Road Runner Sports Event Recap
Friday night I went to the Road Runner Sports Early Black Friday event. There was a good sized crowd, food, knowledgeable people, and some crazy good deals! 40% off GPS watches and winter gear (snowed the next day), and lots of people to help try out shoes. This is the night where people are treated to food, deals, and expert advice well before the madness of Black Friday. It is a dangerous scenario for me as I can always find a reason to buy something at this store. I had been eyeing the New Balance Minimus 1010 shoes, so I knew I would at least be trying those on this night.
People were checked in at the door to get some raffle tickets and guess the weight of shoes. Let me tell you, trying to guess between .2 oz of difference is not easy. I’m sure it’s like someone with an amazing palette that can taste food and tell you the exact ingredients. My scale is off by about .5 oz unfortunately. It was fun to watch what other people had for their method. Some would hold the shoe, then rotate it, and others try to subtly look inside the shoe for a clue. FYI … shoe’s weight is not printed on the shoe.
I chatted with the Adidas rep for awhile. I was really interested as I have never run in an Adidas shoe. Come to find out, the rep was a pacer at Leadville 100 so we had some experiences to swap stories about. The shoe I picked up (in photo) is the same model that the winner of the Hard Rock 100 wore. Felt proud of that. The shoes were light, but more rigid then I was looking for. Still, I don’t know enough to make an Adidas shoe purchase. I would want to come to another event that I can try the shoes for a trail run.
With that, time to check out the shoe I had been eyeing. As always, easy to find someone to talk to about the shoes. Next thing I know, I have a pair of New Balance Minimus 1010 shoes and am trotting on the treadmill. I’ll do a full review of the shoe, but wow, grippy! These are going to be great on the trail! Mission accomplished, I used my VIP discount and grabbed the shoes for me. Also picked up some more running gloves as it is cold outside. Sometimes I use logic.
It was a good time with some healthy food, great conversations, and excellent knowledge gain. I always learn something when I go to Road Runner Sports.
Suggestions for next event
While it was a good event and well organized, there are always ways to improve. That could just be my marketing/event planning experience, but here are a couple ideas …
Have a guest speaker
This gives people a reason to stick around besides a raffle drawing. One of the reasons I was there that long was speaking to the Adidas rep. Clearly a guy who has spent some time on the trail so it was great to swap stories with him. Having a central scheduled event or moment that the speaker can also promote will help drive attendance.
Make it easier to find sales
More signs pointing to sale items or great deals would have been helpful. There is a ton of stuff in the store to go through which is great, but also challenging.
Include a run or activity
What better way to kick off a running store event then with a run. Or, how about before and after? Buy some shoes and go test them out with the staff on a run!
