Thinking Inside the Box

by Greg Baer, Director of Sales, MHI

Good ideas often arise out of times of struggle. More on that shortly.

As a North Carolina native (I moved here when I was 2 so I can claim this after 45 years) and South Carolina resident, I have a passion for the Carolina’s. I was raised on the coast and went to college in the mountains. I have traversed every square inch of real estate that lay between those two extremes. I love it all, from the Piedmont to the low country and the sand hills to the lakes and streams. I love experiencing the people and food and places that make this region a wonderful place to call home and raise my family. I also have a passion for the Carolina Panthers, our sub-.500 NFL team that brings me joy and frustration on Sundays during the fall and winter.

There is nothing better than showing up to my parking space early on Sunday morning and gathering with family and friends to celebrate with adult beverages and varieties of grilled meats. My tailgate music selection is often criticized but secretly everyone loves 80’s one hit wonders mixed with 90’s grunge and hip hop. It’s truly an experience I look forward to every year. We win some and we lose some but the experience of the day is what keeps me coming back (even if Panthers GM, Marty Hurney, is trying to ruin it for me).

I underlined a word in the last two paragraphs because I am in the experience business. COVID-19 has thrown this world into chaos and we are all dealing with our own day-to-day struggles as we try to keep our lives and the lives of those that depend on us running smoothly. Here at MHI, we produce trade shows. The two largest material handling and logistics trade shows in North America, as a matter of fact. For 15 years I have been selling crowds, face-to-face, meetings, and the awesomeness of bringing people together to conduct business. Packed aisles and hearing stories of an exhibitor meeting that next big customer are the juice that gets me out of bed. I love seeing my customers succeed.

So what happens when a virus threatens your livelihood? What happens when everything you believe in is put in jeopardy because all the sudden, face-to-face events and large gatherings are not allowed? As a trade show guy, those are questions that keep me awake at night.

The Carolina Panthers franchise is only 25 years old, but the team has a passionate fan base and a fan group known as the Roaring Riot with thousands of members all over the United States and in multiple countries around the world. The founder, Zack Luttrell, is an entrepreneur and all-around good dude. I am a proud, card carrying member of the Roaring Riot. In 2019, over 1,000 Roaring Riot members traveled to London for a week long experience and to watch out Panthers play the Buccaneers in shiny new Tottenham Hotspurs stadium. Every Panthers home game features a Riot tailgate that funds a charity to help those in need in our community. Thousands gather to celebrate. The Roaring Riot brings hundreds of Panthers fans to every road game during the season. They even found a way to secure a few hundred tickets in Lambeau Field last year, a trip I sadly missed. The experiences are nothing short of spectacular.

Fast forward to today. Fans will not be allowed into NFL games. Travel to away games is all but done. Tailgating will not happen. The game-day experience will not happen. So what does an organization like the Roaring Riot do? They depend on the face-to-face experience. They are in the people business and the larger the group the better. The road game trips are big revenue generators that help fund everything the group does. Zack and his team could’ve easily thrown the season into the dirt like an errant Jimmy Clausen pass, but instead they got creative. If the experience of visiting away games and a Sunday tailgate will not be possible this season, then why not tailgate at home together. Enter “Homegatin”.

The “Homegatin” experience is a simple but fun pivot created by Zack and his team. Prior to each road game, the Roaring Riot will send a box to members who purchased the experience. The box will be filled with items that are significant and relevant to the opposing team the Panthers are playing that week. Members will receive game themed items to enjoy at home on game-day while enjoying a live and interactive game experience with other Roaring Riot members around the world. There is nothing more important than sharing happiness and frustration with the people that are passionate about the same things you are. Unfortunately, my Panthers seem destined to experience many frustrating moments this year so I needed this. Zack and his team were able to find a way to make this happen during a time of uncharted uncertainty.

Zack said in a recent LinkedIn post, “Finding creative ways to keep Roaring Riot members and Panthers fans engaged with the team and our community during these times has been quite the challenge. Yesterday we launched our “Homegatin'” subscription box as a way to keep fans involved and to allow them to connect to one another for the away games this season, from the comfort of their homes. We were blown away by the reception and positive feedback!”

The Roaring Riot story is not unique. I have seen and heard many stories like this from MHI members and companies throughout the supply chain industry. Companies around the world are coming up with inspiring and creative ways to stay engaged with and provide value for customers. It’s easy to stay the course and not evaluate and challenge the way you deliver value. The challenge is looking internally to find those new ideas.

Here at MHI, we are working tirelessly to find meaningful ways to deliver value to our members and attendees. Bringing a great organization like WERC onboard as a division of MHI is an example of this commitment. We are researching and working to make sure the industry will be able to experience the ProMat 2021 material handling and logistics show in April of 2021, whether that experience is 100% live and in person or a hybrid event featuring live and interactive on-line content.

The key takeaway from the Roaring Riot story is to make sure we are always striving to provide value to our customers every day. I challenge myself and everyone to continue to think outside the box. Or, maybe try the Roaring Riot’s approach, and think “inside” the box.

 

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