for the outdoor active lifestyle

Rouleur-Ready
by <a href="https://springpr.com/author/abbie/" target="_self">Abbie Baynes</a>

by Abbie Baynes

02 December, 2019

Rouleur Classic is an annual event for both Spring and our client, Polartec, who design technical fabrics that offer a range of qualities from breathable waterproof protection to cooling capabilities, on-the-go warmth and everything in between.  They are perfect for British cyclists.

For those who don’t know, Rouleur Classic has quickly become the go-to exhibition and showcase attracting some of cycling’s biggest stars like Eddy Merckx, Alberto Contador, Bradley Wiggins and Greg LeMond among others.

Organiser, Nick Christian, wrote in their wrap-up blog that nowhere else do you get to see, “Two legends of cycling, a hero and his own hero – but more importantly two great friends – relate a career’s worth of memories and shared times. Sir Bradley Wiggins and Sean Yates were chatting in front of an audience of hundreds, yes, but with no-one else on stage to pierce the intimacy, it was as candid and intimate a session as we’ve ever had at the show.”

Its prestige reputation and ability to attract the greatest and the best from the world of cycling is why Polartec has chosen to exhibit these last four years. In 2019, Abbie and Naomi from Spring went along to run the Polartec booth. Here’s what they learnt:

CONFIDENCE

Go to the public, don’t wait for them to come to you. If you don’t have a tangible product on your stand which people can easily pick up and touch, then many of the attendees will simply throw you a smile and walk on. The key is to engage with people before they even get a chance to walk past.

“We were giving away Polartec NeoShell hats and we had a photobooth that printed off photo strips allowing us to introduce ourselves and the brand before getting them involved in our activations,” say Abbie and Naomi. “It was a great way to establish a relationship quickly. Nine times out of ten they’d then ask about Polartec.”

SLEEP EAT REPEAT

Make sure you’re well-rested and don’t underestimate the benefits of a break. When working events, you’re usually standing and talking to people for nine to 12 hours a day – which isn’t easy when you’re used to being in an office! This can have a knock-on effect on your feet and your voice. As tempting as it may be to go out in the town in the evening, make sure you’re having some quiet, wind-down time and enough sleep in between exhibition days.

The same goes for a break – utilise this time by going for a walk, listening to some upbeat music and having something to eat. You’ll feel so much better once you’re back and this will show.

FORGET FASHION

Comfort is key. Whilst it’s tempting to opt for your favourite gear at events, make sure it’s comfortable and practical. Platform heels are no use if you’re standing for 10 hours straight and a white jumper won’t work if you’re carrying dusty boxes.

KNOW YOUR STUFF

Make sure you feel confident with the product or brand you’re representing so you’re reiterating the right information to the public. You need to be able to answer questions, otherwise you will quickly lose the interest of the crowds around you. If you don’t know much about who or what you are representing then it’s very hard to become enthused about it and pass that enthusiasm onto other people – and that’s exactly what you need to be doing and why you’re there.

BE NEIGHBOURLY

Make friends with your neighbours – they might help you out if you need it later! Attending a show like Rouleur Classic (filled with men!) can be quite intimidating but put on a smile and introduce yourself to the people around you (Naomi and Abbie even shared chocolate biscuits) because they’re not as scary as you might think. “Naomi and I had to bring our suitcases to the show on the final day but had nowhere to put them until our friendly neighbours let us use some hidden space they had.” says Abbie.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More from The Great Indoors

Walk on the Wild Side this National Walking Month

Walk on the Wild Side this National Walking Month

Happy National Walking Month! It goes without saying that we Springers love spending time in the great outdoors. To celebrate, we wanted to share with you our favourite countryside strolls. Our boots have been re-proofed (with Nikwax, of course), Darn Tough socks are...

OTS 2022 Catch-Up!

OTS 2022 Catch-Up!

What a show! Well, if the year wasn’t flying by fast enough already, it feels crazy to think OTS 2022 has now been and gone. The Spring Team headed up to Liverpool to attend the show on Tuesday and Wednesday. We got to catch up with some of...

The family feel you get from AKU

The family feel you get from AKU

Where did we go? We’re back fully Italian-ised from our first sales meeting for a very long time.  The good guys at AKU Footwear extended an invitation to the Spring team. We bit their hand off, naturally.  Well, when you’re flying into Venice en route to Val Gardena,...