April 12, 2021 
New expanded online experience and business opportunities for EQUITANA USA partners
Norwalk, CT (April 12, 2021) — EQUITANA USA announced today the launch of the EQUITANA USA Marketplace (powered by Equishopper) that expands the EQUITANA USA 3-day event experience into a globally connected and active 24/7, 365 digital community platform. With ongoing news, features, promotions, enhanced brand management, and robust product catalog representation, the EQUITANA USA Marketplace offers a customizable, scalable, and turnkey e-commerce solution for equine industry businesses, partners, and consumers.
Equishopper has streamlined the onboarding process for businesses for easy integration into their online showroom and can also help with other inventory management and 3PL services to support expansion into North America.
“COVID-19 and 2020 put some barriers in front of all of us, but it also provided us with an opportunity to expand the EQUITANA USA vision,” said Meghan Margewicz, EQUITANA USA’s director. “The EQUITANA brand flourishes when our industry flourishes. Our hope is that the Marketplace will be the rising tide that raises all ships as everyone in the industry heads into 2021 and a post-COVID return to success.”
With the new EQUITANA USA Marketplace, EQUITANA USA’s brand customers, sponsors, and partners can not only upload their products to promote and sell online but also sell all year long rather than waiting for the annual trade and exhibition show. There are also complementary listings and e-commerce features available for professional service providers like trainers, photographers, veterinarians, artists, and others who do not sell a physical product.
The new digital destination for the equine industry accessed from the EQUITANA USA site is built on a robust platform that was created by Equishopper and Horse Network. Perhaps the greatest benefit of participating in the Marketplace is the thousands of equine shoppers already visiting the Equishopper platform and the EQUITANA USA content hub.
“A unified online marketplace where even the smallest equine business can sell online alongside world-renowned brands is a desperate need we wanted to fill,” said Margewicz. “Last year was challenging for everyone but especially hard on the businesses that depend on events like ours for sales. To survive, they needed a way to present their brand, share information, support equine sports and also have access to cutting-edge e-commerce tools—whether it’s a small business that doesn’t have the capability or a major global business that is looking to reach new customers. We heard that need loud and clear and are excited to help create recurring revenue streams for businesses at all levels in the industry.”
Since Equishopper launched last year in collaboration with Horse Network, equine industry businesses have already experienced exciting growth using the platform. Businesses represented vary across categories from apparel to saddles to transportation, accessories, and everything in between. EQUITANA USA brands now have an exclusive rate to build shopping experiences within the EQUITANA USA Marketplace.
“With over 40 brands to market to the consumer, we find that Equishopper is the only true Equestrian Marketplace due to its seamless relationship with the Horse Network content and community,” says current Equishopper client Michael Diamond, VP of Sales and Marketing for English Riding Supply. “Now, with the addition of the Equitana exhibition, Equishopper is an important and essential online venue for all our major national brands.”
Csilla Szerepi, Key Account Manager for Cavalliera adds, “Equishopper is a super organized, one-of-a-kind company with a wonderful, professional team that makes collaboration smooth and easy. Its initiatives—like combining their websites, blogs, useful information and e-commerce—are smart and bring fresh air to the equestrian market. We are truly excited to work with them.”
Businesses interested in joining the year-round Marketplace or exhibiting for the Oct. 1–3, 2021 EQUITANA USA event held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky can learn more at equitanausa.com or by contacting Kaitlyn Fritz at kfritz@reedexpo.com.
About EQUITANA USA & Reed Exhibitions: EQUITANA USA is a three-day celebration of the horse that invites equestrian professionals and enthusiasts of all riding levels and ages, disciplines, and breeds to gather for education, entertainment, instruction, and shopping. Reed Exhibitions, producer of EQUITANA USA is a leading global events business. It combines face-to-face with data and digital tools to help customers learn about markets, source products, and complete transactions at over 500 events in almost 30 countries across 43 industry sectors, attracting more than 7 million participants. Reed Exhibitions is part of RELX, a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. www.reedexpo.com
About Equishopper: Brandnexity and Horse Network created the Equishopper Marketplace to be the first of its kind equestrian community-focused marketplace that leverages the VTEX collaborative commerce platform with native marketplace and order management capabilities to deliver remarkable customer experiences to equestrian businesses, related services, and consumers. Equishopper provides optimal brand management, customizable catalogs of products and brand groups, promotional campaign management, and a unique shopping experience — connecting equestrians with experts, professionals, service providers — and others who share a passion. www.brandnexity.com/
