Meet the Market platform takes on ‘critical’ role

SAN DIEGO — The recent NACDS Total Store Expo here was billed as much more than just a trade show, offering at­tendees multiple ways to connect with new business partners and deepen their re­lationships with existing ones. And for many suppliers at the show, the Meet the Market pro­gram has emerged as a particu­larly vital platform for helping retailers and suppliers connect, engage in one-on-one discus­sions and explore collaborative opportunities.

“The Meet the Market pro­gram has become a critical ele­ment of the show for us,” Life­lab Health managing director Lou Machin said. “It allows us to see the critical people that we came to the show to see.”

The Meet the Market program operates through a structured schedule of prearranged meet­ings. Retailers and suppliers spec­ify their areas of interest and are then matched accordingly, with NACDS handling the bookings. Retail buyers have their own ta­ble, and exhibitors move to meet with the retailers based on the schedule they are provided. The appointments themselves last for 10 minutes, with two-minute breaks between the appoint­ments for exhibitors to get to their next retail appointment.

Some of the advantages of the approach include:

• Efficiency: Meet the Market streamlines the networking process. Retailers and suppli­ers are matched based on their business needs and goals, facili­tating targeted and productive conversations.
• In-Depth Conversations: In a bustling event like the Total Store Expo, finding the time for mean­ingful conversations can be chal­lenging. Meet the Market ensures that participants can have fo­cused, uninterrupted discussions.
• Exclusive Insights: Par­ticipants gain early access to emerging trends, cutting-edge products and innovative solu­tions that may not yet be on the market.
• Collaborative Opportunities: The program is designed to fos­ter partnerships and collabora­tions that can lead to mutually beneficial outcomes.

Show exhibitors say the ef­ficiency and the targeted ap­proach of the Meet the Market program are among its most valuable features.

“A lot of other shows don’t have this kind of setup, and sometimes you can miss a buyer in your category because shows are so big,” said Joey Braha, vice president at Copper Compression, which offers a line of athletic support products made with copper. “The buyers have their own appointments and their own hit lists of who they want to see and what they want to do. So it’s great to have a scheduled time with them. Ten minutes is pretty brief, but if you work on the presenta­tion and get right to the point, I think the buyers appreciate and respect that.”

Braha added that the meet­ings can be productive and can deliver real results for exhibitors.

“Last year we met with Wal­greens at Meet the Market, and this November we’re going into stores,” he said. “So I would say that just on the basis of that it’s been a huge success. And then there are some people we see that we’re already doing busi­ness with it, and this format provides a great way to touch base in person.”

Machin noted that Lifelab Health also had some important Meet the Market appointments that will lead to new business for the company, whose prod­uct lines include NuFiber, a corn-based clear prebiotic fiber supplement, and HoneyWorks cough syrups and sprays, which are made with U.S.-sourced, US­DA-certified organic honey.

“My schedule was nine to five, and it was full,” Machin said. “It was busy and it was a good, productive kind of busy.”

Osman Mithavayani, vice president at the family-owned health and beauty company Xtreme Beauty International/OKAY, also counts himself as a fan of the Meet the Market program at NACDS Total Store Expo. He points to another strength of Meet the Market, which is that it takes place at a show that includes an exhi­bition floor with booths, and social events that provide ad­ditional opportunities to forge connections and network.

“Meet the Market sets in place a possible relationship that can continue,” Mithavay­ani said. “Ten minutes is not enough time to develop a plan behind the brand or product, but 10 minutes is more than enough time to introduce each other and network and com­municate in the hopes that that same buyer can come visit us and spend more time with us on the show floor. Meet the Market is instrumental in creating an experience that gets a relationship started, and that allows us to network and sell our

product.”