Mike sits down with Trevor from Leitzel's Jewelry, to discuss his preparation for the RJO Palm Springs trade show. Which vendors is he most excited to sit with, how does he plan for show days, and his approach to staying in the venue hotel or elsewhere.
Most importantly, we talk about about what Trevor hopes to get out of his visit to the RJO show, and the "holes" in his display case he anticipates filling with vendor jewelry based on this past year's holiday trends.
RJO Palm Springs is coming up in just a few days, and we cannot wait to see you all! Make an appointment to meet with the Punchmark team and discuss how to elevate your online presence! https://www.punchmark.com/appointments
Send feedback or learn more about the podcast: punchmark.com/loupe
Learn about Punchmark's website platform: punchmark.com
Mike sits down with Trevor from Leitzel's Jewelry, to discuss his preparation for the RJO Palm Springs trade show. Which vendors is he most excited to sit with, how does he plan for show days, and his approach to staying in the venue hotel or elsewhere.
Most importantly, we talk about about what Trevor hopes to get out of his visit to the RJO show, and the "holes" in his display case he anticipates filling with vendor jewelry based on this past year's holiday trends.
RJO Palm Springs is coming up in just a few days, and we cannot wait to see you all! Make an appointment to meet with the Punchmark team and discuss how to elevate your online presence! https://www.punchmark.com/appointments
Send feedback or learn more about the podcast: punchmark.com/loupe
Learn about Punchmark's website platform: punchmark.com
Welcome back everybody to In the Loop. What is up everybody? My name is Michael Burpo. Thanks again for listening to In the Loop. This week about 50% of our clients are going to be packing their bags and going to the first trade show event of the season, which is going to be RJO Palm Springs, and probably the other 50% of you are going to be packing your bags to get ready to go to a different one in the upcoming weeks.
Speaker 1:And to kind of feed into the hype a little bit, I asked one of our clients, who is Trevor from Lightsouls Jewelry, to talk about what goes through his mind when he's getting ready to go to a trade show. So what is he hoping to see, how much of it does he spend speaking to his existing vendors and how much of it does he kind of allocate to walking around the show floor and kind of seeing if anything jumps out at him, how many people he brings, how much of the city he hopes to see, and also, where does Palm Springs rank on his list of best cities that has had a trade show? It's really good to talk. Trevor's great on the mic and I hope you enjoy as well. And if you're listening to this and you haven't made an appointment and you're going to RJO. Make sure you make an appointment with Punchmark. We'll have an ad for this later on, but just visit punchmarkcom and check in the top right corner. Make an appointment maybe. Say that In the Loop sent you. It makes me look good. Thanks, everybody, enjoy the conversation.
Speaker 1:Bye, what is up everybody? I'm joined by Trevor Williams from Lightzool Drillers. How are you doing today, trevor? I'm good. Michael, how are you? I'm doing very well. I'm sure you're really excited, probably working extra hard to get ready for the upcoming RJO Palm Springs show. And that's what we're going to be talking all about today, because there are quite a few listeners that we have that are actually not a part of any jewelry organizations or they just don't attend trade shows, or maybe the only trade show that they go to is like a, just a generic buying trade show, like a JCK, and I kind of want to inform them about what some people are doing and also just to kind of get people a little bit excited, because this interview will be coming out well, next week, which will be the week leading up to RJO Palm Springs. So I guess, how many trade shows are you going to a year. Are you do go to both, because I know that RJO typically does both.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So RJO normally does a winter show in that January February timeframe and then a summer show in the July August timeframe, and we normally make it a point to be at both shows. It gives us a good opportunity, one to restock and have some freshness right after Christmas. And then that July August show, preparing for Christmas, making sure that we have the right merchandise flowing into the store during our busiest time. One of the nice things about the July August show for RJO is that JCK has already happened, so our vendors are coming in saying, hey, this is what we hit on really well to show. We've had a lot of traction with this. This is what people were buying, or what there seemed to be some trends in this year, and allows us to make even, I think, better informed buying decisions for what's going to happen in the holiday season.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I guess that's a good question. So when you hear that a vendor might be saying here's what did really well at, for example, at JCK, is that one of those things where you want to zig when everyone zags, or do you kind of want to say like, oh, this is going to be popular, let's catch the wave, as everyone else is kind of going with it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think really what we do is we look at what that trend is and if they're zigging and it makes sense for us, we zig with them and sometimes we say no. I think one of the important things about being a smart retailer with your business is knowing when to say no. Not everything's going to fit in with your customers, and knowing what is going to resonate with them is very important.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so with Palm Springs coming up, just before we got on this, you mentioned that you were going to be heading in a little bit ahead of time. What are you most excited for when it comes to going to a trade show?
Speaker 2:Honestly, one of the best things we're going to do is we're going to head in ahead of time. There's a group of us meeting from all over the country. We're right in the house together for a couple of days and really it's those bonds, truthfully those you know. I know there are dozens of retailers across the country I can pick up the phone with, ask them a question, ask them for help, Ask them how something did in their store, didn't do in their store, or if they can do me a favor, and they'll say yeah. Those relationships and those different opportunities to connect with people are by far what we look for in most of these shows.
Speaker 1:It's wild, I don't. I've never worked in another industry that isn't the jewelry industry, so I can't say for certainty. But to me it seems very remarkable how that, that brotherhood or that community sense for all the different retailers and how people are, are so transparent, so willing to kind of share information, even in like. For example, we're talking about RJO and RJ exclusive Facebook group. Seeing people ask questions like, for example, like hey, like what is your process behind doing permanent jewelry, and you'll see people write out full, like Multi-paragraph, explanations of like okay, we have first we do this, we have them sign this waiver and then we do this and I buy these things it's a very I don't know kind of heartwarming. It's enjoyable for me to kind of look on that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I absolutely agree with you and it's part of the giving back to our community, right, and I think it's part of our responsibility to do those things of you know the, the person who's thinking about doing the permanent jewelry out in Iowa and they're not competing with me in Pennsylvania yeah, so, hoping them do their job better and be a leader in our, in their community. It helps us all at the end of the day and, honestly, what you put out you get back right Like it's. Yeah, if you're willing to help others, when that time comes and you need help, they'll be there to help you too.
Speaker 1:Definitely so. I know that there's a ton of education Sessions at these different trade shows. Is that gonna be something that you're going to make a make a focus of getting to, or is it just I'm gonna try to sit with as many vendors as possible as for as long as all the days? Like, what's your approach to that?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So one of the best things about RJO is the structure that they have For these shows, so we will make it an effort to be there Early on Friday, check into the hotel and education starts about one o'clock on Friday.
Speaker 2:Those are all vendor affiliates, different vendors that are coming in to help with maybe what products is new for them, maybe it's something like permanent jewelry, and these are some of the things we've learned and some of the things we've put together to help support that type of business for you, and so we make an effort to make sure we're at all that education for Friday and that Bleeds into Saturday.
Speaker 2:Saturday morning again, another great set of education, a lot of times with different individuals providing maybe some business information about how your businesses to be running with inventory or the session planning, or you can kind of pick your track. Is it more management inventory? And it's really really, really nice. The good part is the show only opens up at two o'clock after we have a really nice lunch on Saturday, so we don't have to compete with wanting to be able to sit down and take our time with some of our vendors Whether we're gonna miss some education. It's nice that it's kind of compartmentalized in that regard, so that way you don't miss anything and you really can take full advantage of the opportunities that are there when you're at the show.
Speaker 1:You know, one of the things as a vendor, just speaking pure as vendor and I've gone through a lot of trade shows and I've ever I've even helped Speak at some of these education ones one of the things I sometimes find I feel a little bit self-conscious because there's a balance between Should I be pitching, you know, should I be Advertising right now?
Speaker 1:Because I feel like some vendors are much more like this is what we got, like you need to sign up with us Right now, and then another, some vendors go the opposite direction and they are Kind of doing a little bit more of like what we do on in the loop, which is advocating for a topic we keep using permanent jewelry as it as a, as an example, but, for example, someone mentioning, hey, here's how we do permanent jewelry, and then some vendors it seems like they're like you need to be Signing up and doing permanent jewelry our way. What do you prefer? Do you kind of like that straightforwardness, like the, the actual sales pitch elevator kind of you know, sit down, note You're getting or would you prefer like the education?
Speaker 2:on a broader topic, you know, honestly, I would say so. You know some level of here's the broader Maybe we'll say concern, or new trends or whatever it is for the jewelry industry, and then how can you help me in that trend or in that concern? Or you know, lab groans again another big topic like an identification of them, right? So, like, I think both of them are good, right, and I think you need a little bit of both.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I guess maybe because I am on one side of the counter, I feel just a little bit hesitant to just be way up in your face, be like okay, here's the pitch for us. Even sometimes when we're at like because there's tons of cocktail hours at these things, I feel like 20% of every show is cocktail hour. A lot of the times I feel like I'm almost hesitant to ever pitch, but some people are like no, no, no, that's why we're here. I think actually, out of all the trade shows I've been to, rjo is people are very educated. They're a lot farther down the buy funnel or buy process for a lot of things, especially when it comes to e-commerce, which is what we do a lot more educated on like the ins and outs and also the risks that come along with it. Maybe that's like a personal thing I need to get over and just always be selling.
Speaker 2:No, I think it's from like a punch mark standpoint, right? I think one of the important things is communicating with us as a group of why it's important to have a strong e-commerce site and why it's important to have these integrations between all of these pieces of technology and all the partners you deal with. But you need to also sell that as well, too right? I think, as a retailer, we understand if I'm coming to that punch mark seminar because I'm already have an interest in punch mark or interest in what you're doing. So now, all of a sudden, you're going to give me some information, but I want to make sure you can execute it, too right. So it's a partnership and I think that's one of the biggest things, and you got to sell me a little bit Absolutely. So don't tell me about it.
Speaker 1:I love that, trevor, I think we're going to take a quick break. I want to hear about which vendors you're most excited to sit down with, but we're going to take a quick break, pay the bills and we'll come back in about one minute. This episode was brought to you in part by National Rarities. Are you looking to boost your business with no cost to you or want a special promotion for the doldrums of next year? Look no further than National Rarities estate buying events. National Rarities runs three day buying events from your store that not only attract new customers but also keep your current ones coming back for more. Their expert team of buyers are ready to visit your store, handle advertisements, lead the state evaluations or are easy to work with. And it's not just jeweler purchasing they also buy designer handbags, artwork, antiques, stuff like that. These events frequently attract a different type of customer than your usuals, because who doesn't love getting a little cash back? Elevate your store's reputation, build lasting customer relationships and become the jewelry destination of your community. It's all about simplicity. They take care of the logistics. You enjoy the rewards.
Speaker 1:Visit nationalraritiescom. Slash pages. Slash host dash and dash event. It's going to be in the show notes below, or reach out to Justin Van Maeter by emailing Justin. That's J-U-S-T-I-N at nationalraritiescom. Let them know that in the loop sent you Thanks. Back to the show. All right, everybody Back with Trevor from Lightsill Jewelers. Trevor, I kind of want to sit down and ask you about which vendors are you going to be sitting with, because I'm sure that you already have your list about kind of people. First of all, do you already know which booth numbers they are, or is that kind of like a game time decision? You'll go and look at the pamphlet, do?
Speaker 2:you already have that figured out. No, yeah, we kind of map out a roadmap, honestly, of what vendors we have appointments with, booth numbers, so that way we have kind of a one-sheeter, so that way we can find them pretty quickly when there's appointment time to come.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So are you in the market looking for new things? I guess, if you don't mind me prying, I hope that this isn't getting too deep, but I'm very interested to hear. Like we did just finish the holiday season, I'm sure that you learned which vendors are doing really well for you, which ones are not. And I kind of leaning into what. Is your mindset going into a late January show right now?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So our buying philosophy for this January show is definitely to see some of our mainstay suppliers basali, and people like Metal Marketplace that are providing some fashion. And also there's basics. There's classics, beard Diamond. With our Diamond product We'll be running into RDI looking for some loose stones for stock, for things that we sold over Christmas. We're looking for items that fill the bread and butter holes that we currently have and that's our main goal for the show. You know, sake of the citizen looking for watches and then also we spend a lot of time with Harry Mosey like looking for some of those one-of-a-kind, unique, different things that are going to add a little bit of freshness and a little bit of spice to our cases. We don't want the people that came in in November, december, looking for Christmas gifts rolling back in.
Speaker 2:You know and looking for and it's the same thing that they didn't pick four months ago. So it's coming up with that, that good balance between those with those partners with how do we make sure we have freshness there along with those classics no-transcript.
Speaker 1:I heard you mention a couple of and you keep using the term partnership. I imagine when I hear partnership, I think of like a multi-year commitment, I think of almost like an investment, and I'm interested to hear what goes into after the show, what goes into actually implementing a line For, let's just say, you sign up with one of the ones you just mentioned, how do you I mean I'm sure you're going to get delivery at some point where you're going to take the products Can you walk me through kind of what goes in after the show is going to end and you sign up with a new vendor?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I'm 100% using the word partnership a lot because that is one of the most important things to us as a store. When I take delivery of that product and I make sure that it's merchandise correctly in my store and I make sure everything looks beautiful, I start to educate the staff and my customers about this line. A lot of times that information comes from my vendor, comes from the people designing or making these pieces, so that way we can be educated and then also the consumer can be educated with what they're purchasing. And then the biggest thing is spending some advertising dollars, co-ops a wonderful thing to start to make sure that the community knows that we have something new, we have something different, we have something that's fresh that they might be interested in. And then, once we have that opportunity and we have built that partnership is continuing to reorder this fast sellers.
Speaker 2:When I sell that ring or that necklace or whatever it happens to be, that someone is making sure that we always have that in stock, making sure we give that reorder to that customer. We keep giving that brand, that vendor, the attention that it deserves as it supports our store. Right, and not everything we buy is going to be a winner and although we would love it to be every time, it's just unrealistic. So they may become the next show or the next year, depending on how that partnership works on. How do we get rid of some of those things that we missed on to replace them with some the newness that we think will resonate this time with our customer?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I guess the number one thing I've heard and I guess this is just something I'm picking up on after a lot of interviews is the number one key to success for a lot of retailers is buying the fast sellers over again, and it seems like that's like one of those things that like, hey, can you give me any tips? That is always tip number one. It's like if you sell something really quickly and it is like a hit, make sure you have more of them on the way, and I guess that's definitely a good piece of advice. But what about having the? Do you ever have to have a conversation with like one of these partners where you're just like hey, man, we are booked up on all of your stuff going into this, going into holidays, and we didn't sell anything like, and just like having to let them know that their stuff wasn't a hit? Is that ever something that you have to do?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, it's unfortunately part of being in the jewelry business and being a fashion based industry, right, like we do have the risk that something's not going to resonate with our customers and I will say that most of the time most of our vendors are going to work with us, even if it is just a one time order that we place. They don't want their goods sitting out there and they also don't want their goods, you know, hitting across the internet at 50% off on my, on my website, because I have to just liquidate it, to move it, and, you know, especially when it is a branded or something that has a little bit more of a name to it. So most of the time we've had a lot of those hard conversations where normally have some ability to maybe give them a shot and say, listen, like let's, let's, let's move this to a different product type. You have maybe more if it's super high fashion, maybe something that's a little more basic and try to work as a team on moving the merchandise.
Speaker 1:Yeah, is there? Is there something that is there? Are there any holes in your, in your inventory that you've identified that you're trying to fill going into this show like, hey, we're looking to get more men's jewelry or we're looking to get a broader selection of engagement rings or something like that, or is that something over? You know? Leap out of a display case and catch you as you're walking by, kind of thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, actually that's a great one of the things that we we try really hard to do at all. The shows is On. The RJO show is not a gigantic JCK miles and miles and miles of Vendors, right, so you're able to walk the entire floor, and so my wife Allison, I make it a point that we are going to walk that entire floor Is. Last year we found a great a vendor is he that? Oh yeah, I'm really beautiful Tormulie pieces and just things that are just different and unique that we kind of leave a little bit of our open to buy for that unknown, for that, you know it's gonna jump out and and we're gonna see some wow items in the cases. So we we definitely take the opportunity to walk to find those things, because you don't know what you're gonna. You never know what you're gonna see.
Speaker 2:They're already developing, you know, you know new, really cool designs for viewers actually doing it. It's a An engagement ring line that they're all fluorescent diamonds. The lab groans don't for us one of those Naturally occurring only things in diamonds. So it's a cool little like A rich market of something that you, you know the customers can see, something that you can demonstrate a being different and unique and natural all at the same time. So, without taking the time just to walk and look, we would never find this type of thing, ah.
Speaker 1:That's really cool. I had no idea. I didn't know that about the fluorescence thing. That's, that's really interesting. The switching gears just a little bit. As we come into the back half, like I was mentioning, there's a lot of, a lot of cocktail hours at this thing. I feel like that's where a lot of business even happens too. One of the things I've always learned is when the bars open, we usually send one person to go and just hang out at the bars and get a chance to talk with people. I prefer to be that guy, but still, one of the things is do you look ahead and start kind of planning what you're going to do? On the lack of ever word like the off to stay moments, like, are you already Stratatizing what you're going to do after the shows or is that again one of those things? Leave it up to chance. Go out with the people that you're, that you're trying to spend time with, sort of thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so a little bit of both. I mean, I think we tried to get Some ability just to Maybe wind down and catch up on on our and see what happens, you know, and what. Wherever the wind blows, but generally at the different shows we definitely get an invitation More to the to go join a vendor for dinner and shake them that partnership. So a lot of times if we have the bandwidth to do, we take advantage of that and the one thing I've learned is no matter what time we get back from dinner or no matter what time we get back from an event, the hotel bar is still Normally open and so fairly busy with RJ over, so it might be the second half the night. That Is more of an adventure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I definitely got that for sure. I always wonder um so I think you mentioned that are you staying at a Like a nearby Airbnb, Did you say?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we're gonna fly out on this coming Monday. On the 22nd we're gonna find the same Diego. My wife went to GA up in Carl's bad, so since you don't get back to California often, we need to make a trip up, just you can relive those memories. And then we're gonna head over to Palm Springs. On Tuesday. We have a Really fun unique Barbie type house booked for a few days and We'll enjoy the sun and the pool and some sightseeing with some other friends.
Speaker 1:Man, that sounds like a blast. Generally do you try to stay away from it, like in an Airbnb, or because we always have this conversation like, should we get one of the official hotel rooms, or should we stay in an Airbnb or like a nearby hotel and just get paid for the Uber to go in and out? I always am like man, I wish we were right there so we could pop down and get a chance to see people a little bit more, but at the same time it is quite a bit more usually, so I definitely could see the argument against it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I most of the time we try to stay at the host hotel and, honestly with Paul and Srinke how popular this trip was and how popular this buying show was. Some of these hotels booked up real fast and the RJO team did a really good job of securing some additional locations. But it's honestly one of the very first things I do as soon as that email hits is I book our hotel room because I want to be right there. I want to be able to make the short walk to breakfast and short walk to the conference center for the show and and be in that hub of activity during the show. So once the show really starts on Friday, that's when we leave Airbnb and we'll head over to the over to the hotels. That way we're there ready to to work hard, right, I mean, it is a ton of fun and we will have a great time, but you know we're gonna work hard over this next few days.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. We're just gonna take one more quick break, trevor, and then we're gonna come back, probably wrap up here what you're most excited about, and then we'll get you on your way. Stay with us, everybody. Alright, everybody.
Speaker 1:Trade show season is here and our first stop this year is going to be RJO Palm Springs. If you're gonna be in that neck of the woods from January 27th until the 29th, make sure you make an appointment to visit Punchmark. You can go to punchmarkcom appointments or just visit punchmarkcom and look in the top right corner for book my appointment, fill out the information and mention that in the loop sent you hear all about our latest and greatest, from page speed updates to our integrations with new diamond dealers and premium vendors. It's gonna be really fun at RJO. Make sure you stop by and say hi to everybody. Thanks and back to the show. Alright, everybody, we are back, still talking with Trevor, trevor, with this one. I gotta ask, would you say, palm Springs, is this the best location for a trade show that you've ever had the chance to go to, or where does this rank in locations or destinations, would you say?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know this is gonna be. This is probably top two. Top two you know the this I was telling you earlier. This was on the slate for, I believe, 2021 with COVID and everything got canceled and my wife was bummed Like devastated. She's like I always like. This is like bucket list. You know types of places for jewelry shows. That's what I said Once I get that experience is, you know, I'm projecting that one or two. Nashville was great. That was a really, really fun show. It was a great location because you're so close to all the Broadway and the bars and all the activities that were going on there. So those two definitely, for sure are in the top of locations. But you know there's a lot of shows that we've gone to, that places I never been to. The summer show is in St Louis.
Speaker 1:You know it's okay, it'll be pretty good, yeah, nice.
Speaker 2:Never been there. I think it will be a good opportunity to see a city that I've never experienced before, and maybe taking a baseball game to the arch and enjoy ourselves there too.
Speaker 1:Man, yeah, that's one of those things is I always wish I did a little bit more sightseeing. It's funny. I've been to Atlanta, I used to live in Charlotte, I used to drive over to Atlanta for the jewelry shows and I think I went two, three times and I never once left, like the battery and like that main area. So it's like man, I really didn't do it Right. So I think it's great that you're getting a chance to kind of explore a little bit, so that'll be good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's important, right? So we're, we're we're going to work hard for those days that we're there, we're going to, we're going to have a lot of fun, but, you know, enjoy yourself while you're there. Absolutely, trevor, I can't thank you enough for for coming on the podcast sharing your experience and also what you're excited for.
Speaker 1:This is going to come out. I guess, for disclosure, this is Thursday, january 18th, so this will be coming out in just a couple of weeks. It'll be on Tuesday and that'll be. Honestly, it sounds like you'll already be on your way or in Palm Springs already, so I imagine a lot of other people will. Oh my gosh, I'm jealous. I'm looking out my window right now and it's snowing, so you're doing me a lot, doing a lot better than I am. So I think a lot of people are going to be kind of listening along and getting excited for these shows. I know that they're excited to kind of deepen those bonds that they've already made In the in the industry. If you're listening, you know, consider making an appointment with with Punchmark or at least just stopping by the booth saying hi, we'd love to talk to you. Anything else, trevor, before we get going? No, thank you very much for having me. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:I really look forward to these shows for the building their relationships with our best friends Like Punchmark as well, too, for you know how I'm even going to improve my website over the course of the next couple months and the new innovations that you put in seemingly all the time. So there's a great opportunity to just continue to strengthen our partnerships with all of our vendors and find find those new ones that are going to be ahead in our future. So I appreciate you having me again. That's great. Yeah, hopefully you find a bunch the next million dollar two million dollar line out there.
Speaker 1:I'm sure that a lot of people listening will be, so I hope you guys, if you're listening, I hope you have a great time in Palm Springs. I won't be there, but Punchmark will, and I hope you guys have a lot of fun and be safe out there. Thanks everybody. We'll be back next week, tuesday, with another episode. Cheers, bye, all right, everybody. That's another show. Thanks so much for listening. This episode was brought to you by Punchmark and produced and hosted by me, michael Burpo. This episode was edited by Paul Suarez, with music by Ross Cochrum, and our guest this week was Trevor from Lightsles Jewelry, one of our clients. If you haven't yet and you're still on the fence, make an appointment to see Punchmark and mention that you heard about us from In the Loop. It really makes us look good and I hope you have a ton of fun at RJL Palm Springs. It really should be a blast. I wish I was going, but please be safe. Thanks, everybody, and I'll see you on the next one. Bye.