Clarion Events hosted the Smoky Mountain Gift Show in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in early November, but it cancelled its other two in-person events in 2020 due to local government restrictions: the Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show and the Ocean City Resort Gift Expo.
Lisa Berry, vice president for the Clarion Events Gift and Souvenir Portfolio, discussed the event team’s commitment to creating a safe environment for the Grand Strand show’s buyers and exhibitors, as well as key takeaways and advice for planners looking ahead to their first live events.
“As always, the safety of all exhibitors, attendees and staff is our top priority,” she said. “In order to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved, we followed government guidelines issued by the CDC and state and local officials with regards to the protocols and precautions put in place for COVID-19. The health and safety plan our team developed was based on four cornerstones: physical distancing, cleaning and hygiene, protect and detect, and communication.”
Some of the extra precautions at the 2020 event included:
- Requiring facial coverings of everyone in the convention center
- Temperature screenings for each visitor, including staff, upon entry to the convention center
- Making hand sanitizer readily available
- Enhanced and frequent cleaning protocols in common areas
- Physical distancing enforced and promoted
Berry said communication was at the cornerstone of the show’s planning. “We wanted to be as clear as possible to reassure our customers and to be clear about what they could expect at the event.”
Clarion Events’ “We’ve Got You Covered Promise” safety document was a comprehensive review of all the initiatives being taken during the show. This document, along with five “need-to-know” points, was a prominent part of all show communications and was featured on the show website, in the exhibitor manual and in all the marketing collateral.
“With such a challenging year for our industry, our goal was to deliver a safe and effective environment for our exhibitors and buyers to do business,” said Berry. “While there were some exhibitors and buyers unable to travel, we did hear from a majority that there was a need and desire to return to a face-to-face setting which is what encouraged us to find every way to meet in-person this year.”
Berry said there were plenty of success stories of exhibitors reaching more qualified buyers than previous years. Buyers were eager to get back to business – some even placing orders double the size of previous years.
Melissa Klubnik, vice president of Twinsburg, Ohio-based toy manufacturer, Wild Republic, said, “This was our first time in our 41-year history [that we attended the] Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise Show, and we will be regular customers (exhibitors). Grand Strand serves the needs of the coastal retailer shops and the retailers were excited about our innovations and category. We’ve developed new partnerships that we can grow throughout the year.”
Wild Republic also was recognized for Best New Product Award at the 2020 show. Kim Bartolotta, the owner of Elevation won the Best Made in America Product Award.
Berry said Clarion Events was excited to be able to produce such a successful event and recognized that it couldn't have been accomplished without the company’s partners, the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, RPM Expo (the show decorator), Connections Housing (the housing vendor), CompuSystems (the registration vendor) and the continued support of exhibitors and buyers.
“Our goal was to support the industry after a year where many had faced different hardships and provide a safe, productive and fun meeting space for them to get back to business,” she said.
To run the event successfully, Berry said Clarion Events needed to focus on three things: customer feedback, communication and teamwork, and advises other show organizers to do the same. “There will be a lot of new changes to adapt to – and you will probably have to update and change the new plans every week until the show – so you want to be as clear as possible.”
She added that without great teamwork, it would have been a lot more challenging to host the live event, “but we were so thankful to have a team that was flexible, positive and willing to put in the work to deliver a great event for our customers.”
Berry also said her team is willing to offer any advice or help as others plan for future events. “We want in-person events to come back and believe we are stronger together.”
More information is available at Clarion Events and Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise Show websites.
