Combined Independents (Holdings) Ltd (CIH) has hailed the launch of its new Tradeshow Reloaded regional events, bringing suppliers and Euronics members together at two locations across the UK.
The electrical buying group held the inaugural events at Ascot Racecourse on 20 September and Aintree Racecourse on 27 September, giving members in the North and South greater access to networking, supplier deals and updates from the CIH leadership team.
Tradeshow Reloaded builds on the group’s established Showcase event, but is designed to bring the format closer to members and reduce the amount of time independent retailers need to spend away from their businesses.
More than 30 suppliers attended each event, showcasing new products and offering exclusive promotions to members ahead of the crucial peak trading period.
Both events also featured presentations from the CIH leadership team, covering group performance, supplier and service developments, upcoming initiatives and commercial opportunities.
Members were given the opportunity to put questions directly to CIH CEO Harry Kyriacou, Chairman Steve Scogings and Vice Chairman Andrew Thomas, before meeting suppliers and exploring the latest products and promotions.
Attendees were also offered event-exclusive deals, including flexible delivery schedules aimed at giving retailers greater control over stock during the busiest trading months.
Commenting on the launch, Mr Kyriacou said: “Our role at CIH is to give members the support and opportunities they need to help their business thrive.
“Tradeshow Reloaded was created to exactly do that: to give our members another valuable opportunity to meet with us and suppliers alongside Showcase.”
The regional format also marks something of a return to CIH’s past.
“I seem to be the only person in the business that remembers the trade shows from before Showcase, when we used to have one in Bradford and one at Heathrow,” Mr Kyriacou continued.
“I remember how excited and ebullient those events were, and I wanted to bring that back to CIH.
“The conversations we had in Ascot and Aintree show us how valued these events are by our members, so we plan to alternate between Tradeshow Reloaded and our overseas Conference every second year, to offer our members every chance to connect, learn and grow, together.”
The buying group said Tradeshow Reloaded will now form part of its wider programme of support for independent electrical retailers, sitting alongside its Showcase and Conference events.
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