Nationwide Marketing Group welcomed more than 3,600 attendees from 780 member companies and 150 vendor partners to Nashville, Tennessee, in mid-August for its 61st in-person PrimeTime event.
During the three-day business and education conference, Nationwide dealer members got updated on the retail landscape, capitalized on show specials and giveaways, and gobbled up the inventory Nationwide’s vendor partners brought to Music City, ensuring customers’ needs will be met during the final few months of the year.
Education sessions especially for RentDirect members included a roundtable discussion of where the rent-to-own industry is and where it’s going, led by APRO CEO Charles Smitherman and APRO VP of Membership Jen Troke. In an instant-response survey of RentDirect members’ view of the direction of the industry, the vast majority offered optimistic outlooks.
Another session – led by Nationwide’s Director of Appliances and RentDirect John Laing, along with representatives from Ashley Furniture Industries and O’Rourke Sales Company – presented industry forecasts for consumer electronics, furniture and bedding, and the industry overall.
Keynote speaker Retired Lieutenant Colonel Scott Mann moved the general session audience with tales from his 23-year military career as an Army Green Beret. LTC Mann outlined how businesses can benefit from leadership centered around the values of human connection, communication, and trust-building among people who may initially be angry, frightened, or skeptical.
The PrimeTime “HoTsHow” gave members 75 minutes of can’t-beat-‘em deals, with the last 15 minutes dedicated to a total of $10,000 worth of merchandise giveaways from select vendor partners. Lots of great deals were also discovered on the 250,000-square-foot show floor, with 150 vendor partners and, for the first time, a recommended RTO-focused booth track.
Nationwide’s 62nd PrimeTime is scheduled for March 10-13, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
