Press Release:
More than 2,500 stores from 49 states and 59 countries infuse Surf Expo September 2010 with a deep sense of optimism and excitement
September 17, 2010 — Offering the best brands, best buying opportunities, and best venue for business, Surf Expo once again enabled industry leaders to connect face to face•all in one place, all at one time.
Over its three-day, September 10-12 run at the mammoth Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, Surf Expo hosted more than 5,400 buyers from 49 states and 59 countries.
They were greeted by more than 1,700 booths of new product from the best surf, skate, wake, swim, boutique, SUP, gift and souvenir brands.
“As trade show director at Surf Expo I’m pleased to leave our event with a sense of newfound optimism and excitement,” says Roy Turner. “Our September event again delivered a 10% increase in stores over the previous year.”
According to Tommy Phillips, owner of Tommy’s Slalom Shop in Denver, Colorado, “If you missed this show, you blew it.” Rich Wilson, sales manager of Lost, said they were busy: “apparel, boards•we were rocking!”
Richard Sanders, vice president and national sales manager for Billabong, said this show offered the busiest third day in recent memory. Dave Rosenberger, vice president and national sales manager for Quiksilver said, “We’re happy. It was busier than expected.”
Dick Brunning from first-time exhibitor Rock Eagle stated, “The vibe here is amazing. So many great buyers and everyone is so happy!”
As the largest and longest-running boardsports and beach lifestyl trade show in the world, Surf Expo is enormous.
But attendees had a new and powerful ally to help them negotiate the show and never miss an important meeting. Surf Expo’s new mobile app offered on-the-fly navigation of the trade show floor•both in strategically placed kiosks on the show floor and on mobile devices.
“Surf Expo continues to drive the surfing industry, while providing a professional and exciting venue for manufactures and dealers to meet and do business face to face with their clients,” says Scott Guinto, shaper and owner of Scott Guinto Surfboards LLC.
“Surf Expo continually raises the bar in assisting everyone in the business process. Specifically, I found the new mobile access to ‘My Agenda’ and touchpoint kiosks very useful. It also is a great way of reducing my carbon footprint. I feel truly honored and blessed every time I walk on the show floor. The contacts I’ve made and accounts created with companies are priceless.”
See page 2 for social meda at Surf Expo and more
With social media and online sales tools never more important, Surf Expo took the significant step of offering free wifi Internet to all attendees, allowing exhibitors to drive buyers to their booths through Twitter and Facebook, and in some cases enter orders real-time into backend fulfillment systems.
Chris Esherick, a first-time exhibitor from Your Needs Company, said Surf Expo also offered valuable international connections. “The show was good for new Caribbean, Jamaica, Antigua, and Netherland Antilles and a few European accounts,” he says. “I really enjoyed the vibe of the show and all the show management. You really made us feel welcome and a part of the show.”
Special events continued to play an important role at Surf Expo, whether through daily fashion shows, educational seminars like the day-long Board Retailers Association Survivor Series or Surf Expo’s on floor special events.
Perhaps nowhere was that better displayed than at Surf Expo’s wakeboarding demonstration. Powered by the new Sesitec 2.0 cable system and sponsored by Transworld Wakeboarding magazine, the 75,000 gallon pool offered showgoers a front-row view of this vibrant sport. Surf Expo also offered the wake market a variety of afterhours events including the annual Wake Awards.
With the standup paddle market poised to drive the surf culture to beaches, lakes, and rivers across the world, buyers remain fascinated with this burgeoning category. Surf Expo’s SUP Demo Pool, once again hosted by Robert “Wingnut” Weaver and sponsored by Dakine, saw a consistent stream of both first-timers and veterans trying out boards and paddles and networking throughout the three days.
Vans and Skullcandy backed the Wheels of Fortune “Man Am Invitational” skate contest produced by Kona Skatepark’s Martin Ramos. The contest, held in our custom Team Pain skate park, dished out thousands of dollars to some of the industry’s best skaters who usually fly just under the radar.
Quiksilver’s premiere of Scratching the Surface left the show floor stage with standing room only. Rip Curl, Rhythm, Lost and many other brands also threw their own successful events during the weekend.
The Surf Expo community will reconvene January 6-8, 2011 in Orlando, Florida. Don’t miss this leading event. Plan to attend now. For more information and for constantly updated industry news and information, log on to surfexpo.com.
About Surf Expo
With headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, Surf Expo is the largest and longest-running trade show for the board/beach/fashion industry (34 years). Surf Expo is held in January and September in Orlando, Florida, and draws buyers from specialty stores across the U.S., the Caribbean, Central and South America and around the world. Surf Expo is endorsed by the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA); the Board Retailers Association (BRA), and the Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA).
