PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
Spire Live, a recent event organised by Spire Technology in Bournemouth, brought together a select group of exhibitors and 156 attendees, including vendors, resellers, and retailers – and the PCR team went along to find out what it was all about.
The primary goal of Spire Live was to create opportunities for building relationships, fostering new business connections, and providing a platform for smaller businesses to interact with multiple industry professionals. The event remained exclusive to trade-only participants, reinforcing Spire’s commitment to supporting its key partners.
Upon arrival at the event, attendees were warmly greeted by John Appleton, the managing director of Spire. His personal touch in welcoming everyone and ensuring he knew each attendee by name set a positive tone for the entire event.
Mike Botto, the sales director at Spire, expressed his excitement about organising this event for the first time in the company’s 33-year history. The focus was on fostering a sense of community and bringing people together to create lasting relationships.
Pete Johnson highlighted the unique atmosphere at the event, especially with the beautiful weather and the location of the event on the pier. He appreciated the intimate setting, allowing for extensive interactions with customers in a short time. Face-to-face conversations also revealed valuable insights into customers’ projects, which are sometimes challenging to obtain via email.
The Be Quiet stand experienced a steady stream of visitors, with moments where attendees were queuing up to see them. The team expressed the importance of having the chance to engage with multiple members of different teams, which is often difficult to achieve elsewhere. The direct feedback from resellers was immensely beneficial for Be Quiet as it helped them understand their market better.
The team from TP-Link emphasised the value of attending the trade show to maintain close relationships with Spire’s key partners. They viewed the event as an excellent networking opportunity to meet existing customers and attract new ones. The chance to learn about ongoing projects from resellers also proved crucial for TP-Link to align their offerings accordingly.
Phil Pace and Katie King from Hama appreciated the high-quality customers present at the event. They found that smaller sales teams were more proactive and responsive, resulting in more productive interactions. They also explained that Hama distributes through Spire and Midwich exclusively.
As a new partner, PNY aimed to increase its visibility among Spire’s customer base. The team showcased their products and interacted with attendees to generate awareness about their brand. Spire Live proved to be an excellent opportunity for PNY to understand the size and scope of Spire’s customer network.
Matt Campbell from Ultimate Gaming Paradise valued the opportunity to meet vendors in person, as they often communicated over the phone. Seeing and experiencing new products firsthand allowed them to confidently promote these products to their customers. They expressed interest in Be Quiet – 901 products.
Ben Wilson from Corsair recognised the importance of supporting smaller-sized independents and had seven team members present at the trade show. The event provided them with honest feedback they might not receive through emails. They showcased their brand-new product, iCUE Link, to the attendees.
The team from ASUS appreciated the chance to interact with smaller resellers gathered in one place. Supporting smaller offline stores with face-to-face interactions was crucial, as they sometimes lacked support from vendors. Events like this ensured that smaller businesses received the attention they deserved.
Fun attractions ran through the day including mini golf and a zip-wire before the event was rounded off by a dinner in the evening complete with The Chase’s Shaun Wallace hosting an entertaining quiz.
The general feeling was that Spire Live was a resounding success, achieving its objective of fostering business relationships and facilitating networking among vendors, resellers, and retailers. The intimate atmosphere, personal interactions, and opportunity to showcase new products were widely appreciated by both exhibitors and attendees.
Spire Technology’s commitment to supporting participants contributed to the event’s focused and productive nature. Emily Reeves, a senior account manager at Spire said: “The purpose of today’s event is for us is to thank our customers and get our vendors and resellers in the same space. It is nice to be able to showcase who we are, what we do, and be able to create a community through that.”
