The Annual Gathering of Makers

Sunday 4th October 2015
looking along the long feast table at the otter surfboards annual gathering of makers 2015

Otter Surfboards’ AGM is their way of saying thank you. It’s also a great way of growing a community of advocates who champion what they do.

view of the feast table at the otter agm in a barn lit by fairy lights

Every year, the team at Otter invites all of the people who have ever joined them to make their own wooden surfboard on a workshop experience course down to Cornwall for a weekend of surfing, sharing stories and some damn fine food and drink. These are customers who have become friends, and who are essentially walking adverts for Otter every time they carry their wooden surfboard down the beach and paddle out on it, and that’s more than enough reason to lay out a good spread and tap a keg of local ale for them to enjoy.

a group of surfers walk along the beach carrying wooden surfboards

Plenty of brands host events with the primary aim being to attract and engage new followers and customers. Offering experiences is a fantastic tool and one that offers plenty of opportunity for generating a wide variety of content, however we don’t think that they should be limited to simply pursuing new customers; they should also be used to consolidate an existing community and nurture true brand advocates. An invitational event offers an opportunity to reward and say “thank you” to your most loyal customers, making it a two-way relationship that both parties value. Offering experiences is a central pillar of what Otter Surfboards do, and their Annual Gathering of Makers extends the initial connection of making a wooden surfboard with them into membership of a growing community, which was clearly evidenced by the friendly hugs and prolific laughter shared between the attendees on a Saturday in mid-September.  It’s a really lovely weekend,  and an event that Hailer are proud to play a role in bringing to life.