There were a lot of firsts at this year’s BrandSource Convention. First and foremost, it was the first all-virtual show ever attempted in the industry and on balance, it went surprising well.

BrandSource members and members of the media alike are lauding AVB for successfully conducting the group’s — and the industry’s — first all-digital convention and product expo this week.

The first ever virtual Stampede helped kick off BrandSource’s unconventional 2020 Convention this past Sunday evening.

As an added incentive, this year’s Stampede featured a sweepstakes in which 25 lucky members who placed orders during the show-special buying event were randomly selected to win prizes.

The Tempur Sealy team visited with BrandSource members during this week’s 2020 Virtual Convention, presenting a mattress industry update during the show’s regional meetings. And, as Tempur’s Senior Customer Marketing Manager Josh Sowards described it, the bedding business is enjoying a nice bounce.

Getting back to “precedented” times was the hope and theme of BrandSource’s exclusive 2020 Convention interview with Rick Coppola, President of North American Sales for Ashley Furniture Industries on Monday. While a welcomed goal, this path may prove to be a long and winding road for Ashley and the greater industry.

In recent months BrandSource has underscored the need for an in-store experience that matches your eye-catching AVB Marketing websites.

BrandSource has long urged members to board the e-tailing train, as e-commerce was quickly becoming the preferred method of shopping for more and more consumers.

A highlight of every BrandSource expo is the Stampede, a popular power-hour when members vie for limited-quantity, show-special deals.

Finding profitable merchandising solutions during a pandemic — or any inventory at all, for that matter — certainly has its challenges, but AVB’s Merchandising Vice President Chad Evans and his team have met those hurdles head on.

Even before the health crisis prompted the use of virtual service calls, vendors and BrandSource members made use of mobile devices’ video capabilities to diagnose and help resolve repair issues remotely.

Jim Ristow, CEO of AVB, took to a virtual stage on Sunday to formally kick off BrandSource’s —and the industry’s — first ever virtual convention and buying expo.

There’s something new in store for BrandSource members that melds online shopping with brick-and-mortar showrooms.

BrandSource, already the dominant appliance force in independent retail, is about to get even bigger.

BrandSource will throw open the digital doors to its first-ever all-virtual Convention this weekend, setting the stage for what’s proving to be an online-only season for trade shows.

Some things are just worth repeating.