Orgill adjusts in-person and hybrid event schedule
Tennessee-based Orgill Inc. laid out a revised event schedule that includes hybrid online and in-person events designed for comprehensive, accessible and intuitive experiences.
Under the new schedule, the upcoming Aug. 26-28 event switches from an in-person event (originally planned for Chicago) to an Aug. 16-27 Online Buying Event. The distributor also announced that it will add additional online events to its calendar:
● A Winter 2021 Online Buying Event in late October;
● A Spring 2022 Online Buying Event that will coincide with the in-person Spring Dealer Market in Orlando in February 2022; and
● A Summer 2022 Online Buying Event in late April 2022.
The decision to forgo the in-person Fall Dealer Market was driven by a number of factors, including staff and customer safety, uncertainty about access to services and overall market conditions, the company said.
“We are encouraged with the positive trends we are seeing with vaccinations and the reduction in active COVID-19 cases, however there are still so many uncertainties when trying to plan an event the size of one of our in-person Dealer Markets,” said Boyden Moore, Orgill President and CEO. “While we are anxious to welcome our customers to a Dealer Market as soon as possible, we’ve made the decision that it will be best to do so in February in Orlando. Included in our consideration is the fact that retailers are busier now than ever with sustained surges in demand and a continued challenging supply chain, pricing and hiring environment. Replacing the live Fall Dealer Market with an Online Buying Event also allows us to remain focused on supply chain recovery and helping our customers in their stores during these continued challenges.”
Orgill points to two highly successful Online Buying Events as building blocks to future improvements that offer its customers a more comprehensive, accessible and intuitive experience.
“While the restrictions placed on us as a result of the pandemic forced the innovation of our Online Buying Event, the concept has proven to be relevant whether there is a pandemic or not,” says Moore. “We need to offer our customers a variety of ways to interact with our team and our vendor partners. We also recognize that retailers are busy and more focused on their operations than ever. Integrating additional Online Buying Events that work together with live events is definitely our path forward.”
Through the addition of additional Online Buying Events, Orgill hopes to create a better rhythm for its interaction with customers, allowing them greater flexibility in planning and ordering the products they need.
“What started as a necessity has really grown into a more well-rounded strategy for us connecting our customers with the products, promotional pricing and seasonal specials they need,” says Greg Stine, Orgill executive vice president of marketing and communications. “We believe that by adding additional Online Buying Events to our schedule, we can help our customers take better advantage of the seasonal buying opportunities available to them. By adding events, we won’t be asking them to condense their purchases into two narrow windows in the fall and spring.”
While we are anxious to welcome our customers to a Dealer Market as soon as possible, we’ve made the decision that it will be best to do so in February in Orlando. Included in our consideration is the fact that retailers are busier now than ever with sustained surges in demand and a continued challenging supply chain, pricing and hiring environment. Replacing the live Fall Dealer Market with an Online Buying Event also allows us to remain focused on supply chain recovery and helping our customers in their stores during these continued challenges.”
When it comes to the next in-person buying event, Orgill plans to pull out all the stops for its Spring Dealer Market in Orlando. Not only will the Feb. 24-26 event represent the company’s return to in-person buying markets, it will also mark Orgill’s 175th anniversary.
“Believe me, we are planning for the Spring Dealer Market to be a celebration in a lot of ways,” Moore says. “Most importantly, we want it to be a big thank you to our customers and our vendors for getting through the past year but also for supporting Orgill and helping us achieve such a significant milestone in our corporate history.”
