Last week, thousands of people descended on Las Vegas for the National Hardware Show to view over 2,800 vendors in more than 15 categories, from home appliances to power tools to outdoor living.

Several Companion Group employees represented the company at the show, including our management team as well as members of our sales and product design departments. They shared a few of their highlights from the show:

—Watching people try on Virtual Reality headsets to learn about our latest brand, Not In My Backyard™. Many people who stopped by our booth decided to try the virtual reality experience. For some of them, it was the first time they’d worn a VR headset. One Australian woman and her teenage daughter spent several minutes taking in the experience, which shows how customers using our Not In My Backyard™ products can protect themselves from insects. As her daughter moved her head from side to side and up and down to see everything in the video, the woman couldn’t help but laughing. “You should see how you look right now. You look hilarious,” she said. Sounds like our efforts to promote Not In My Backyard™ are already turning heads.

—Forging new connections. Every year at the Hardware Show, we meet with our contacts at national retailers who we’ve already developed strong relationships with. It’s just as important to get to know new faces and look for fresh ways to make our products available across the country. “We made new contacts this year that we would not have made otherwise,” Chief Operating Officer Leah Belzer-Adams said. “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to present our brands to new places and potentially see our products in new venues down the road.”

—Checking out our competition. We know we’re the best in the industry, but it never hurts to see what else is out there! “It’s always great to see the broad spectrum of product and gain insight into why we really are the leaders and innovators in our field,” Sales Manager David Collins said. There were about 1,600 vendors listed in Lawn, Garden and Outdoor Living, and Tailgate, Backyard and BBQ and we gained some insight into what our competitors are thinking.

Photo by Kate Klein

—Spending time with awesome colleagues. We’re lucky to work with some amazing people — and it’s always a treat to see them outside of the office. After a busy day of networking and making our brands more visible, we loved getting to relax with good company and enjoy a little of what Vegas has to offer. And of course, this.

Daniel Replogle

Daniel does business development and marketing at The Companion Group. When he isn’t writing you can find him rock climbing or doing ceramic artwork.