The Outdoor Retailer Show wrapped up Sunday as one of the first major snow storms of the year rolled into Salt Lake City. The show was packed with elaborate booths, innovative products and a positive buying mood.
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“This year’s Winter Market was the biggest ever, but even more than the increased size we saw a continuation of the enthusiasm and excitement that characterized last year’s show,” said Darrell Denny, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Nielsen Expositions. “The outdoor industry is recognizing that the community it shares at these annual gatherings is a special thing and that recognition fuels the robust growth of our shared market.”
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Each booth was more impressive then the next with brands showcasing innovative designs. For example, Columbia had a mini wind tunnel on site to show how wind resistant its new fabric is. Even action sports brands, especially the goggle companies, had new technology they were demontrating at their booths.
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The OR show made a concerted effort to offer a variety of seminars and onsite events related to the industry. I saw one conference room converted a yoga studio sponsored by Prana and another was converted into full indoor hockey rink where industry brands competed after the first day of the show.
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There was also a lot of eco-minded and sustainable details throughout — recycling everywhere, reusable waterbottles at a variety of booths, booths designed from ecofriendly materials and even an organic and vegan food station.
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