HOUSTON — Adam & Eve kicked off its annual meeting for franchise store owners and operators last night with a welcome luau and continued today with a full day of seminars and “vendors round-up” meetings.
Welcoming nationwide franchisees and vendors with live Hawaiian music, hula dancers, drinks and appetizers that were enjoyed poolside at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Houston on a warm evening, served as the perfect venue for attendees to meet colleagues and gear up for the rest of the event.
Attendees were up bright and early today with informational seminars that kicked off with opening remarks and a session on what to expect during the week ahead. Franchisees had the opportunity to introduce themselves and their store location(s) before diving into business, which today primarily centered on marketing and advertising.
Pure Silver Creative is Adam & Eve’s dedicated grassroots and digital marketing team that offered a presentation on all of the valuable services that the company offers to franchisees. From SEO optimization to creating flyers, coupons and bag inserts for stores, Pure Silver’s digital marketing manager Stephanie Marin and marketing director Brennen Lesser showcased several examples of marketing materials that could be used to draw in shoppers to retail store locations.
Lesser discussed email drip campaigns, which target potential customers by reminding them of a purchase that they haven’t yet made. By sending a follow-up “still haven’t purchased that….” email, Lesser said that retailers can “re-engage with customers that haven’t bought yet.”
Keri Bonfili was on hand to discuss her role as Adam & Eve Stores’ PR and content strategist. The former news anchor and reporter discussed the difference between advertising and PR.
“It’s about building relationships,” she said. “PR boosts trust and your reputation as experts."
Bonfili’s job is to generate national media exposure for the brand, as well as individual franchise stores. She broke down the five factors that would make a story newsworthy — timing, significance, proximity, prominence and human interest. Franchisees have the opportunity to take advantage of Bonfili’s services by pitching story ideas to Adam & Eve’s corporate team.
Adam & Eve national business consultant Chad Jenny also introduced S.O.S. (Sink or Swim) Distribution as a new private label supplier, which will be supplying four new sex enhancement supplement brands to Adam & Eve along with a SPIF (Sales Performance Incentive Fund). Helmed by an eight-year pleasure products industry vet, Jenny said storeowners can expect a high-quality product that’s made in the U.S.
A midday lunch break and lingerie fashion show served as the transition for the event, which then broke up into individual meetings among vendors and buyers. The 30-minute one-on-one meetings were held in two separate rooms with booths sectioned off with curtains that allowed for privacy among a bustling crowd.
Curve Novelties’ Raquel Thomas was among the vendors showcasing their latest releases. The Mistress collection features masturbators that mimic realistic body parts in a more compact size — according to Thomas, they weigh in at around five pounds. The dual-entry masturbators come with a bullet vibrator, are made out of TPE and are hand-painted. Thomas said that the durable packaging was key to protect the somewhat-heavy toy.
The company also showcased its Royal Hiney line featuring 14 styles.
“Our in-house designers created all of the [butt plugs’ ribbed] designs,” Thomas said, “we wanted to make sure they were completely unique.”
Pipedream Products also participated in the vendors round-up with vice president of sales Steve Sav on-hand. “I love Adam & Eve’s store operators and I constantly visit their stores. It’s always great to see them in person.”
pjur showcased its new Spa ScenTouch line of massage lotions. According to pjur sales manager John Marinello, what makes the line innovative is that it isn’t made of silicone or oil and is still glideable and non-staining with a light scent. “It’s really good for deep tissue massage and has a nice summery scent,” Marinello said.
ElectricDistro showcased its new line of vibrators called Vibe Therapy. The female-friendly collection features 18 different vibrators, including rabbit vibe styles, bullets, kegel balls and a remote-controlled vibe.
“It’s exciting to be one of the premier vendors for this legendary chain of adult stores,” ElectricDistro’s Zach Goode said. “This is my first time in Houston and I’m glad it’s to be a part of this event for forward-thinking entrepreneurs.”
For more information about Adam & Eve store franchise opportunities, visit AdamAndEveFranchise.com.
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