I followed up with GLM about the big news that The Boardroom, the consumer show it recently acquired dedicated to surfing, will expand its mission and be part of the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing this summer.
The news came out this week while I was traveling and I just had a chance to find out more. Sean O’Brien, Group Brand Director for Surf Expo, LAUNCH LA and The Boardroom, and The Boardroom Founder and Director Scott Bass, answered some questions for me via email.
GLM has some big plans, and just hired Shannon Park from the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association to be in charge public relations and social media for its new Sports and Fashion group, which includes Surf Expo, LAUNCH LA and The Boardroom. Shannon was previously in charge of all of SIMA’s many and varied events.
Will this be GLM’s West Coast show now for the industry and how will it compare to Surf Expo?
Sean O’Brien: We are always on the lookout for developing underserved markets. Our successful debut of the LAUNCH LA show last summer addressed the contemporary fashion market seen through a very West Coast prism. That certainly aligns with a new “Surftique” emphasis we are seeing both among select surf shops and also in the wider Los Angeles market that features hundreds of incredible retailers that really aren’t part of the “boardsports” industry.
Scott Bass, Founder and Director of The BoardroomSo we will continue to be students of the market, looking for opportunities that fit. That correct fit is very important. For example Surf Expo is an amazing brand with a 37-year East Coast legacy that serves the market incredibly well because it is so diverse and captures such a broad buyer base.
It doesn’t make sense to bring that brand and its well-developed East Coast business sense to the West Coast with all its categories. So in that way each show will have it own distinct look and feel, its own targeted buyer base and its own unique flavor when it comes to the exhibitors it serves.
See Page 2 for more about how the Boardroom will be structured, the strategy
Will it be similar to past Boardroom events and have an admission charge?
Sean: The look and feel will be the same. The surf manufacturer, the shaping culture, the vibe is centered squarely on the surfboard — our iconic symbol of enduring youth.
However surf equipment has evolved and technology has blossomed and The Boardroom will reflect that. Now surf gear consists of skateboards, boardshorts, wetsuits, fins boxes, watches, leashes, waterproof cameras, rack systems, wax, rash guards, clothing, travel, and swimwear made specifically by surfers and for surfing.
Scott Bass: The Boardroom is one big cultural happening and there is something for everyone. Retailers order product. Manufacturers discuss product. Surfers take in the latest innovations.
The Boardroom is a multifaceted, five-dimensional surf magazine. Everything comes to life. Don’t just look, pick the gear up. Ride the boards. Test the wetsuit. Pull on the stretch boardies. Quiz the manufacturer. Talk to the pros. Order a board. Get an autograph. Watch fresh new clips. Smell the resin. Ride an alaia. Test a handplane. Compare fins. Watch the shaping. Discuss board design. Talk shop. It’s all there in front of you. Not just 3-d, 5-d.
Also just surfboards or apparel and shoes too?
Sean: As noted above, The Boardroom will encompass a variety of products, including shoes and apparel. We love surfing. It’s one of the true American icons and deserves to be front and center at the largest surf contest in the world. So while there will be a variety of products at The Boardroom, the shaper and the surfboard will retain our focus.
I want to be sure I get it. So the offering will be surfing focused so you would not expect to see brands showing full lines of apparel like dresses and women’s and fleece, etc? But rather equipment and rash guards and boardshorts and sandals?
Sean: We will leave that to the exhibitors. To extend the 3D magazine metaphor, we can envision that the booths during the consumer days will be extensions of what consumers will see in the surf magazines that month. We see it as “ads coming to life” – so that could include a wide variety of product.
See Page 3 for how consumer and trade will be combined, a new key hire
The Boardroom will be on the sand?
Sean: Yes! On the beach right next to the skate park and within the actual footprint of the Vans US Open. The freestanding pavilion will have a floor and will be carpeted and will be fully air-conditioned. Of course there will be walls and a fairly high ceiling. It will be our own environment and it will exude all the makes The Boardroom special.
Scott: There will be a Best of Show exhibit, two shaping bays, live shaping, laminating demonstrations, surfboard exhibits, an Icons of Foam shaping tribute. Legends of shaping. Legends of lifestyle. Short films. Genuine surf stoke and happiness.
How will the business and the public part be combined?
Sean: The trade portion of The Boardroom will be July 23 and 24th. Then there will be a “dark day” of the 25th to allow exhibitors to change out their booth (if they would like) for consumers. The consumer portion will run on the 26th and 27th.
Shannon Park, formerly of SIMA, now with GLM’s Sports and Fashion GroupWe believe buyers will want to experience the final weekend of the US Open, to see the most incredible display of surfing talent and all that the industry offers. So we fully expect buyers will be in The Boardroom during the 26th and 27th.
However, it’s important that these retailers have dedicated days that will be business focused and where buyers will be able to quickly and easily meet with a broad cross-section of industry leaders.
We also think catering to the media, really highlighting new products, new campaigns and the whole surf culture, is incredibly important. Reaching out to media in an effective and persistent way, highlighting all that our industry has to offer, has received a new emphasis within GLM’s Sports and Fashion group (which includes Surf Expo, The Boardroom, and LAUNCH LA).
That’s why we’re incredibly excited that Shannon Park has joined us as our Public Relations and Social Media coordinator. Shannon has more than proved herself in the seven years she has worked at SIMA. She understands the market in detail and has an amazing roster of contacts. She will be incredibly busy telling the story of our shows, our exhibitors and our markets to a wide swath or media.
