WebNews
May 05, 2010
At Adventure 16, Outdoor University becomes de rigueur
When managing an outdoor store, you never know where you are going to be on any given hour of any given day. Truck deliveries, customer service issues, shipping snafus and staff scheduling can keep a manager on the move. But every second Wednesday of the month at 2 p.m. (Mountain Time), the managers at Adventure 16 in Southern California know where they need to be.
Why? Because that’s when the 2010 Outdoor University® Webinars happen and because their boss, Adventure 16 CEO John Mead, will be attending. Mead has asked his managers to attend the online Webinar series this year and be prepared to talk about it at weekly and quarterly management meetings. The Webinars are free to OIA members and SNEWS® subscribers and $99 for non-members.
Mead has always encouraged his managers to attend Outdoor University Webinars, but for the first time he set aside time during his weekly management conference call Friday specifically to discuss April’s webinar, which focused on how to organize local events. The objective is to compare notes to determine what might apply at A16.
“There is nothing like hearing it from somebody else in the business,” Mead said of the Webinar series, which is being taught primarily by industry peers this year. “There is a risk they will not be as polished as a professional, but there is a lot to be said about talking to your peers. The content will be more focused on our specific needs and what we are doing.”
Next Wednesday, Mead expects his managers to be listening to Mark McKnight, e-commerce and marketing director for Rock/Creek in Chattanooga, TN. McKnight will discuss “Growing Outdoor Participation…and Your Customer Base.” Rock/Creek was among the first outdoor retailers to launch an online store more than 10 years ago and has become synonymous with outdoor recreation in Chattanooga through community work and a trail racing series that draws thousands of competitors each year. The company was named Online Retailer of the Year by Backpacker Magazine and SNEWS at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Marketplace in January.
McKnight will talk about how to engage customers on their terms, through live chat, social media, video, events and traditional customer service. He will also touch on how to compete, not necessarily with the big box down the street, but with other priorities competing for your customers' time, attention and wallet. Finally, he will discuss how to build lasting relationships with all levels of outdoor enthusiasts, from aspirational to expert.
Mead will take the virtual lectern himself in November, when he will deliver a presentation on “How to Form a Key Vendor Marketing Alliance.” Other retailers scheduled to deliver presentations include Rod Johnson of Midwest Mountaineering in Minneapolis, Darren Bush of Rutabaga’s near Madison, WI and Paul Fish of Mountain Gear in Spokane Valley, WA.
“There is nothing else like that that's out there,” Mead said of the Webinars.
Preregistration for Outdoor University Webinars is required. View the complete Outdoor University schedule and register online today.
