Another show. But it’s more than just another show. Outdoor Retailer Snow Show 2019 is a coming together of an industry that is just as ready to rally for furloughed national park employees and advocate for inclusivity in the workplace as it is a marketplace of new product ranging from splitboards to sustainable down. Here are five reasons why this show is different and why you need to brave TSA to get here.
The Fashion Show Is So Hot Right Now
Style and a dash of sashay have always been a big part of the snowsports and outdoor lifestyle and the Fashion Show is where brands get the chance to strut those hot new looks. At Snow Show 2019 new education sessions, providing insight on forecasting trends and how consumer behavior is shaping fashion decisions, will follow the runway walks. These presentations include: A talk by Yvon Berengeur and Adrian Verin of Inmouv, Paris’s premiere trend forecaster, discussing the two worlds of sport and fusion (Wednesday, January 30, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Trend + Design Center Booth 1032-LL); Maria Teresa Sampedro-Dayan, North America managing director of Promostyl, the world-renowned color and trend forecasting agency based out of Paris, taking a closer look at the innovation and color trends in sport and outdoor in two sessions. (The first takes place Wednesday, January 30, 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Trend + Design Center Booth 1032-LL. The second is on Thursday, January 31, 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Trend + Design Center Booth 1032-LL.); and Haysun Hahn, founder of Fast Forward Trending, a global consulting firm based in New York, mapping a trail for “the outdoor stuff people want” (Thursday, January 31, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Trend + Design Center Booth 1032-LL).
There Will Be Some Big Announcements
You know those Vaguebooking posts? “It’s happening.” “Something big is on the horizon but I can’t tell you exactly what just yet.” Well, we have a bunch of those. We can’t tell you exaclty what will be announced but we can tell you where you need to be. First, on the Tuesday before the show, don’t miss freshly inaugurated (and history-making) Colorado Governor Jared Polis helping to celebrate the life, vision, and career of ski-industry pioneer and innovator Klaus Obermeyer, who turned 99 in November and is still looking to the future. The luncheon in his honor will take place on January 29 from 12:45 p.m.-2:00 p.m., in MR401. Look for a feature on Klaus and his ongoing vision in Day 1 of The Daily. Some big news will drop at the Show Kick Off Breakfast on Day 1, January 30, from 7:15 a.m.-8:45 a.m. in MR 401. The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), Snowsports Industries America (SIA) and the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) will discuss a new era of collaboration, including work on an important partnership that will benefit us all. Likewise Camber Outdoors will make an important announcement at the Camber Outdoors 2019 Thought Leader Keynote on Day 3, February 1, 7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. in MR401. The event will feature a conversation with Wendy Yang, President, Performance Lifestyle Group – Hoka One One, Teva, Sanuk; Amy Roberts, Executive Director, Outdoor Industry Association; Kim Miller, CEO, Scarpa; and Jim Weber, President and CEO, Brooks Running. The active-outdoor industries are at the leading-edge of prioritizing workplace equity that accelerates equity as a strategic business imperative. Camber Outdoors’ four panelists are at different places in their journey as individuals and business leaders. The Thought Leader Keynote will provide a forum for them to share with other leaders and influencers their insights, lessons learned, and the evolution of the Camber Outdoors CEO Pledge.
It’s More than Sales
The three shows—Summer Market, Winter Market, and Snow Show—have dates set in response to the requests of attendees to better align with sales cycles. And while sales is why the show exists, it’s still about much more than SKUs and shelf space. It’s when the industry as a whole from retailers to brands to athletes to media to nonprofits to influencers and advocates congregates. The events and education panels, presentations, lunches, parties and conversations here tackle everything from how we can create inclusivity in the workplace to climate change to how digital assistance works for your business. Some key presentations include the popular U.S. Retail and Consumer Trend Presentation (Thursday, January 31, 7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m., MR401) and Patagonia’s Let’s change the way we make our clothes. Together. A conversation about Fair Trade and Recycled Materials (Thursday, January 31, January 31, 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.,at The Camp Booth 56117-UL). In Venture Out, the folks from RANGE have a full slate of panels covering everything from social media to sustainablity at the RANGER Station. For a complete listing of Events and Education (and learn more about what you need to know for the Show) check out The Daily Pre-Show issue and listings are constantly being updated and listed here.
Fabrics Are the Big Innovation Story
There’s going to be plenty of innovative, new products from front-side carvers to backcountry avalanche airbag packs to more powerful glow-in-the-dark keychains to arisan whiskey to newe VR technology rolling out at the Show. See all of that. But if you want to catch up on important innovation that will end up in products across brands, check out the fabrics. Graphene is an atom-thin super-material being used in ski boots and apparel. The North Face will debut Futurelight, a revolutionary—and sustainable—new breathable, waterproof fabric. The North Face calls the material is “tunable textile,” meaning designers can dial up breathability for aerobic garments or increase waterproofness for pieces intended for wet climates. The technology also allows for an uncharacteristically soft hand. Polartec’s Power Air is a new technology engineered to reduce fiber shedding by encapsulating lofted fibers within a multilayer, continuous yarn fabric construction, while also enhancing thermal capabilities. And PrimaLoft will be building on the success of its Primaloft Bio sustainable insulation, which won the Product of the Year at the Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards at WInter Market.
Stay for the Demo
Yes, there is a weekend between the close of the show on Friday, February 1 and the Demo at Copper Mountain on February 4 and 5. But use that time to enjoy more of the copious powder that has been whalloping Colorado resorts this season on your own time. The best way to do that? Copper Mountain is offering discounted lift tickets to all registered On-Snow Demo attendees ($70 one-day passes on Saturday, Feb. 2 and Sunday, Feb. 3). You can pick up the discount voucher when you get your demo badge at the SIA/WWSRA demo counter at the Colorado Convention Center during the Show. Patriots fans, Rams fans, and innocent bystanders will not want to miss the Super Bowl Sunday Karaoke Party starting at 4 p.m. at Downhill Dukes, located in Center Village at Copper Mountain. These festivities are included with demo registration. You will have to shake off that football hangover and rally for the SIA/WWSRA On-Snow Demo. It’s the industry’s largest international on-snow demo. It’s the best place to test the latest equipment and accessories from over 100 major manufacturers and up-and-coming brands. The demo brings together the winter community where it matters: on the snow. Events and entertainment follow each night. You can register here.
