Clockwise from top left: Paul Naude, CEO of Stokehouse and owner of Vissla, Amuse Society and Sisstrevolution; Linsey and Karly Cottrell, who own Island Water Sports with their brother, Cheyne; Pura Vida Founders Paul Goodman and Griffin Thall; and Patrik Schmidle of ActionWatch.
By Tiffany Montgomery | Published Sep 15, 2020
We are excited to announce that we have lined up lots of big names for a series of video interviews we are doing for Surf Expo Connect, the virtual trade show that launches on Wednesday.
Here’s the schedule and what I’ll be talking to industry leaders about. Interviews will be available on the Surf Expo Connect platform live and on-demand. Retailers can register to attend at no cost. Register here.
Booming Sales for Boardsports and Water Business – Wednesday 7am PST/10 am EST
When the pandemic first hit, everyone worried if independent industry retailers would survive. For many, business rebounded much more strongly than expected. We talk to eight retailers around the country about the unexpected boom in business and how they are feeling about the rest of the year.
Retailers we talk to include Surfside Sports in Costa Mesa, Ron Jon in Florida, Hansen’s in Encinitas, WRV and 17th Street in Virginia Beach, Hi-Tech in Maui, Wanderlust Land & Sea in New Jersey and BuyWake.com in Georgia.
Navigating the Pandemic: Opportunities and Concerns with Vissla CEO Paul Naude – Wednesday 12 pm PST/3 pm EST
A conversation with Paul Naude about how his company has managed through the pandemic, where he sees openings for the industry and where he sees potential trouble ahead.
Big Opportunity: Surging Hardgoods Sales and Participation Numbers with Patrik Schmidle of ActionWatch – Thursday 7 am PST/10 am EST
We dig into retailer data with Patrik to examine what categories are driving the big growth in hardgoods sales, how the apparel and footwear categories have fared during the pandemic and prospects for the independent channel going forward.
Adapting and Thriving in the New Normal with the Cottrell Family of Island Water Sports – Thursday 9am PST/12 pm EST
IWS in Deerfield Beach, Florida is one of the nimblest retailers around. We talk to co-owners Karly and Linsey Cottrell about how the pandemic forced them to use their creativity and hustle in ways they never imagined.
Marketing to the Modern Teenage Girl and Other Lessons Learned with Pura Vida Founders Griffin Thall and Paul Goodman – Friday 7 am PST/ 10 am EST
Pura Vida has mastered the art of appealing to young women with both its products and its social media prowess. A talk with founders Paul Goodman and Griffin Thall about what makes that demographic tick, plus key lessons the two college friends have learned while building their company.
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