2015 Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon Expo is a hit

Published by www.sportstrader.co.za

Visitors and race participants were plentiful on the second day of the  2015 Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon Expo, which is running from 1-3 April at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

The expo was packed on day two of the 2015 Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon Expo.

The running-related expo, which serves as the official registration and a last minute shopping point for thousands of runners who have entered the marathon, features 98 exhibitors on 126 stands. 

Adidas has the largest stand at the Expo.

As the official technical sponsor of the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, adidas has two stands, one of which is the largest at the show and located at the entrance and the other situated at the exit. Visitors to the stands are able to view a variety of products, from clothing, footwear, accessories, etc. to life-size displays. 

Adidas’ biomechanical running men store dummies are as eye-catching as last year.

The brand’s Boost technology is also on display in a ball-like podium for visitors to touch and see how it works.

Visitors getting a feel of the Boost technology on the adidas display.

They are one of the brands that are offering visitors handy services such as foot scanning.

Visitors participate in adidas’ foot scan.

On the adidas stand visitors can get foot scans by running over a dynamic mat, which picks up the pressure points on the foot to help determine their running gait. Thereafter they can chat to one of adidas’ running experts to receive advice on the type of footwear that will best suit their running style. 

Asics SA’s training and promotions specialist Dawid Visser chatting to visitors on their stand.

Asics SA is offering visitors 3D foot scans with machines that are only used by their brand, says Dawid Visser, their training and promotions specialist. The device has four lasers and eight cameras that scan the foot and creates a 3D image with the the exact measurements of the foot, which is then used to help determine an exact shoe size as well as the shoe type suited to a particular person.  

Paul Copson doing a 360^o to determine the shoe best suited to the customer.

On Brand ID’s Mizuno and Skins stands customers can get 360o foot scans to help determine the optimum shoe type for their running style. The stands experienced a busy first day and Paul Copson and Evert Fereirra of Brand ID are expecting it to get even busier. 

Evert Ferreira explaining the benefits of Skins products.

They were selling merchandise through their retail partners such as The Sweat Shop and Sportsmans Warehouse. 

Other exhibitors are ensuring they get maximum exposure and returns from the show by offering discounts and encouraging people to buy their products after the expo.

Second Skins offered customers discount cards that could be redeemed at their factory shop.

Clothing brand Second Skins this year decided not to sell from their stand as it gets too packed, but is instead offering customers 15% off products purchased in store.

Jamie Owen helping customers at the Thule stand.

Thule Car Rack Systems is also offering visitors 20% off all their luggage products and 10% off other items.

Adam Closenberg was on top of things at Terrabrands’ stand.

Terrabrands’ buy two get one free deals, and discounted prices swayed visitors toward their stand. Customers who make purchases to the value of R500 can choose an item off their wall of gifts, says the managing director, Adam Closenberg.

The Sweat Shop’s owner, Jax Snyman was on the stand giving visitors advice on their products.

Retailers like The Sweat Shop offered visitors discounts of up to R1 000 on TomTom watches as well as on their Falke range of socks. Sportsmans Warehouse and Cape Union Mart also offered visitors discounted prices on many of their items at their stands. 

Chantal Grobler from TomTom poses with customers at the TomTom stand.

TomTom is running a competition during the expo, where visitors must run on a treadmill for two minutes while wearing one of their cardio watches. Visitors results are then captured and on the last day of the expo they will be giving the visitor with the lowest heart rate over the two minute period one of their cardio watches.