Footwear Insight

THE FOOTWEAR EYE 6 • Footwear Insight ~ June 2020 footwearinsight.com Reimagining Trade Shows for the COVID-19 Era Terry Schalow, Executive Director, RIA The run specialty oriented Running Industry Association announced in March that it would be canceling the second edi- tion of its KICK show, originally planned for May 11 to 15 in Denver. This month, the group announced that it had created KICK On-Demand, a virtual event for group members and partner brands. What were the factors that went into deciding to switch to a virtual show versus a modified, in-person show? When we first recognized that a physi- cal show wasn't possible, we considered some sort of hybrid show model. However, the hybrid show strategy left us with too many unknowns; we had no idea when any type of gathering, however small, would be possible. The digital format, in contrast, allows for a safe and productive meeting environ- ment, and we arrived at the decision to move in that direction fairly early in the planning process. What are your main goals for the virtual KICK On-Demand? We have three key goals for RIA KICK On-Demand. One, we're focused on offering the same "working-show" theme that differentiates KICK from the standard trade show model. Our goal for KICK On-Demand is to repli- cate that. Two, we want to go beyond simply watching an online presentation and make the experience immersive for buyers. To that end, we're partner- ing with Elastic by Plum River to offer brands the option of a digital catalog. Buyers will be able to use this tool to follow the presentation and plan assort- ments in real time, which we feel will make the order process easier. It's important to add that not all brands that participate in KICK On-Demand will be able to offer the Elastic plat- form, and that's OK. We see digital catalogs as an important part of creat- ing business efficiency, so if all we do is introduce the idea to our members, we'll be moving the channel in the right direction. Finally, we want KICK On-Demand to be accessible to every- one, so there are no fees involved. All that is required for attendance is an RIA membership. To make membership a no-brainer, we're deferring dues for new retail members until January 2021. What advantages does a virtual event offer over a physical one? The obvious answer is the cost savings: There are no booth fees for the brands, and no costs associated with transport- ing and housing staff and materials to a physical show. Similarly, retailers will not have to budget for travel expenses, and can be in their stores to support sales efforts as stores ramp back up. Perhaps even more important, consider- ing the wide variety of challenges that our brands face, a virtual event offers flexibility for both brands and retailers. KICK On-Demand won't be constrained by venue or time, so for the brands, many of whom may be experiencing supply chain disruptions and sample delays, we're offering them the abil- ity to present when they are ready. If that turns out to be July or even later? No problem on our end. For retailers, they'll have the option of joining a live presentation or reviewing at a later time. What downsides are you anticipating? It's always great to have the industry gathered in one place for networking and the sense of community that comes with a large group; that, unfortunately, just isn't possible at present. Buyers will miss the tactile element of being able to touch and feel new products. However, I've heard that several brands are plan- ning workarounds by supplying samples or fabrics in advance of their presenta- tion where it makes sense. What do you see as the role of a trade show for the industry? Trade shows serve a variety of pur- poses, from introducing new products to educational opportunities to network- ing, and as I mentioned earlier, fostering a sense of community. The RIA KICK On-Demand show follows suit, but in a very focused way by dialing in the idea of a true working show and elimi- nating the superfluous stuff that can drive costs up. We're positioning KICK On-Demand as a "no frills working show" because that's exactly what it is, and hopefully a welcome evolution to the standard trade show model. OUTLOOK T he COVID-19 crisis created seismic change across almost every aspect of the footwear industry — and that included the traditional buying cycle. Faced with retail shutdowns, travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders and product shortages, the hows and whens of getting product in front of retailers looking to buy has been an open question. Should shows be postponed? Canceled? Modified? And what will this season of disruption mean in the larger picture, when trade shows of all kinds have faced fundamental questions about where and how they should best operate. To find out, we went to the source. Footwear Insight spoke to representatives from four major trade shows, each of whom has taken a different tack to serving their brand and retail constituents, to get their take on how shows need to serve the industry now and what role they can will play in the going forward.

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