AGENDA

12:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Keynote: Mastering the Inventory Game 3:00 - 4:15 p.m. Don’t let your inventory get the best of you! You’ll leave this session with out-of-the-box ideas and proven tools that will make managing your store’s merchandise less work, more fun and even more profitable. Speaker: Dane Cohen, Management One

Afternoon Break

4:15 - 4:30 p.m.

Session II: Build an All-star Team 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. Hiring and retaining good employees doesn’t have to be difficult. Learn what steps to take to create a loyal and hard-working team in your retail operation so you can worry less and rely on your employees more. Panelists: Kathy Cruz, Savvy Shopkeeper; Scott Hamblin, Sunshine Ace Hardware; William Hill, Margaritaville Resort Orlando Gift Shop; Kim Springsteen-Abbott, Lady Gryphon’s Coastal Collection Shop won’t want to miss. Come ready to participate! Panelists: Pauline Bresnahan, Pauline’s Gifts; Anita Cereceda, The Islander Gift Shop; Kathy Cruz, Savvy Shopkeeper; Elie Johnson, ZooTampa; Patrick Keiser, Heart on Main Street

Lunch 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Starfish Awards Presentation 1:30 - 2:00 p.m.

Seaside Retailer honors past recipients of the Starfish Award recognizing each winner for their contributions to charitable causes and conservation efforts in their communities and beyond.

Session VI - It’s Your Time to Shine Online 2:00- 3:15 p.m. Get ready to jumpstart your social media mindset and learn how to create meaningful and profitable results! Don’t miss this informative session that will cover easy-to-implement tips and strategies to see your social media soar to new heights. Speaker: Crystal Vilkaitis, Crystal Media

Afternoon Break 3:15 - 3:30 p.m.

Welcome Party

6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Mingle with seaside retailers at the Coastal Connections Conference Welcome Party! Join in on the fun with cocktails and appetizers and get to know fellow attendees.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23

Breakfast

Session VII: The Boardwalk Chat 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Get the inside track from top beach, coastal and nautical wholesalers about their latest product offerings, industry trends, buying advice and more during informal sit-down interviews with the vendors who are exhibiting at Coastal Connections Conference’s The Boardwalk event. Panelists: The Boardwalk Vendors

- 9:00 a.m.

9:00 - 10:00 a.m. in 45 Minutes

Session III: 45 Rewarding Ideas

Get your pen and paper ready, because you’re going to want to jot these tips down. From app recommendations that make your life easier to display tips that will turn profits, you’ll leave with 45 takeaways that you can put into practice immediately at your retail store! Speaker: Cathy NagleErvin, Retail Training Tools

Morning Break 10:00 - 10:15 a.m.

Session IV: Putting

Experiential Retail into Action

10:15 - 11:30 a.m.

Find out how you can elevate the shopping experience inside your brick-and-mortar store with fresh new ideas and perspectives that will help you build a loyal customer base and increase sales. Panelists: Steve Schultz, Flip Flop Shops; Holly Daniels Christensen, Dune Jewelry; Dave Foos, Clarkston Consulting

Session V: Creating Coastal 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Connections Continued

Back by popular demand! The Creating Coastal Connections session was an attendee favorite at January’s conference. Retail panelists and attendees will share ideas, best practices, challenges and opportunities in a lively discussion you

It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere Party 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Unwind after a day of learning at the It’s Five O’clock Somewhere party. Take this opportunity to continue making meaningful connections with retailers and wholesalers while sharing ideas and experiences. Enjoy cocktails, appetizers and live entertainment!

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24

Breakfast 8:00 - 9:00 a.m.

Session VIII: Visual 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Merchandising Tips and Tricks

Learn how to create a store layout that captures the coastal vibe while creating opportunities for increased sales. This how-to session will give you new inspiration and actionable takeaways to super-charge your displays! Speaker: Michael Hale, Retail REHAB

Closing Remarks 10:00 - 10:15 a.m.

The Boardwalk 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Explore exciting new products and get to know some of the industry’s hottest brands in an exclusive buying experience with a fun and laid-back vibe. A perfect opportunity for building relationships with vendors and getting a head start on placing orders!

A&F Souvenir and Lantern Press offer environmentally friendly direct-to-garment printing

Tons of textiles are wasted by the fashion industry each year — 92 million tons to be exact. With the push for faster fashion and cheap materials, sustainability hasn’t exactly been a top priority.

Fortunately, some are taking steps to change the negative impact of fashion. Businesses such as A&F Souvenir and Lantern Press are leading the charge by switching from traditional screen printing to direct-to-garment (DTG) printing. This approach to clothing design is a game-changer for the environment while improving cost and quality, according to A&F Souvenir and Lantern Press.

DTG uses 95% less water, 60% less energy and generates substantially less chemical waste. It also uses eco-friendly and water-based ink options which aren’t always found in traditional screen printing. With textile production as the second-most polluting industry worldwide, according to these companies, every step made to reduce the impact on the environment matters.

“Direct-to-garment printing has been a game changer for us over the past year in reducing our carbon footprint, water waste and overall energy consumption,” says Kip Zsupnik Jr., chief executive officer of A&F Souvenir. “We aren’t sacrificing quality in order to be more sustainable either; DTG printing has literally changed the way we do business.”

According to the companies, the cost to print multiple colors or full-color designs is actually less than traditional screen printing, largely because this style of printing offers reduced setup and color separation costs. It also removes the minimum order barrier, making customized or one-off designs more affordable and allowing businesses to add limited edition prints to their product lines.

“Screen printing our detailed artwork required eight or more screens, leading to high minimums,” says Aaron Morris, chief executive officer of Lantern Press. “With DTG, we can offer our customers a minimum order of 36 pieces with perfectly accurate colors.”

DTG also provides a wide range of design options. “You have zero limitations on the number of colors or gradients and you can also print intricate designs and fine details with ease,” says Don Whaley, vice president of Kornit Digital.

With this level of detail, customers can print everything from photographs and small text to complex artwork without it blending or blurring together, he says.

A&F Souvenir and Lantern Press agree. “We are able to offer our customers an elevated level of quality for both apparel and souvenirs. This allows our talented art team to design without limitations,” Zsupnik says.

Morris adds, “We’ve been asked for years to make our artwork available on apparel, but our screen print partners struggled to achieve our colors, and the thick layer of ink resulted in a poor hand feel. Now our shirts are super soft, because with DTG you don’t have to pile on the ink. We’ve also found DTG to be highly durable.”

He adds, “Since inception, Lantern Press has been known for our artwork. Now our customers, who’ve been asking for apparel in their product collections can get exactly what they want.”

Sincere Surroundings unveils new catalog

Rock Rapids, Iowa-based gifts and decor wholesaler, Sincere Surroundings, has released its Regional Collections Catalog. With a range of specialty gifts inspired by coastal themes, desert motifs and everything in between, Sincere Surroundings continues to captivate customers with its diverse and personalized offerings.

“There is a need to ensure stores stand apart in the marketplace, and we have the ability to help our partners do just that with our personalization and complete customization options,” says Michelle Leuthold, founder of Sincere Surroundings. “We thrive in niche product offerings. From balloon festivals to zoos, aquariums, butterflies, botanicals and so much more, we are able to help stores stand out with our unique, custom offerings.”

In 2023, Sincere Surroundings has added more than 500 new designs to its personalized gift and decor options for souvenir stores and gift shops. The catalog has something for buyers at every price point, the company says.

Designs include art depicting desert themes as well as strawberry festivals and aquariums. Many of the product offerings can be personalized down to location coordinates, adding a thoughtful element to gift and souvenir purchases.

The new Regional Collections Catalog is available at www.sinceresurroundings.com.

CTM Group becomes part of VENU+

CTM Group Inc., a global provider of managed entertainment and souvenir solutions for tourist destinations and other high-traffic venues, and ScooterBug Best Lockers, a provider of mobility and locker solutions across leisure and entertainment sites and major tourist destinations, have announced the completion of their previously announced transaction.

The combined company will operate as VENU+, a global provider of guest mobility, storage and entertainment solutions for high-traffic retail, leisure and amusement venues.

The VENU+ brand reflects the combined company’s market-leading position and suite of services supporting operators and contributing to unparalleled guest experiences. The company is backed by affiliates of Z Capital Partners LLC, the private equity fund management arm of Z Capital Group LLC (ZCG), which originally acquired CTM Group in 2018.

VENU+ is led by President and CEO Andrew Kindfuller, along with a seasoned team of industry experts. The combined VENU+ company has operations in all 50 states and across 13 countries on four continents.

“This combination will deliver more value for new and existing customers in the entertainment industry, while capitalizing on a variety of exciting opportunities and providing significant benefits and services for a wide range of guests,” says James Zenni, founder, president and CEO of ZCG. “The VENU+ brand uniquely captures the value the company provides, and I look forward to working closely with Andrew and the entire team to execute on a shared vision for global growth.”

“We are pleased to complete this transformative transaction and introduce VENU+ to the market, reinforcing our commitment to providing exceptional guest experiences and a broader range of solutions for opera-

Steiff expands gift industry presence

Steiff, inventor of the teddy bear, has expanded its efforts to strengthen its position within the gift industry by engaging representation with Finelines Co., The Portico Collection and The Harper Group sales agencies.

Steiff says the move is designed to further support its current and future gift retailer relationships by emphasizing its reputation for timeless, premium gifts that bring the wow factor.

To maximize this new strategy, Steiff North America President Jim Pitocco brought on 25-plus year industry veteran Melissa Bullock to lead the charge as director of sales.

“Highlighting this important channel for Steiff offers us more opportunities to meet with existing and potential tors,” Kindfuller says. “Our expanded suite of outsourced services creates a one-stop shop for partner venues, adding efficiency, revenue, convenience and engagement. For guests in the U.S. and around the world, we pride ourselves on helping to create treasured memories along their entire journey.” retailers face to face in the field and at the major gift industry shows,” Bullock says. “In addition to our continued efforts with apparel, toy and collectible retailers, who were monumental in making Steiff North America what it is today, we plan on positioning Steiff’s newest collections of Soft + Cuddly Friends as great gift ideas across a variety of price points in the gift channel. Jim and I have been thoughtful to select the very best of the regional sales agencies to represent our brand.”

More information about the combined company and VENU+ brand is available at www.venuplus.com.

Steiff’s top-quality gifts begin with its best-selling Soft Cuddly Friends collection, an exclusive line of adorable animals and Disney characters with plush options for babies and young children. Each features the brand’s signature “Button in Ear” (Knopf im Ohr), a symbol that’s stood for quality for more than 100 years. For those looking for more luxurious gifts, Steiff offers its ride-on and studio animals.

“Giving the gift of Steiff is a memory that recipients will treasure and value for decades,” Pitocco says.

Steiff’s 2023 lineup includes Soft Cuddly Friends, Steiff’s best-selling beautifully made plush animals. Bambi joins the list of licensed Disney characters like Mickey, Pooh and Simba just in time for the Disney 100 Celebration. There are also teddy bears, rabbits, dogs, elephants and lions.

Also available are My First Steiff teddy bear or rabbit, beautifully made, safe and machine washable Steiff baby animals.

More information on Steiff’s 2023 collection is available at www.steiff.com.

STORY BY CAROLINE RISI