The Grassroots Outdoor Alliance (Grassroots) will host its 2014 Summer Summit at the Embassy Suites Loveland Hotel, Spa and Conference Center in Loveland, CO. to meet the organization’s growing needs.

 

“In the last 3 years, the retail membership has grown and the number of Vendor Partners has also expanded,” explained Chris Howe, co-owner of Connecticut-based Trailblazer and chairman of Grassroots Trade Show Committee. “The Embassy Suites location will allow Grassroots to invite more vendors to the show and accommodate the growing membership. At the show, our membership will be able to see line presentations for Spring/Summer 2015, in a three day period at a location that is centrally located for all attendees, making it extremely efficient.”

 

The Embassy Suites Loveland Hotel Conference Center has more then 40,000 square feet of total function space within an easy 45 minute drive from the Denver International Airport.

 

“As the #2 Embassy Suites in the World for 2011 and 2012, you can be assured that attendees will be well cared for during their visit,” said Clark Davis, director of sales and marketing of The Embassy Suites Hotel. “With 300 days of sunshine and our mile high attitude, the Northern Colorado community is an ideal location to host your event. We look forward to meeting the Retail Members and Vendor Partners next year and introducing you to our outdoor friendly community.”

 

The location offers a short drive to some of the best hiking, biking and climbing in Northern Colorado. 

 

Bob Wade, co-owner of The Ute Mountaineer in Aspen, CO, urged attendees to schedule some time before or after the show to explore the region, which was among those hit by floods this fall. 

 

“Loveland is one of the communities affected by the severe flooding in the Front Range of Colorado,” said Wade. “They showed their resilience by pulling together and meeting the challenge of flood recovery on a neighbor to neighbor basis. This is the great community that will be our hosts.”

 

The summits provide a venue for Grassroots retailers to meet vendors' earliest order deadlines and provide feedback from an independent retailer’s perspective.

 

“Since we can meet with both our reps and the vendor’s sales manager in a private setting, the show is immeasurably more effective than other regional or even national shows,” explained Dawson Wheeler, co-owner of Rock/Creek and chairman of the Grassroots Vendor Committee. “This show helps us to determine best business practices. Our membership sees value in buying a line with other Grassroots accounts; we have learned to trust each other and be highly proactive with our questions to both the vendors as well as our peers. Again, this speaks to the value of our group and the power of open feedback during the buying process”.

 

The mission of the Grassroots membership- both vendor and retailer alike– is to build an organization that supports Specialty retailing.

 

“Our members have become very consistent with their support with our vendor partners and see them as the first stop in our buying process,” said Grassroots President Roanne Miller. “The Loveland venue will allow us to continue to work as a group with our vendor partners to address Specialty retailing head-on in a highly open and collaborative venue. Additionally, we will continue to focus on offering some sort of community fundraiser that will either give back to a local cause.

 

“We strive to present the highest-quality show venue as possible to both groups of partners, retail and vendor alike,” she continued. “We all have a stake in this process. That’s what sets Grassroots apart from many others. We are working to build an organization based on commitment.