Lets visit two scenarios, one in my past and one in my near future;
From 2004 - 2009 I had my own skateboard and snowboard sales business, Scotty Gwyer Agency. I established my accounts and maintained them by doing in-store product demonstrations, and attending bi-annual sales conferences in Vancouver called the Know?Show (yes that's spelled correctly). The show consisted of the who's who of the Action Sports Industry. My booth was always right across from the Red Dragons both where Sluggo would give me "the nod" every time I did the show. (for those not in the know, Rob "Sluggo" Boyce is a pillar of Canadian skate and snowboard history.)
Lets just say that those years were the best years of my life, years that I dreamed of as a kid. It didn't come easy and I put in some hard work to gain the credibility and reputation to be a sales rep for some very respected brands. Dekline Shoes, Toy Machine, Flip, Innes, and Ifound clothing were my lines, all very legitimate rider-focused companies. My territory was Western Canada, from Manitoba to BC, and the Territories. Logistically I just couldn't make the northern trips feasible based on their small market sales.
The Know?Show was a blur of sales presentations, entertainment, and booze schmoozing about Vancouver's beautiful Gastown area. Being a savvy marketing kind of guy, I wanted my brands to stand out in the minds and memories of my accounts. I preferred to do my sales presentation on my way to Vancouver from Manitoba and back so that my products would be easier to remember outside of the barrage of products (and I mean thousands) that purchasers have to choose from at the show. Yes, I know, pretty clever. The products in question were samples of the coming season's designs, with purchasers pre-booking their orders for delivery six months later. The distribution companies would then order direct from the brands and distribute the product in either the spring or fall fashion seasons. I worked as an independent agent for Ultimate Skateboard Distribution and Ifound directly. I was living life six months ahead of the trends, hanging with the coolest shops, meeting pros, and living a dream!
Here's what I always wanted to do, and what I could do again, should I reopen my agency. (hmmmmmmm...)
I always wanted to have my products and sales presentations available digitally. I envisioned a business to business site for my accounts to check out any kind of product information. What I would do with my media productions skills is my sales presentations product by product, clothing sample by clothing sample, shoe by shoe. Under each sales presentation video would be corresponding information about the product, and more importantly, a Add to Prebook button. Customer accounts would be able to prebook stock through the warehouse for the upcoming season's fashions.
Not only would I be able to better service accounts that were out of my travel range, but my accounts would have 24-7 access to do their orders direct through a virtual digital catalogue on my website. I would still do my sales visits and presentations where I could, but all booking would be done electronically instead of via excel sheets and catalogues. Sales presentations could even be done via FaceTime for remote accounts. My agency would have had better service, more convenient ordering, and ultimately better sales
What I plan to do in the future ties into, and draws from my experience in the past. My passion is snowboarding. It's what I want to do, and I want it to take me all over the world fulfilling my other passion, video. I grew up, and to this day, watch skateboard and snowboard videos on a daily basis. Lets add in the tools to make things happen as a snowboard filmer.
1. Dedication; spending most of your life away from home, late nights editing, and harsh conditions (both for your body and your equipment). You have to love the shit out of it!
2. Connections; riders, talent, couches to sleep on, local guides, secret stashes.
3. Equipment; high end DSLR for stills, high end HD cameras, GoPros, quad copters, lenses, lighting, MacBook pro, hard drives, snowmobile, snowboard, outerwear, truck, passport, etc.
4. Industry Knowledge and Sponsors; brands, distributors, and media companies willing to send you to shoot locations or fund your films.
5. Stamina; getting to and from locations, as well as shovelling, and long hours are physically and mentally demanding.
6. "The Eye"; for shooting and editing. Some people have it, and some people don't.
These are all elements that I either have or am building upon. The nature of the snowboard media industry is changing. When I was a kid, video parts would be released once a year. Now video parts are released weekly, even daily. Live event coverage has grown dramatically as have the number of events. In all of this I hear opportunity. When you create art for a living, it doesn't feel like work, it's a new adventure with every edit, every shot, every location and every rider. I see the world through unique eyes and I want to share what I see with the snowboard community. Scotty Gwyer Agency still lives, but it has evolved into the truer essence of riding, capturing the purity of the moment.
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