As Nationwide gears up for what is forecasted to be a huge August PrimeTime! show in Nashville, the group is excited to announce continued growth of the new learning curriculum, Nationwide Learning Academy, that unveiled in March.
In Orlando, the Nationwide Learning Academy sessions shattered attendance records from the previous shows’ educational courses, formerly known as PrimeTime! University. There were more session attendees than there were attending the actual show, meaning many of the group’s member retailers filled their schedules with a variety of course topics.
Amongst the presenters in the Nashville lineup is Gabrielle Garrison, Partner Manager for Digital Strategy from Facebook, as well as Brenden Jacobson, a strategist from Google.
Mike Whitaker, who coordinates the group’s educational efforts, added, “The member feedback from Orlando was overwhelmingly positive. We focused on taking time to understand what our members wanted out of the education curriculum and delivered the best of the best as far as content, presenters and topic variety. We’re very excited as we’re ramping up each of those areas even more for the August show.”
In March, the Nationwide Learning Academy offered the most comprehensive curriculum of course opportunities to date, with the addition of flexible scheduling and a full slate of sessions presented by industry leaders, content authorities, internal professionals and more. This August, Nationwide’s newest addition to the Academy will be vendor-led sessions, with over a dozen vendors participating and leading discussions about what’s happening in the industry, as well as providing merchandising and promotional guidance within their specific lines.
PrimeTime!, the largest trade show for Independent Appliance, Electronics, Bedding and Furniture Dealers, will see over 40 live sessions of the Nationwide Learning Academy, covering topics ranging from Leadership, Marketing, Digital, to Merchandising.
Registration for the March PrimeTime show is now open, as is registration for the Nationwide Learning Academy, by visiting www.nationwideprimetime.com.
About Nationwide Marketing Group
Nationwide Marketing Group works beside thousands of appliance, furniture, electronics, specialty electronics, custom installation and rent to own dealers helping them grow their businesses and their bottom lines. With over 3,500 members operating more than 10,000 store fronts and $15 billion in combined annual sales, Nationwide is North America’s largest buying and marketing organization. Industry veterans, heading Nationwide’s seven regional divisions, work to provide independent dealers with personalized service and local programming in every market they serve. More information is available at www.nationwidegroup.org.
Mike Lewis
Mike Lewis is a Premier Rental Purchase franchisee with multiple stores and currently serves as Vice President of Operations. With 33 years of experience in the rent-to-own industry, he has spent the past 20 years working closely with franchisee owners and previously spent 12 years in Corporate RTO, gaining a strong foundation in the business.
For the past five years, Mike has been sharing his knowledge by teaching managers and franchisees at the company’s Training Center.
Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, kids, and grandkids, and appreciates the simple things in life – especially riding his Harley Davidson with the sun on his face. If you know, you know!
