LOS ANGELES — Following the success of the first-ever virtual XBIZ Retreat held in late August, the leading B2B event, presented by Satisfyer, returns Oct. 19-23 with a focus on the European adult retail market.
In response to concerns over coronavirus and travel restrictions, the inaugural virtual XBIZ Retreat, which was also presented by Satisfyer, delivered the most comparable experience to an in-person trade event with an interactive online venue that allowed for mingling with fellow event attendees in-between daily scheduled one-on-one meetings.
For its European edition, the highly praised virtual XBIZ Retreat will once again provide a user-friendly online meeting platform for participants to conduct business and network seamlessly. To cater to European buyers and vendors, the upcoming event will be scheduled based on Central European Time.
“While we unfortunately are unable to gather in Berlin for our annual European edition of XBIZ Retreat, we’re pleased to offer the next-best option,” XBIZ Associate Publisher Sara Ramirez said. “Based on the overwhelmingly positive response to our inaugural virtual XBIZ Retreat, I’m confident that European buyers and vendors will greatly benefit from our upcoming event.”
The virtual European edition of XBIZ Retreat is slated to coincide with the XBIZ Europa Awards, presented by Satisfyer, which is set for a worldwide broadcast on Oct. 22 via XBIZ.tv.
Similar to traditional XBIZ Retreat gatherings, attendees of the virtual event also bonded after business hours with Zoom happy hours, karaoke and other opportunities to meet and catch up with fellow event participants. The online version of XBIZ Retreat also offers a more affordable alternative to business travel.
“Sensually Yours is grateful for being invited to the XBIZ Virtual Retreat,” said Zondre Watson, general manager of the Hawaiian retailer. “Normally we are only able to participate in one trade show per year, because it’s costly and time-consuming to come from Hawaii. But having an opportunity to meet with vendors virtually has made it easier for use to participate in more events this year. Of course, nothing will replace being able to meet in person, but the Virtual Retreat was very close. We were able to meet with some new vendors and learn about new products from our existing vendors. I really appreciated the individual meetings. It was also great to meet some of the other participants during the breaks and events scheduled.”
Attendees of the first-ever virtual XBIZ Retreat also praised the valuable connections made at the event.
“I met new manufacturers both here in the states and abroad and became much more familiar with some of the brands that I already carried,” Organic Loven’s Taylor Sparks said. “It was a great show for my company!”
M.D. Science Labs VP of sales and marketing Briana Honz Watkins praised the event for being interactive and personable.
“It was the closest we could get to each other for now, and I am thankful for the platform created,” she said. “Not only was it valuable for one-on-one time with the customer, it was great to be able to interact and mingle with other manufacturers. It was a great success and I look forward to partnering up with them on future virtual shows. Great job XBIZ and thanks for the valuable and successful experience!”
For more reactions from attendees of the August’s virtual XBIZ Retreat, click here.
For more information about participating in the upcoming European edition of XBIZ Retreat, contact theretreat@xbiz.com.
