’s also a lot of fun. Check out this slide show of last year’s event to see what we mean. Whether this is your first Surf Expo or your 39th, we’d love to hear what you’re most looking forward to this year. Let us know on Facebook. In the meantime, we’ll be busy packing our bags and getting ready for a great show. See you...
by Board Retailers Association | Jul 22, 2015 | Trade Shows
Two weeks ago, representatives from Board Retailers Association traveled to sunny Long Beach, CA to attend the much-anticipated Agenda Show. Since 2003, Agenda has emerged as the premier destination for brands and retailers to converge, where passion becomes profit and the business of creativity is conducted in a truly authentic environment. Buyers, brands, investors, distributors, and media hail from around the globe, gathering at Agenda to build partnerships, participate in the community, grow their businesses, and score some truly awesome swag. (Hey, we’re just being honest!) While Agenda is always an amazing experience, this year’s event was extra special, thanks to the continuously evolving Agenda Emerge conference, which was established in 2013. Agenda Emerge is a public portal into the creative process that was created to inspire the next generation of innovators and to reignite the passion of the veterans. Through unprecedented access and insightful narratives, it explores how mavericks of industry have adapted to, overcome, conquered, disrupted and influenced their fields of work. It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn, grow, and connect, especially for people who are new to our industry and those looking for a dose of fresh inspiration. Did you attend the Agenda Show in Long Beach and/or check out Agenda Emerge? If so, let us know what you learned on Facebook or Twitter! And who knows—maybe we’ll see you at one of the upcoming shows in Las Vegas and New York. We can dream,...
