When business came to a screeching halt in the spring of 2020, Andy Nadel and Wendy Ferber, the husband-and-wife team behind Springfield, NJ-based Pride Products Distributors (asi/299307), brainstormed how to stay in front of their clients, even if they weren’t buying.

Andy Nadel (left) and Wendy Ferber, co-CEOs of Pride Products Distributors

They decided to throw a virtual cocktail party, which Nadel spiced up with some board games. Clients enjoyed themselves so much that they asked him to host similar virtual events for their customers. An avid gamer, Nadel capitalized on the demand and launched ConnectRship, a virtual game experience.

Each session is hosted over Zoom and lasts around 30 minutes. Nadel acts as referee, guiding players through trivia competitions and classic games like charades and Pictionary. It’s become a family affair as their daughter Amy is ConnectRship’s creative director, running the company website and handling social media marketing.

“It’s an opportunity to have fun with your colleagues or clients,” Nadel says. “By using breakout rooms randomly, you’re constantly interacting with different people. It’s very fast-paced and exciting and gives that feeling of being at a live event where you can mix and mingle.”

Inspired by the success of ConnectRship, Ferber created ConnectRcentral, a hub of virtual activities that companies can book for holiday parties, retreats and other events that would normally take place in person. The most popular activities have been wine tastings, cooking classes and even a magic show. “If your webinar is a little flat, you can jazz up the halftime break with one of our virtual activities,” Ferber says.

ConnectRcentral has been a big hit with law firms and insurance companies, Nadel says. One large client recently organized a March Madness-style tournament of virtual activities with 32 teams comprised of different offices throughout the United States. “It’s a super way to maintain camaraderie and save on travel expenses,” Nadel adds.

In the midst of all the fun and games, the duo hasn’t lost sight of the original goal: selling promo products. Both ConnectRship and ConnectRcentral are used as entry points for pitching branded merchandise either to welcome participants to an event or to thank them afterward. Logoed hats and drinkware are the most popular items, Nadel notes, whereas T-shirts and hoodies are discouraged because only your shoulder and above are usually viewable on Zoom.

“We don’t want them to forget we’re a swag provider,” Ferber says. “We’re primarily focused on how many new clients we’ve engaged with and how we can develop their business over the next few years.”

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Even when trade shows, conferences and other physical gatherings return, Nadel and Ferber believe that virtual events are here to stay. Companies have already booked them for Cinco de Mayo, as well as upcoming national and quarterly sales meetings. In December, ConnectRship was involved in almost 100 events over a three-week span.

“This is the first time in my career that I’m getting calls unsolicited,” Nadel notes. “We actually had a client say our pricing was too low, so we ended up raising our prices in 2021. We’re hoping to continue this for the foreseeable future.”