2,500 Exhibitors and 30,000 Attendees from all around the world…
Welcome to the BIG SHOW!!!
When Hailey and I thought about starting a lifestyle apparel brand, we did tons of research. One common theme that we were running into is how little we know about the brands that we are wearing, literally on our backs! Who designs, who manages day-to-day affairs, what does the future hold, what is their purpose, mission, or message? Although there are some brands that let you into that world, we wanted to change that conversation. We both agreed, with the word “Nation” being clearly listed in our name, we wanted that to really mean something to our customers. Looking at one another, we thought, Wait a minute… Customers… Nah…That’s dull and boring! BAREFOOT NATION doesn’t have customers, we have citizens! Our citizens are just as much a part of our brand as we are. This is why we involve and share with the Nation our purposes, adventures, and missions.
We have been talking about Surf Expo a lot lately and rightfully so. Surf Expo is the world’s largest and longest running board sports and beach/resort tradeshow in the world. Every January, 30,000 attendees gather in Orlando to create an atmosphere that has everything humanly imaginable to do with a beach. With eleven different categories, there is something going on everywhere. From a guy paddle boarding, to models on a runway, from the latest fishing gear to the hot new pair of sunglasses. Tons of lifestyle apparel brands are there also. Some being new like us and oh you know… others that have been around for 60 years! Nevertheless, we are all there for the indoor beach in January. Barefoot Nation is a lifestyle brand that surrounds itself with the outdoors especially the beach so we are super excited to attend. Although our official launch was November 27th , tomorrow we will reveal ourselves to the retail world. Of the thousands of booths, Hailey and I will be the youngest exhibitors there (no pressure haha!) and we are hoping to share our experience with our citizens.
Lastly, we want to thank all the citizens from all around the country and even other countries that visited barefootnation.com in the last couple of months and purchased from the online store. The orders have been incredible and we certainly appreciate it! Summer beach trips will be here before we know it and we have the gear for it. While developing the brand, we decided not to use professional, paid models; so, we are encouraging our citizens to share pictures, videos, and stories to serve as the faces of our Nation. Stay tuned on social media to be a part of our adventure and spread the word to potential citizens.
~ Ryker