Groom Expo West: All-Around Value for Retailers

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BY: CHELSEY HALL

Groom Expo West, which takes place this year from February 14 to 17, is a grooming retailer’s best friend! With over 4,700 groomers attending—all with the intention of making large purchases and on the hunt for new and improved products—it’s the best way to immerse yourself within your perfect target market. For many groomers, Groom Expo West is the most positive and exciting weekend of the year. By attending the show as a retailer, you are adding to the groomer’s positive experience and they will remember your company as being a part of that.

The expo allows retailers to connect on a more intimate, face-to-face level that would not otherwise be possible. This kind of connection cultivates a rapport that will likely turn into a steady clientele. Groomers are loyal to the products they use. When they find products they like and that serve them well, they will become a lifelong customer.

Another added value of attending Groom Expo West as a retailer is the ability to show groomers a product that they may not realize they needed. Groomers are very hands-on when it comes to shopping for their salons. They love being able to touch and feel the products, see how they are used and discuss in person how those items can improve their business. Retailers have the ability to shine in these moments as this is something groomers highly value when attending the expo. It’s an experience they cannot get from shopping online.

Also, before the opening of each trade show and while the trade show is in motion, Barkleigh takes to social media to highlight the vendors and their products via live videos, photos and real-time updates that reach thousands of groomers to increase attendance numbers. Each vendor receives direct website hyperlinks on the Groom Expo West webpage, which allows groomers to easily navigate to your website.

On another note, if you are interested in increasing your exposure even further and placing your products into the hands of your most crucial clients, consider taking a Groom Expo West sponsorship package. Barkleigh can create sponsorship packages to fit your needs and your budget. These can be as simple as having your company placed in the program guide, all the way up to sponsoring a major grooming competition with your equipment or prize money. Sponsorships are widely recognized by groomers attending the expo and give retailers unparalleled value!

In conjunction with the many benefits mentioned above, Groom Expo West has more value than just selling products and connecting with groomers. It also serves as a place for you to have a “business vacation” in a beautiful, warm location during the coldest time of year; you can explore and have a little fun when the trade show has ended each day. Being in sunny California allows you to have a little relaxation time and get out of the frigid temperatures back home. Take this opportunity to stop by The Huntington Botanical Gardens, go for a hike around Eaton Canyon or go out for some authentic Mexican food and margaritas with like-minded individuals!

Groom Expo West had an astounding attendance increase of 10.3 percent last year, making it the second-largest grooming show in the world next to Groom Expo in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Whether you plan to attend just to check it out or you choose to purchase a booth space to connect with groomers and sell products, you are guaranteed to have a spectacular experience. We are excited to see what 2019 brings.