What’s involved in taking Elevator Equestrian on the road?
As we continue life in lockdown limbo, albeit with a slight easing of the restrictions on our lifestyle, here at Elevator Equestrian we are still taking things day by day. Equestrian governing bodies such as British Eventing are starting to give small indications as to when we might be able to see competitions start again, but it’s tricky to plan very far ahead. It’s also tough to see lovely summer weather arriving and not being able to enjoy our usual outings to events!
Earlier this month we were sad to be missing one of our all-time favourites – the fabulous Badminton Horse Trials. One of the most challenging and prestigious three-day events in the international calendar; it is a truly special place to go as an exhibitor. But rather than spend too much time feeling gloomy about the fact we weren’t able to go and play in the Gloucestershire parkland this year, we thought we’d share some of the planning which goes into taking Elevator Equestrian to events like Badminton.
First up, Jo will spend some time deciding which events to go to with Elevator during the year. That will depend on a number of factors including the return on investment if she has attended before, the cost of booking a stand and how spaced out they are in the calendar. There’s also a job to do to check there’s cover at home for the horses…
Then it’s time to get the Elevator stand out of storage and check it’s all in ship shape ready for the show season. Jo will also check the stock levels of marketing materials such as leaflets, flyers and business cards, ordering more if needed. It’s also a good time to check when MOTs and services are due on cars and trucks to avoid a very big headache before or during a show…
As events get closer, Jo will ensure that she has enough stock of Elevator bridles and tack to cover all the online orders and take a full range of sizes and styles to the show with her. We all love to hit the shopping area at events like Badminton and head home with bulging shopping bags! If stock is getting a little low, it’s time to liaise with suppliers and craftsmen to top back up in time for the show.
A day or so before the event Jo gets out her event checklist and starts packing everything she will need for the time away. That includes Eddie – trusty demo horse! This life-size model horse is the perfect tool to demonstrate to potential customers the features and benefits of the Elevator bridles and tack. You also need to take accommodation to events to ensure you’re on site early in the morning and late at night… Tent or horse lorry, everyone mucks in and the atmosphere can be really quite fun (provided the rain stays away…).
The days actually at an event fly by chatting to customers, meeting with our sponsored riders and sharing news and images on social media. Once it’s time to head home there’s a lot of packing to do to get Eddie and the stock back in one piece – when Jo will then get on with unpacking it all at home. Before Jo crawls into bed to catch up on sleep she will check stock levels again and see if another order needs to be placed with her amazing English leather workers. That means she’ll be ready for more customers and their horses to enjoy Elevator bridles at the next show!