KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI (AUGUST 25, 2021) -- Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, the national organization dedicated to the health and growth of specialty outdoor retail, is encouraging advance registration for their annual ‘Connect’ buying event at the Kansas City Convention Center, scheduled for Nov. 8-11, 2021.
At the same time, Grassroots is announcing two new aspects for upcoming the Connect show, including an attendee vaccine requirement and an expanded refund policy.
“While health and safety considerations are obviously essential, we also need to get a clear read on who’s planning on attending. This level of direct input from the Grassroots community continues to be our biggest asset, as Grassroots vendors and retailers have always been eager to collaborate on ways to move our industry forward,” said Rich Hill, president of Grassroots Outdoor Alliance.
The new Grassroots Connect vaccine requirement is at the top of an extensive list of health and safety considerations at the show, ranging from rearranged floor layouts to individualized hygiene and safety plans. The list of Grassroots Connect protocols will continue to be refined based on the latest possible information up and through the event itself.
The new refund policy for Connect will include a full return of deposit funds for any exhibitor cancellations on or before October 1, 2021. In the week prior to that deadline, Grassroots will provide registered attendees an overview of the show’s latest health and safety plans, and will host a Zoom open forum to answer vendor questions. If Grassroots cancels the show after Oct. 1, full refunds will be available.
“We are fully aware that there’s still some legitimate reasons for travel anxiety out there, and we’re doing our best to address those realities head on. We’ve built an extensive list of health and safety considerations around Connect -- even our contingency plans have contingency plans -- and I think it’s safe to say that many of those considerations are going to become best practices for gatherings in 2022 and beyond,” added Hill.
The upcoming Grassroots Connect event marks the first gathering for the group in more than 600 days, and builds on strong retail sales throughout the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance retailer member network, which has seen 28% growth year-to-date compared to 2019.
Efficient, affordable and effective for every attendee, Grassroots Connect is the only national show designed specifically to improve retail buying results. Scheduled as early as possible in the buying cycle, the Grassroots Connect attracts a mix of independent specialty retailers, vendor brands and members of the outdoor industry community to each show. Connect provides a highly efficient opportunity for retailers, reps and vendors to present, discuss, plan and collect pre-season orders. Cost-effective and simple, Connect is both an incubator and testing ground for the greater outdoor industry. Invited retailers receive a per attendee reimbursement to offset their travel costs. For more information on Grassroots Connect, please go to https://connect.grassrootsoutdoors.com
ABOUT GRASSROOTS OUTDOOR ALLIANCE: Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is a national association working together for the health and growth of independent specialty outdoor retail. With 94 retailers and 195 doors in 42 states nationwide, Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is creating both a vision and roadmap for the long-term success of independent specialty retailers, through data collection and analysis, direct member support, specialty events, and deep vendor partnerships. Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is also recognized as a catalyst for the success of its retailers and vendor partners; an advocate for specialty independent retail; a promoter of education and community within the specialty channel; and a key influencer of the national outdoor industry. For more information on Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, please go to www.grassrootsoutdoors.com.