The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) announced that registration for its ASTRA Camp™, a creative reimagining of the trade show experience, is now open.
The two-week virtual event, themed around a summer camp experience, invites the specialty toy industry to answer the call of adventure and take part in opportunities to discover new products and manufacturers, connect with fellow campers, and gain new business insights into navigating the fourth quarter.
“With the cancellation of Marketplace & Academy this year and the pivoting to online that so many in our industry have had to make, we are proud to offer ASTRA Camp™,” said Kimberly Mosely, president of ASTRA. “During a time when it is especially important for our industry to come together, we are excited to present two weeks of education, social events and product presentations to help them get ready for the all-important fourth quarter.”
The ASTRA Camp™ experience offers three key elements:
Exhibitor Expedition | Attendees are invited to hike the trails to exhibitor campsites, where they can discover new products through a video gallery, get access to exclusive ASTRA Camp™ show specials and have a chance to connect live with the manufacturers to ask questions and learn more.
Adventure Academy | Learning new skills and gaining fresh insights is an important part of any camp experience and it’s no different at ASTRA Camp™! Education sessions presented by subject matter experts will provide practical ideas to implement right away. A couple of tracks to watch for are Rethinking Sales Management by David Fellman (for sales reps), Financial Management by Jennifer Rust (for retailers) and a special seminar on using Facebook and LinkedIn to Generate More Sales by Tami Wloch.
Social Lodge | Bring on the fun! It’s full-on camp mode with camp songs, scary stories and secret handshakes at a number of virtual social events during the ASTRA Camp™ experience, including the ever-popular Lip Sync Battle, and Game/Kit Night. You’ll also have access to the camper-only community to share your take on each fun-filled day. ASTRA Camp™ will be held August 4-6 and August 11-13. Visit www.astracamp.org for more information on registering for this can’t-miss event.