The Surf Industry Members Association will hold its 2026 SIMA Super Summit on September 22 at the Rivian South Coast Theater in Laguna Beach, Calif. This year’s event is themed around leadership.
The summit is built for CEOs, founders, executives, retailers, department leaders, entrepreneurs and rising industry leaders, with a program focused on the decisions shaping the future of the surf business.
Early bird pricing for the summit ends September 4. Registration is open at surfindustry.org.
Vipe Desai, Executive Director of SIMA, spoke to the pressures facing industry leadership.
“Leadership is being tested from every direction right now, changing consumers, new technology, pressure at retail and the challenge of growing without losing what makes our industry special,” Desai said in a statement. “The SIMA Super Summit is about getting out of the day-to-day, getting in the room with other leaders and having the conversations our industry needs to have. If you’re responsible for a business, a team, a department or where this industry goes next, you should be there.”
The sessions include:
From SEAL to CEO: Nate Smith on Leadership, Retail and the Next Generation of Shoppers: I’ll sit down with Nate Smith, CEO of Tilly’s, for a conversation on leadership under pressure, navigating the current retail environment, and connecting with the next generation of consumers.
Growing Without Losing What Makes Us Different: Brad Steward, Co-Founder of Caravan Outpost, delivers a keynote on how surf businesses can expand without sacrificing culture and authenticity.
From AI Experimentation to Competitive Advantage: What’s Working, What’s Next and Where Leaders Should Focus. Riley Stricklin, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Cadre AI, gives executives a look at where AI is creating value and where leaders should focus next.
Retail Pulse: Laylan Connelly of the Orange County Register hosts a panel with Robert Howson of Harbour Surfboards and Richard O’Reilly of Spyder Surf Shop, covering shop floor conditions and changing consumer behavior.
Origins – The Story of How the Surf Industry Was Built: Surf industry figure Dick Metz traces the people and history behind surfing’s growth into a global industry.
Surfing as an Economic Growth Strategy: El Salvador. Delegates from Surf City El Salvador discuss how the country has used surfing to drive tourism and economic development.
Attendees will also break for a walking lunch through Laguna Beach, stopping at Hobie Surf Shop and the newly opened Surfing Heritage and Culture Center.
