NEW ORLEANS – ShoppersChoice.com and Blaze Outdoor Products plan to host a “New Orleans Nights” welcome event for the upcoming Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association Expo (HPBExpo) on Thursday, March 17, 2016.
This year’s expo, to take place Wednesday, March 16 – Saturday, March 19, will be the HPBA’s first to be held in the Crescent City and will feature exhibitions and demonstrations from over 350 of the industry’s top suppliers and manufacturers.
“We’ve attended the HPBExpo for years,” ShoppersChoice.com and Blaze Outdoor Products owner Mike Hackley said. “So, when we heard it would be coming to our own back yard, we thought it was a perfect opportunity to display some southern hospitality and give the show’s attendees a taste of Louisiana culture… what better way than with a big party?”
ShoppersChoice.com has both an online division and a kitchen and patio showroom located in Baton Rouge. The company was originally founded by owners Mike and Ladina Hackley in 1998 as the brick and mortar Grill Store and More. They quickly sought to expand by going online in 2000 with the first of several specialized websites, BBQGuys.com.
The company presently operates through the parent website, ShoppersChoice.com, and several niche sites offering products that expand beyond grills. Store reps said the community of stores is bound by the chief mission to inspire customers to discover products that will enhance their lifestyle and free up time to enjoy the people and activities that matter most. This mission has helped propel them to the home and patio spotlight, as they are now the largest online retailer in the barbecue industry, they said.
Blaze Outdoor Products, also owned by Mike and Ladina Hackley, came onto the scene in 2012 to fill a need not met by other grill manufacturers at that time. With a combined 45 years’ experience in the outdoor cooking industry, the founding team said they know what makes a grill great. They used this experience to develop, test and manufacture a comprehensive line of outdoor cooking products. Because of this, Blaze Outdoor Products is now the fastest growing grill brand in the industry, they said.
The invitation-only “New Orleans Nights” event will be held at the Grand Oaks Mansion in quintessential New Orleans Mardi Gras World and feature live music and a creole buffet. Organizers said it will be the sole event of its kind, as it marks the first retailer-sponsored social event associated with the conference.
Space is limited for this exclusive event, so RSVP is mandatory.
