NTP-Stag opened its doors Monday to a throng of RV and marine retail attendees. The distributor’s first show conducted with SeaWide Distribution brought new suppliers and attendees to the event.
The 2024 Expo, presented by Airxcel, is held at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida.
Author Sterling Hawkins opened the day by introducing attendees to his “No Matter What” movement.
Hawkins asked the crowd to consider what stands between them and their goals. He said often, discomfort was the answer.
He urged attendees to lean into their discomfort and work past it to unlock themselves from fear or anxiety.
“Most people think, ‘I hope. I wish. I want. I could. I try,’” he said. “The people who create the biggest impact … they live in a world of, ‘I will.’”
Hawkins offered five practices to move the audience into the unknown and reach his “No Matter What” system.
First, he said attendees need to hunt discomfort. The only people who skip discomfort, he said, are dead or not born.
The second practice is Get a Tattoo. He did not mean to get a tattoo literally but to commit themselves in ways in which they could not go back.
“When you commit,” he said, “that transmits that change is inevitable.”
The third practice is to Build a Street Gang. He said attendees need to find people who can hold them accountable, and vice versa.
The fourth practice is Flip It. He said often, new opportunities can be found by creating a bigger problem. In other words, he said, strive for more than you expect can be done.
Finally, Surrender is the final practice. He said true acceptance always precedes expansion.
“When you physically move your body,” he said, “your body acclimates to discomfort.”
Asking the crowd to stand, he told them to make a commitment together, shouting “No Matter What” at once.
Morning vendor training sessions followed, with six rooms running at a time.
NTP-Stag President Bill Rogers addressed attendees at lunch, which was sponsored by Valterra Products. He said the company will use 2023 to learn from its experiences, but 2024 is expected to see increased demand, especially on the RV side.
In terms of inventory, he said NTP-Stag was in “the best possible supply and inventory place than we have been in in a long time.”
Afternoon training sessions set the stage for the exhibit floor opening in the evening.
