Agenda got underway Thursday in Long Beach and the show was very different from years’ past.
Several major brands that at one time or another had occupied significant space at the show were absent. That meant there was lots of open space and a different floor configuration than before.
Brands that were not there included Vans, Adidas, Stance, Obey, RVCA, Billabong, Patagonia, Salty Crew and Roark. There was no Quiksilver, no O’Neill, no Hurley, no Vissla, no Volcom.
Several major skate companies were also absent including Element, Sole Tech, NHS, Sector 9 and Absolute Board Co.
That’s not to say all major brands skipped the show. DC had a big, colorful booth, and Converse was there as well. Herschel had a huge space, and the Toms booth was very prominent and very busy.
Globe had a nice presence, and having more available space allowed companies such as Slowtide to get a premium location on the main aisle. On the surf front, Lost, Katin and Rainbow Sandals represented, and Nixon had a nice presentation on the main aisle.
There were also lots of smaller, up-and-coming brands at the show including Duvin, Barney Cools, Vast and San Onofre Surf Company. And the good news is that with so many brands missing, the brands that were there scored more time with retailers.
However, the main topic of conversation during the day was how much the show has changed from years’ past, and how quiet it was. We did see plenty of retailers during the day, and some said they were disappointed more brands did not attend.
I talked to one retailer who was at check in at 9 am sharp who said he was nearly alone. In years’ past, large groups of attendees were waiting for the doors to open at 9 am.
Another person said they found parking in the lot directly across from the convention center at 10 am, also unheard of in the past.
Business may pick up Friday as the adjacent Dew Tour builds, and then on Saturday, Agenda opens to the public with the consumer-facing Agenda Festival, which includes brand activations and pop up shops, a wide range of musical performers, and a speaker series that includes Christian Hosoi and Kai Lenny.
Check out our slide show below for photos from the show floor on the first day of Agenda.
