Outdoor Retailer shows are always a fun time and a great learning experience and this year's Snow Show was no different. Nearly every major outdoor apparel/gear brand was in attendance along with lots of supporting companies and industries. On the fun side, it was a chill and relaxed atmosphere with ornate booths and friendly industry pros who were open to discussion. As a bonus, by 4pm most booths kicked off happy hour so it was a great way to consume lots of free beer! We also had the chance to meet outdoor celebrities like Alex Honnold, so we were able to see up close just how massively disproportionate his hands and feet are from the rest of his body. Quite impressive, let me tell you.
As for the learning experience, there were plenty of conferences, training sessions, and leadership seminars along with many business-to-business connections made. Overall, we noticed a few big recurring trends that have become more pervasive over the last few events we've attended:
Materials Technology (Think: future of textiles/fabrics, fire pits that don't produce smoke!)
Sustainability (Think: single-origin, biodegradable materials, recent shutdown impacting recreational spaces and how these companies are coming up with initiatives to help)
Diversity/Inclusion/Access to the Outdoors (Think: who are the faces that represent these companies?)
Did you attend the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show this year? What were your thoughts? Share your feedback about the show and Outdoor Retailer will donate $5 to the National Park Foundation's Parks Restoration Fund (up to $5,000 total). Learn more here >
Are you planning on attending the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market (June 18-20, 2019) or the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market (Nov. 5-7, 2019)? We'd love to meet up with you and chat! Send us an email: inquiries@ripcordbrands.com or give us a call: (303) 536-5505.