The same is certainly true for The Insider and other publications in the industry: We take care of the folks who reach out to us personally and who we have relationships with. The Insider is a relatively new publication, so we are still building that connection to our readers and our readers are learning to partner with us. It takes time, but when that begins to happen, it is media magic: You are rewarded by getting your information out to the industry; we are rewarded by being able to share it.

So I was happy to hear from Katie Scheuerman, vice president of marketing at Interior Resources Group in Dallas, about what the dealership called Dallas-Fort Worth’s Largest Commercial Outdoor Furniture Expo, held Nov. 10.

More than 150 designers, architects, real estate brokers, property managers and other built environment pros attended the IRG Outdoor Expo in the company’s parking lot under a robin’s egg blue sky. The outdoor-focused event featured products from more than 50 brands, including Global Furniture Group, KFI Studios, Magnuson Group and emuamericas (to name just a few), who showcased everything from outdoor furniture, outdoor textiles, signage, accessories and more.

Vendors were given space (equivalent to two parking spaces) to showcase their products. Registration for the event was free to all industry professionals. Lunch and refreshments were catered. Swag, door prizes, gift cards and other raffle items were given away throughout the event.

Now, you might think a small, local event is too inconsequential to cover in an industry publication. I completely disagree. Our job at The Insider is to tell the story of the industry. And while that means we are going to cover major news events from the largest players, we are also going to cover events like this. Why use the virtual ink? Because events like these are the lifeblood of the industry. They are the connection point between the industry and our customers. By publishing this information, our hope is that you, dear reader, might be inspired by IRG to hold an event of your own. Maybe you’ve been waiting to do something like this yourself or maybe you have held a similar event, but are afraid to send it along to us because you think it isn’t newsworthy. Let’s hope our publishing this information will change your mind about both.

Of course, I can’t promise we will publish everything you send our way. Our space is limited as is your time to read what we publish. Still, I would highly recommend that you try. At a minimum, by sending The Insider your information, you will connect with The Insider team including me — creating those personal relationships that so many of us value in this industry.

I know a lot of people in the office furniture industry, but I don’t know everyone. I can’t tell you how many times I meet new people at events like NeoCon who tell me that they’ve read what I’ve written for years and that they are happy to put a face with the name. I always say in reply: Why did you wait so long to connect?

So if you were waiting for an invitation to connect with me and the rest of The Insider staff, here it is: We would love to hear from you. We want to know about all your news (and not just the stuff you think is most newsworthy). Are you collecting Toys for Tots this holiday season? Send us the information. Or maybe you just finished a super cool project? We are happy to hear about it. Of course, we want to hear about the big news too. And we’d love to hear from you with story ideas and news tips as well.

So kudos to Katie and the rest of the Interior Resources Group for its outdoor furniture event and for sharing it with us here at The Insider. It is a perfect example of how all of this works.

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