Las Vegas – Some 3,300 dealers and manufacturers attended this month’s Nationwide
Marketing Group PrimeTime! event, marking the second-largest turnout to date
for the buying organization’s show.
The biannual conference and buy fair, held here Feb. 28-March 3 at the
MGM Grand, also drew nearly 850 exhibitors, Nationwide said.
“We are celebrating the success of PrimeTime in Vegas, but most
importantly the success of our independent dealers who were able to overcome
the challenges in retail last year,” said Robert Weisner, the group’s executive
VP. “Many have told us that the new
opportunities, programs and services available each PrimeTime! helped them
through a very rough year.”
Benefits included instant rebates on
purchases made at the show. Nationwide reported a 20 percent spike in rebate
checks over last February, and noted that $12 million in PrimeTime! rebates
were handed out in total in 2009.
The show, which was held under the theme
“New Days, New Ways: Get Ready,” also featured
a series of PrimeTime University business seminars that drew 2,000
dealers. Topics included traffic-building strategies for online sales and the
importance of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
“The retail market and consumer
profile has changed dramatically over the last few years,” observed Nationwide
president Ed Kelly, “and in
order to remain competitive, independent retailers must adapt to these new
changes by learning what works and getting rid of what doesn’t.”
Nationwide’s next
PrimeTime! event will be held Aug. 15-18 at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Md.,
just outside Washington. For more information,
visit
or call (336) 722-4681.
