Surf Expo

What an amazing show! Day One was very hectic with thousands of people, boxes everywhere, forklifts and even full blown construction crews! Our booth started out as a plain 10×10 space with plain, white curtains, and was then totally transformed into a 3D relaxing beach scene.  Our family was a little nervous going up against so many major brands; since, yes, Hailey and I were the youngest exhibitors there. However, once Day Two rolled around, that all changed.  First and foremost, we were so fortunate to have such wonderful booth neighbors.  Right off the bat, we all just “clicked.”  Not only did we have a great time with them, we were able to share stories, celebrate success, listen to hardships of business, and give and take advice from each other. Then, the doors opened and the retailers flooded in.  It was on to telling our story, showing our products, and meeting the owners of boutiques as well as huge chain retail stores.  We were able to take turns walking around the convention center to see all the exciting activities.  There were fashion shows, models, skate parks, surfboards, paddle boards, llamas (yes, I said llamas… not a typo!) pools filled with thousands of balls to jump in, lifeguards — it was Barefoot Nation all under one gigantic roof!  Although all that excitement was taking place, we were busy working and taking orders. We are happy to announce that Barefoot Nation merchandise will now be sold in Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, and even the Bahamas. We definitely want to give a sincere thank you to all the people who visited our booth to hear our story and gave us so many words of encouragement while commending us for spreading such a positive message. The three show days flew by and we were exhausted at night, but certainly, it was one of the best experiences yet for Barefoot Nation.  We can’t wait to go back!  Now it’s on to packing, shipping, and following up with all the potential leads and connections. Stay tuned to hear where Barefoot Nation is going next.

~Ryker and Hailey

Click here to see our video from Surf Expo!