SIMA and 3point5.com Launch Retailer Training for Board Builders

Aliso Viejo, CA – (March 14, 2008) – With surfboard manufacturing technologies rapidly evolving and board quivers expanding, individual board builders have struggled to get their unique stories out to the shop employees who sell their products.

SIMA has partnered with the 3point5.com online community to solve this problem. Together, they’ve developed a specialized training program that allows cost-sensitive, independent surfboard builders to take advantage of the next generation in online retail education and communication currently used by many of the largest outdoor lifestyle and recreation manufacturers.

3point5.com understands that the next generation – including typical surf shop employees – increasingly participates in online communities. The Salt Lake City-based training company, with offices in Tustin, CA and Whistler, B.C., currently represents 64,000 retail salespeople, 250 manufacturers and over 8,000 retailers who use the site as a Web-based forum to interact.

The typical branded board builder training program accessed at 3point5.com will consist of 10-20 pages of customized Brand, Technology, and Product courses. Each course tests knowledge learned with a short “Edu-Game” quiz. Training incentives include special employee purchase deals for users who complete the training, as well as periodic incentives such as free product and trips for top-performing employees.

“Today’s board builders have profound stories to tell about technology, unique branding strategies and innovative products,” said SIMA Membership Director Travis Wilkerson. “3point5.com is the conduit we’ve been looking for to pass those stories on to customers.”

The SIMA partnership represents a key component of 3point5.com’s foray into the action sports industry. The training company has built its reputation in the outdoors industry, while rapidly making inroads in golf, hunt/fish, bicycling and snowsports.

“We are psyched to partner with SIMA in its mission to support the independent board builder” said 3point5.com Director of Action Sports John Telfer. “By participating in an endemic community built around retailers, board builders will be able to communicate their individualized messages to shop employees. That will in turn allow them to sell more intelligently to customers.”

Pioneering brands set to launch training courses in May are red hot Firewire Surfboards; featuring some of the most advanced technology seen in surfboard construction, and the legendary Dewey Weber Surfboards and their eclectic collection of traditional and modern longboards and retro shortboards.

“We believe that the recent advances in surfboard technology and performance are just the beginning. Having detailed product knowledge at the point of sale will be pivotal for retailers wishing to take full advantage of these changes”, said Mark Price of Firewire. “We see 3point5.com as an effective medium to convey that information to retailer salespeople – a critical audience.”

About SIMA
The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) is the official working trade association of more than 300 surf industry suppliers. Founded in 1989, SIMA is a non-profit organization that serves to promote awareness of the surf industry and participation in the sport of surfing through public relations efforts and a variety of services, educational programs and research. In addition, SIMA actively supports oceanic environmental efforts through its 501(c)(3) charitable environmental foundation, the SIMA Environmental Fund. In the past 18 years, SIMA’s Environmental Fund has raised more than $4 million for environmental groups seeking to protect the world’s oceans, beaches and waves. The SIMA Humanitarian Fund, also a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, was established in 2006 to award grants to various surf or boardsport related social and humanitarian non-profit organizations whose efforts are focused on improving the quality of life, health and/or welfare of people.

About 3point5.com
3point5.com is an online campus that represents over 64,000 registered sales professionals, 250 manufacturers and over 8,000 retailers in an increasing number of industries, including Outdoor, Snow, Bike, Action Sports, Golf, Tennis and Hunt/Fish. 3point5.com offers a fun and secure place for retail sales professionals to train, access information and interact within their industry. Contact: John Telfer – 714.368.7583 jt@3point5.com