Trawlerfest!
Lisa and I took the dogs for a long walk, checking out the boats and vendors. We returned to the boat and met our friends there for afternoon snacks and drinks, then headed out to look at the boats and talk to the vendor.
We spoke to several boat salespeople and discussed our product, and everyone was interested. Several of them stated that the reason that there were not decorations in the boat were because they had no way to secure them! We showed them our solution and got their contact information.
After looking at the beautiful yachts on display, we began talking to the vendors. I was happy to see that TowBoatU.S. was sharing a spot with several vendors including West Marine! Our dogs were a big hit with the manager from West Marine and we struck up a conversation. I found out that he was the manager at one of the local stores that I shop at, so we discussed how the market was in our area.
With that opening, I began discussing the SeaClutch RV and boat picture frame holder. I showed him the pre-production version and demonstrated how it worked to him and the other vendors. They loved it! We then discussed the process to get a product into West Marine, and he explained that local store managers often made suggestions to corporate office and that he would be happy to help. He also provided me with a phone number to their corporate purchasing department and told me that was also an option.
Score! I had been scouring the internet for weeks looking for this number! I thanked him for his help and headed back to the boat to celebrate!