MAGIC and the Board Retailers Association (BRA) announced today they have formed a strategic alliance.
BRA will have a resource center on the show floor, an opening day education seminar moderated by Duke Edukas of Surfside Sports, and BRA and Magic will cohost an invitation-only dinner for board sports retailers.
BRA will also feature videos on its website from some well-known board retailers talking about their experiences at the MAGIC show in February and how the show helps their stores.
I followed up with BRA President Mike Duncan and Chris DeMoulin, MAGIC International President and Executive Vice President of Advanstar’s Fashion Group, to find out more about what this means.
Mike Duncan, BRA
Why make this alliance with MAGIC?
Our endorsement partnership with ASR was robust and symbiotic, but it prevented us from publically endorsing other shows that our members attended. MAGIC has always been a show we saw partner potential with because of its sheer range of product offerings, its timeliness and popularity with our West Coast retailers and its “one-stop-shop” nature.
Now with its growing emphasis on surf, skate and street with S.L.A.T.E. and RIDE Unltd. it makes more sense than ever.
Why does the show make sense for boardsport retailers?
MAGIC has always made sense for boardsports retailers– some of whom have attended for decades, as a trend-spotting event with limitless network potential.
With this partnership, MAGIC is offering industry-specific education and networking events aimed at yielding an effective and efficient shopping experience. Show events like these greatly enhance the potential for our industry members in attendance– not only our retailers, but for manufacturers who exhibit at MAGIC.
Does the agreement include a financial benefit to BRA?
Partnerships don’t only enhance the trade show experience for the retailers and brands that value them, they help keep our association alive and thriving.
Surf Expo has been a core pillar of support for BRA since our inception. By forging a similar relationship with MAGIC and other trade shows in the future we are building a stronger industry as a whole.
Our agreement helps our membership drives, educational events, and research– inevitably supporting the industry. MAGIC’s attention to our retailers at their show is a true highlight, but for BRA the benefits of the partnership extend beyond September and February.
The trade show landscape is ever changing. Is there a consensus among your membership about how they would like the trade shows to work?
With the evolution of the industry, retailers are unsure how to get business done in the future. The best way to deal with it is to be prepared, and that’s what we’ve tasked ourselves with: to make sure our members have the information and access to programs to keep them relevant and successful.
While the trade show discussion includes many different opinions, one thing is for certain: whether the industry is in your backyard or across the country from your storefront, it’s important to have a gathering place.
See Page 2 for Chris DeMoulin’s Q & A, including if Magic wants to replace ASR
Chris DeMoulin, MAGIC
Why make this alliance with BRA?
MAGIC was already an associate member of BRA and we have had a great working relationship with Mike and his team. As we continue to expand a home at S.L.A.T.E for all action sports, both retailers and brands, it made sense to increase our partnership with the leading voice and educational resource for independent board sports retailers.
Will their booth be on the Slate floor or the floor of a different show at MAGIC?
MAGIC President Chris DeMoulin
BRA will have a booth on the S.L.A.T.E show floor, which will be both a resource center and lounge. Both BRA members and non-members will have the opportunity to stop by and receive industry news, information on exhibiting show brands, info on BRA or just take a break.
Is Magic flying out a group of board sports retailers for the show?
Yes, as we did last season with our High Ollie Challenge, MAGIC will be flying out a group of board sports retailers who are either the hosts, or whose riders are the winners of, our regional Maloof Best Line contests, held in conjunction with Maloof Skateboarding.
We also fly out all the athletes who win these regional competitions, to compete alongside pros in the semi-finals and finals events on our RIDE show floor. Additionally, we are working with BRA to bring out several other core shops.
Is this a financial arrangement as well?
In addition to being an associate members of BRA, we are developing other marketing and communications programs with them, which we jointly believe will benefit boards sports retailers and brands.
Can you tell us what MAGIC’s ultimate goal is with the board sports industry? Do you want to replace ASR?
We want to be the kind of resource to the industry that ASR used to be, but because of changes in the retail landscape, it’s likely no one show will literally replace ASR.
MAGIC offers the opportunity for board sports retailers to shop all the brands they currently buy from, as well as find valuable new resources that they won’t ever see at a regional show that only features action sports brands. It’s the same for action sports brands – only at MAGIC can they meet with core retailers, and also develop a broad range of new and complementary distribution partners. Ultimately MAGIC offers both brands and retailers the opportunity to forge new relationships in a way that a vertical show cannot.
And with a new 4,000-square-foot street course, and prize events like the Maloof Best Line contest, we’re making the show more fun and accessible for everyone.
Can you share a few new things that are happening at the show that the board sports industry should know about?
There are a number of new action sports brands at the show including DC Shoes, Quiksilver, Hurley, Matix, Alpinestars, Fox Racing, and more.
Based on the success of our Maloof High Ollie contest in February – where the new world record was set on our show floor – we have brought a new Maloof Best Line Challenge to the show floor.
We will be developing more events specifically for the board sports community including an educational seminar led by BRA to kick off the first day of the show and an industry dinner for action sports retailers on Tuesday, Aug 23.
See Page 3 for the official press release
Press release:
MAGIC FORGES STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WITH THE BOARD RETAILERS ASSOCIATION (BRA)
Partnership Signifies Show Presence and Exposure for Leading Action Sports Trade Association, Board Retailers Association, at August MAGIC Show
Los Angeles, CA (July 13, 2011) – MAGIC today announced that it has formed a strategic alliance with The Board Retailers Association (BRA), a non-profit trade association representing more than 600 action sports retailers in the surf, skate, snow, wake, kite, wind and stand-up paddle industry. As part of the partnership, BRA will have significant presence on MAGIC’s August show floor, including a BRA resource center at the hub of the show and an opening-day educational seminar, which includes a panel of retail veterans moderated by Duke Edukas of Surfide Sports discussing both marketplace trends as well as how to make the most of your three days at MAGIC. Additionally, BRA will co-host with MAGIC an invitation-only dinner for board sports retailers.
“Given that BRA is the leading voice and educational resource for independent retailers, an alliance of this kind allows us the opportunity to serve the diverse needs and deepen our relationships with exhibitors and buyers in the action sports industry,” Chris DeMoulin, MAGIC International President and Executive Vice President of Advanstar’s Fashion Group said.
“It’s important to us to continue to expand and grow our industry affiliations to ensure that we are providing retailers with optimum trade show access and buying opportunities,” said Michael Duncan, President of BRA. “Many of our members have attended MAGIC regularly as part of their buying for years. In addition to acknowledging its relevance to our industry, this partnership will make other boardsports retailers aware of all that MAGIC has to offer.”
As part of its new partnership with MAGIC and the association’s commitment to education, BRA will showcase unique videos of key retailers, members of the industry and their stories on its website at boardretailers.org. BRA will also host a “How to Shop MAGIC” seminar the first morning of the show, where veteran action sports MAGIC attendees will help outline an efficient plan and route of action for BRA members tackling the show for the first time. Retailers will be shown first-hand how they can grow and expand their partnerships, discover new lines and products, and educate themselves and their buyers at the trade show.??Retailers who are not yet members of BRA are encouraged to stop by the BRA Booth at MAGIC for more information about the benefits of joining their community: being privy to discounts and special benefits, the advice and mentoring by other members, and being kept abreast of the latest education and technology.
About MAGIC
Every August and February, the fashion industry converges in Las Vegas for the most influential event in the business – MAGIC. The August 2011 MAGIC will run from August 22 – 24, 2011. For up-to-date exhibitor listings, seminar scheduling, travel support and registration information please visit www.magiconline.com.
About Board Retailers Association (BRA)
The Board Retailers Association (BRA) is a non-profit trade association representing over 3,500 action sport storefronts across the country. The association serves as the preeminent voice for independent retailers on a grassroots level with manufacturers, trade show representatives, and other associations. BRA also works to provide educational resources and exclusive discounts and savings from vendors on the day-to-day costs of business. For a complete explanation and description of Retail Member benefits, visit www.boardretailers.org.
