For the first time in five years, Nationwide Marketing Group held its biannual PrimeTime event in the entertainment capital of the world. Las Vegas, which has been a regular stop for NMG, last hosted a PrimeTime in February 2019. Much has changed within the organization, around the city and across the retail landscape in the years since.
What hasn’t changed, though, is the tenacity with which NMG members approach business.
“Independent retailers are the gold standard when it comes to resiliency and navigating rough waters,” Nationwide CEO Tom Hickman told members during the show’s opening night General Session. “You know better than anyone out there how to adapt, adjust, alter and amend your operations to remain relevant, profitable and successful. And your group is here to support you in those efforts.”
That support was on display in a multitude of ways throughout the four days the group was together in Las Vegas for PrimeTime. There, more than 3,000 attendees were on hand to take part in the buying, educational and networking opportunities that have made the show — now in its 62nd edition — a must-attend for Nationwide members.
Independent business owners on hand didn’t just attend, though. They were fully engaged with every aspect of PrimeTime. On the buying side, attendees accrued more than $6.5 million in CashBack, a sign of both strong offers from participating vendor partners and an expectation that consumer spending will pick up over the next few months.
“It was a tremendous showing from our members,” says Patrick Maloney, executive vice president of membership for Nationwide. “Their level of engagement in Las Vegas tells us that they are gearing up for a strong year. We understand what the pundits and prognosticators continue to say about the economy. But while there’s no crystal ball to tell us how things will actually go, we do know that this channel and these retailers won’t back down from a challenge.”
This PrimeTime also featured a fresh take on education for attendees. The Nationwide Learning Academy was comprised of 44 courses, and, new this show, NLA incorporated a number of booth tours as well as a new NLA classroom built right into the PrimeTime Expo floor. The new format ensured attendees wouldn’t have to venture far from the action to still take part in the education.
“We really placed an emphasis on making education impactful but also convenient at this PrimeTime,” says Shawn Ashby, director of training and education for Nationwide. “By bringing more of the learning experience directly onto the show floor, members were able to engage with our NLA platform while not missing out on the buying opportunities that they’re here for.”
The highlight of the NLA experience, though, was an off-site event hosted at the World Market Center in Las Vegas. The unique opportunity gave attendees — many of whom have never been to the ANDMORE-run campus — an up-close look at key vendor partners’ showrooms scattered throughout the 5-million-square-foot property.
“We’ve been exploring ways to incorporate the World Market Center experience into our own show for a number of years,” says Jeff Rose, vice president of furniture, bedding and outdoor for Nationwide. “It’s a truly unique property that allows our members to navigate the showrooms of many of our partners. We can’t overstate how important and impactful it is to see their product merchandised in a retail-like setting. We look forward to building off of this when we’re back in Las Vegas later this year.”
To that end, Nationwide members won’t have to wait another five years for PrimeTime to return to Las Vegas. The show will once again occupy the Venetian Convention & Expo Center, August 11-14. Members can visit www.nationwideprimetime.com to stay up to date on all things PrimeTime related.
