A big announcement from Crossroads and ASR came Monday, joining the two shows together in San Diego, February 3-4, 2010. Jamie Thomas, Black Box founder and creator of Crossroads Retail Show, explains the partnership as a simultaneous decision between the two shows to improve the retailer experience. “The main objective is to just have the exact same show in a parking lot with a little more support,” says Thomas of the new Crossroads location, which will be adjacent to the San Diego Convention Center. “We’re going to be working with all the exhibitors to create a list of key retailers and then with ASR’s support we should be able to get all those retailers to come see the show, which is something we didn’t have the budget to do before. Hopefully it’s a win/win for everyone.”
Andy Tompkins, VP of Nielsen Sports Group, which puts on ASR, echoed similar sentiments as Thomas: “The basic vision is something Jamie and I talked about quite a bit,” says Tompkins. “We are making sure we don’t take anything away from Crossroads – that the environment and atmosphere really add to it and we want to maintain that, while adding a larger retail base.”
Surfside Sports owner Duke Edukas, who will be at both shows along with the shop’s skate buyer, sees the partnership as a good model for all trade shows to look to in order to bring everyone together in one consolidated event. “Any time trade shows make it easier on the retailers, it’s a good thing,” says Edukas. “I think the reason that the skate sector started having their own show venues is because of the financial burdens that trade shows place on the skate vendors’ budgets. By the same token, it becomes counter-productive when retailer’s need to go to so many different shows.”
We talked with Thomas and Tompkins to find out how the partnership got started and how ASR and Crossroads plan to work together to further develop the shows in the near future.
How long have you been working together on this, and what was the general goal behind forming the partnership?
AT: Jamie and I have been talking to retailers and his exhibitors have been interested in seeing the same retailers that our exhibitors are interested in seeing. We’ve been working on this for a few months now, and I think it will work very well having them closer to each other just so the buyers can flow freely across the events and really see as much product as possible in one spot.
Crossroads, August 2009
JT: We set out goals to try to make the show better and after the last show it seemed like we had the environment worked out and we kind of had the style of the show worked out, but we needed to try and figure out a way to make the show more convenient for retailers and make it more accessible. So it seems like the natural progression at that point is to look to someone who can help with logistics, which is kind of a little bit of a tough task for us, as well as finding someone to partner up with to help the attendance for people who are there to write orders. Therefore, it was just looking at all the options out there and ASR seemed like the best fit. They are in San Diego, and they were really accommodating and wanted to support the show for what it was, and didn’t want to change the show in any way. That’s essentially what makes Crossroads so good is the vibe of it, and the fact that there’s no security and it’s a very organic skate show. That it’s from skateboarding, for skateboarding. We’re just trying to make it the best possible scenario environment-wise and business-wise for the retailers and exhibitors.”
So, did you approach ASR about the partnership?
JT: I think it was…simultaneous. I was really ready for someone to help and kind of to take the show to the next step. With the support of the industry the show became a very positive thing. As we looked to find a way to make the show a better event, ASR was right there saying they’d like to talk to us about it. We had a few other people we talked to as well to try to find the best fit for the show, but as far as the best timing, we feel we accomplished that with ASR in San Diego in February. Because a big portion of the accounts are hardgoods, most of them don’t have all of their materials ready to exhibit early in January and that’s what makes the February show so key for the hardgoods side of the business.
ASR, September 2009
Is there any key skate retailers that you are focusing on bringing to the show in February?
AT: There is a list of about 100 shops, or maybe even more, but we’re really focusing on the top 100 retailers. Jamie is going to work with the brands who have been at Crossroads to determine exactly what they want to see at an event like Crossroads and ASR and we are going to be very targeted reaching out to those retailers and making sure that all their needs are met for the event and in certain situations helping them with their travel. But really being specific working with the exhibitors, asking them who they want to see at the show, who is important to them, and then going out and making sure those retailers are at the event.
Have you seen an increase in registration? What kind of feedback have you been getting from people about the partnership?
AT: People like the fact that it’s two days and really focused. They can save some expense costs. And they are excited about Crossroads coming to the show absolutely, which will bring more of a skate specific brand list, more skate buyers and really serve the buyers that are selling across skate and fashion and really give them a chance to see the brands they want to see in one location. All things considered, people are looking at 2010 and I think people are getting aggressive again and saying they really need to get out there and promote their marketing and products, and we do hope things will be better next year.
JT: We pretty much saw maximum attendance [at the last show] – there were only a few people that were key players in the skate industry that weren’t there, maybe like two or three out of a hundred. I guess there is room for a little better attendance. The only complaint I heard was that people would like to write more orders and see more retailers. For exhibitors, the new location makes even more sense then it did in our backyard and for retailers it’s right across the street from ASR. And with the support of ASR bringing everyone there, it seems like everything is all going to work out for the best.
Do you think this will help ASR draw more of the key skate retailers and manufacturers in February?
JT: Yeah absolutely, I think that’s the whole purpose of the show. I think that’s ASR’s goal and that’s why they are partnering up with us. Retailers could just stay at Crossroads the whole time, but I know there are a lot of relevant brands that skate accounts would like to see inside ASR and Class.
AT: I agree with Jamie, I think we still do have a lot of relevance in skate. We have skate events on the floor and certainly a lot of brands that exhibit are skate product heavy. But the key is that Jamie has developed a slightly different atmosphere and vibe than what ASR has been able to offer in the last few years and so its become a very special show. So while we have been relevant, I think the addition of Crossroads is going to make us even more so and more than anything attract brands that haven’t supported ASR recently. And that’s what the retailers are coming to see. They want to see brands, they want to meet those brand principles, they want to see product they can put on the shelf. We are really trying to understand the different aspects of action sports and come up with slightly different solutions when it comes to exhibiting, but the key is that we are trying to make it all in one location to benefit retailers.
What’s the overall vision for the partnership and future shows?
AT: We are hoping to add a larger retail base. We are also going to have specific skate contests at the show that Jamie is going to develop along with Skatepark of Tampa and some other contributors as well. So really the idea is not to change anything but just to bring what ASR can, which is additional buying power and a proximity to a large group of international retailers who are in town. As it develops, we are going to look at potentially hosting the event in other locations, maybe looking at August 2010. But we are going to make sure with this first go that it’s an outdoor event, very similar to what made Crossroads what it is today. We just want to make sure we honor the roots of Crossroads, while just bringing in some more retailers.
JT: Quite simply, the arrangement at ASR is a two show deal, and Crossroads will be at ASR in February and August. We are also trying to get a few retail shows started with Crossroads to help suport regional territories and increase excitement among shops in different regions in the US. It’s still in the works and in the early stages, but now that we have the ASR deal worked out we’d like to get going on it quickly, although the regional shows will be independent.
