WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Nationwide Marketing Group held its biannual PrimeTime event in Las Vegas for the first time since before the COVID pandemic. Over the four-day event, attendees took part in buying, educational sessions and networking opportunities.
“Independent retailers are the gold standard when it comes to resiliency and navigating rough waters,” Nationwide CEO Tom Hickman told members during the show’s opening night. “You know better than anyone out there how to adapt, adjust, alter and amend your operations to remain relevant, profitable and successful. And your group is here to support you in those efforts.”
On the buying side, attendees accrued more than $6.5 million in CashBack, which NMG officials are calling a sign of both strong offers from participating vendor partners and an expectation that consumer spending will pick up over the next few months.
“It was a tremendous showing from our members,” said Patrick Maloney, executive vice president of membership for Nationwide. “Their level of engagement in Las Vegas tells us that they are gearing up for a strong year. We understand what the pundits and prognosticators continue to say about the economy. But while there’s no crystal ball to tell us how things will actually go, we do know that this channel and these retailers won’t back down from a challenge.”
The Nationwide Learning Academy was comprised of 44 courses and incorporated several booth tours as well as a new NLA classroom built right into the PrimeTime Expo floor.
“We really placed an emphasis on making education impactful but also convenient at this PrimeTime,” said Shawn Ashby, director of training and education for Nationwide. “By bringing more of the learning experience directly onto the show floor, members were able to engage with our NLA platform while not missing out on the buying opportunities that they’re here for.”
Additionally, the NLA took attendees to an event hosted at the World Market Center.
“We’ve been exploring ways to incorporate the World Market Center experience into our own show for a number of years,” said Jeff Rose, vice president of furniture, bedding and outdoor for Nationwide. “It’s a truly unique property that allows our members to navigate the showrooms of many of our partners. We can’t overstate how important and impactful it is to see their product merchandised in a retail-like setting. We look forward to building off of this when we’re back in Las Vegas later this year.”
The next edition of PrimeTime takes place at the Venetian Convention & Expo Center in Las Vegas Aug. 11-14.
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