Footwear Insight

by brands or third-party platforms. Instead, it is quite simply a 'single source of truth': a repository for secure clean, standardized brand data, available to all. In this fashion, the PDC acts to support brand and third-party tools and services. e ultimate goal of the PDC is to save time and money for retailers, brands, and associate members by sharing and managing product data. For retailers, this means dramatically reducing the resources currently required to collect and manually format data from brands and easily create assortment plans. For brands, it increases data quality and efficiency and minimizes data inquiries from retailers. e PDC will be in beta testing in September with a go-live date in October. e Run Specialty Hall of Fame ceremony was the focal point for Runchella's opening night presentation, where Pat and Jan Sweeney of Fleet Feet Sacramento, Ted Goodlake from On Running, and Mark Sullivan, Co-Founder of Formula4Media, LLC which launched and produced e Running Event, were this year's Inductees. As I listened to Mark's acceptance speech, he reminded me of the tremendous impact that Formula4Media had—and continues to have— on the run specialty market through the years. We launched e Running Event in 2006 with 99 brands along with e 50 Best Running Stores celebration. It also included our involvement in the formation of the Independent Running Retailer Association, now known as the Running Industry Association. As you may know, Formula4Media sold e Running Event to Diversified Communications in May 2018. Mark, along with my other two partners Jeff Gruenhut and Troy Leonard went on to pursue other business opportunities. I applaud Mark's induction into the Run Specialty Hall of Fame and will continue to be inspired by what he and I have been able to accomplish since we met and worked together 38 years ago at a magazine called sportstyle. e relationships with the current editors at Formula4Media, truly go back to that same magazine which includes Bob McGee, Emily Walzer, and Mike Jacobsen. Cara Griffin, editorial director, and Francis Klaess, art director, joined the company soon aer it was founded. Having sportstyle back under our umbrella, along with Footwear Insight, Team Insight, Textile Insight and Outdoor Insight, demonstrates the long-standing commitment from our editorial team—perhaps family is a better word—for the specialty markets we cover. It also checks the box for our strong culture which Mark helped form. While market dynamics may evolve, Formula4Media's support for the independent brick-and-mortar stores is our position, and will continue to be at the core of what we do. And that's our connection to you. n —Jeff Nott Opening night presentation, Mark Sullivan Hall of Fame Inductee; Brand meetings; Cocktails and conversations with a view at the Skyline reception. Morning run along Lake Michigan. footwearinsight.com May/June 2023 ~ Footwear Insight • 7 Photos: Ryan Bethke/RWB Multimedia.

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