LAS VEGAS — Some 3,300 dealers
and manufacturers attended this month’s
Nationwide Marketing Group Prime-
Time! 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’s year’s February event
in New Orleans, 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 Prime-
Time 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.”
Also at the show, Nationwide announced
that the group had received a
2010 Excellence in Appliance Retailing
Award from the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) for its
outstanding contributions to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions by marketing
and promoting energy efficient products.
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
.
org or call (336) 722-4681.
