As any other industry, the outdoor sports industry has its own trade shows. These events gather manufacturers, distributors, retailers and press in one place.
Some outdoor trade fairs are very global. Some are more local. Some are season-related. Some cover the whole year.
GOALS OF OUTDOOR TRADE SHOWS
- manufacturers:
- present new products to distributors, retailers and press
- find potential distributors and retailers
- choose or reconnect with suppliers of raw materials (example: fabrics)
- distributors:
- check new gear
- find new manufacturers to distribute
- meet with potential retailers
- retailers:
- choose and order gear to be sold in shops to end-users
- press (that’s me):
- discover new products and trends
- prepare future articles
- everyone at the show:
- network
- meet with colleagues and friends
- keep an eye on competition
- get a sense of what’s happening in the industry
MY TRADE SHOWS NEWS COVERAGE
Most outdoor shows restrict access to trade professionals only. That is, the “regular” end-users can’t get in.
As a journalist, I go to some of these shows and do my best to bring you news about the stuff I consider interesting.
My news coverage is far from exhaustive. I filter according to my interests and experience. Sometimes, I even miss a rare gem, simply because the shows tend to be too huge and too short for a one-man crew.
LIST OF MAJOR OUTDOOR SHOWS
I list the major outdoor shows so you get an idea of when and where they happen… and whether I go there, so you know when to expect a flood of articles from me.
In chronological order:
// European Outdoor
- Location: Germany, Friedrichshafen (Google Map)
- Dates: summer, second half of July
- Products: outdoor sports only
- Seasons: some exhibitors present their summer collections only. They show their winter gear at ISPO winter (read below). Others present both the summer and the winter collections.
- Markets: very international, with a broad mix of European, American and Asian exhibitors. The first question when you enter a booth: “Which country are you from?”
- Figures: the 2008 edition had 787 exhibitors from 40 countries, 18 900 trade visitors from 70 countries and 841 journalists from 26 countries.
- Web site: european-outdoor.de
- My opinion and overview: probably the best outdoor show overall. No wonder its main competitor, ISPO Munich, has recently cancelled its summer edition. However, the European Outdoor trade fair is not as bleeding edge as the American Outdoor Retailer. The focus is clearly more traditional, with less garage brands and less ultralight gear.
- My news coverage of the show: I have been going to this show since 2004. Partly because it’s so easy to get there from my bases in Paris or Geneva. Partly because I like its 24/7 outdoor concept. I sleep in my tent just next to the show’s buildings and get to shower in the morning and eat a dinner in the evening while chatting with outdoor colleagues and inspecting their tents!
// Outdoor Retailer Summer
- Location: USA, Salt Lake City (Google Map)
- Dates: summer, first half of August
- Products: outdoor sports only
- Seasons: summer
- Markets: mostly American (USA and Canada), with major European manufacturers present as well.
- Figures: the 2007 edition had 1 051 exhibitors and 6 500 trade visitors.
- Web site: outdoorretailer.com
- My overview and opinion: a huge outdoor show featuring the latest trends on the cutting edge. Although less international than the European Outdoor, this show gathers more small-size, experimental manufacturers.
- My news coverage of the show: I rarely go to this show, in part because it’s a long, jetlagged flight from Europe and in part because my colleagues at BackpackingLight.com do an excellent job to cover it.
// Outdoor Retailer Winter
- Location: USA, Salt Lake City (Google Map)
- Dates: winter, second half of January
- Products: outdoor sports only
- Seasons: winter
- Markets: mostly American (USA and Canada), with major European manufacturers present as well.
- Figures: sorry, still waiting for the 2008 figures.
- Web site: outdoorretailer.com
- My overview and opinion: a huge outdoor show featuring the latest trends on the cutting edge. Although less international than the European Outdoor, this show gathers more small-size, experimental manufacturers.
- My news coverage of the show: I rarely go to this show, in part because it’s a long, jetlagged flight from Europe and in part because my colleagues at BackpackingLight.com do an excellent job to cover it.
// ISPO Winter
- Location: Germany, Munich (Google Map)
- Dates: winter, first half of February
- Products: all winter sports, including more outdoor-specific sports like climbing and backpacking
- Seasons: winter
- Markets: very international, with a broad mix of European, American and Asian exhibitors.
- Figures: the 2008 edition had 2 026 exhibitors from 47 countries, 64 000 trade visitors from 113 countries and 1 950 journalists from 44 countries.
- Web site: ispo-winter.de
- My overview and opinion: a super-huge show that covers a bit too much ground. While it’s great to see the winter collections of leading outdoor gear manufacturers, I have no special interest in ice-skating gear and après-ski apparel. Smaller (and interesting) American manufacturers skip this show because of the overlap with Outdoor Retailer Winter.
- My news coverage of the show: I sometimes go to this show, depending on my winter schedule.
PLAN AHEAD
At the shows, most outdoor manufacturers present the gear that will be sold in about a year. For example, the European Outdoor 2008 has just unveiled the gear that will start to sell in stores around April 2009.
After I go to an outdoor sports show, I write gear “previews”, so you get an overview of what’s coming… and plan and lust accordingly.
CHANGE LOG
| 2008-08-01 |
Expanded ISPO Winter figures to include the number of journalists. |
| 2008-07-23 |
First publication. |
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