Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, the national organization dedicated to the health and growth of specialty outdoor retail, this week announces the cancellation of their fall Connect buying show, originally scheduled for Nov. 9-12, 2020.
The planned November event would have marked the first Connect show to be held in their new venue of Kansas City, but was called off due to ongoing COVID-related challenges for attending retailers, exhibiting brands and organizing hosts.
“In the same way that it takes months for a full team to plan an event like Connect, it also takes a coordinated group effort to unravel one,” said Rich Hill, president of Grassroots Outdoor Alliance. “Kansas City has been an exceptional partner throughout this unusual season, and continues to validate our excitement about them as a new home for future fall Connect shows. We are incredibly grateful to the teams at the Kansas City Convention Center, Loews and Hotel Phillps for being amazing partners as we push back our plans for a gathering there until November 2021.”
Previously, Grassroots also canceled their spring Connect show (June 12-15, 2020; Knoxville, Tenn) replacing it with a free online resource center known as the Grassroots ConnectHub. As daily usage of ConnectHub by vendors and retailers has remained strong throughout the summer, and as other trade events continue to be cancelled in fall 2020 and beyond, Grassroots will continue growing ConnectHub as a highly efficient single-stop resource for shops looking to manage a remote buying process.
“As the needs of retailers and vendors for a collaborative digital buying process continue to grow, we are navigating this current remote buying season to the best of our abilities, and have made significant progress in ConnectHub and other digital tools,” said Hill. “That said, our individual members and our collective whole misses the efficiency, effectiveness, and personal connections created at Connect, and are eager for a season where it is both safe and smart for us to hold another gathering.”
Upcoming Grassroots Connect dates include June 7-10, 2021 (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Nov. 8-11, 2021 (Kansas City, Mo.).
