Key Takeaways:
- Surf Expo is debuting Tidal Reach, its new content creator program, at the September 16-18 show, with organizers expecting 50-plus creators.
- Organizers plan a much bigger Tidal Reach build-out at Surf Expo’s January 2027 show, with a focus on measurable ROI for brands and retailers alike.
- The program builds on the momentum of Outdoor Retailer’s Wild Reach Initiative, which generated more than 850 onsite creator connections and reached a combined audience of 21.2 million people at OR’s Minneapolis debut last week.
Surf Expo is debuting Tidal Reach, its new content creator program, at the September 16-18 show, drawing on the momentum of sister company Outdoor Retailer’s Wild Reach program from its Minneapolis debut last week.
“People like to throw around the term game changer,” Surf Expo Show Director Roy Turner said. “After watching the success of Outdoor Retailer’s Wild Reach program last week, it feels like we’re witnessing a real one for trade shows. The value of a trade show isn’t measured only by orders anymore. It’s also measured by the conversations, content and consumer demand that leave the building and keep going long after the booths come down.”
Tidal Reach embeds content creators directly on the show floor where they’ll interact with exhibiting brands to produce real-time photos, videos and posts during the show.
The goal is to extend the reach of the show floor well beyond the days it’s open, giving brands and retailers ongoing visibility with audiences who never set foot in the building.
Surf Expo Points to a Proven Model at Outdoor Retailer
Outdoor Retailer offers an early blueprint for what Tidal Reach can become.
At Outdoor Retailer’s Minneapolis debut last week, the platform Popfly powered OR’s Wild Reach Initiative, matching more than 150 creators and media with exhibiting brands across 275-plus exhibitors. Content from the program flooded social channels before, during and after the show, and according to Outdoor Retailer’s official numbers, Wild Reach generated more than 850 onsite creator connections, reaching a combined audience of 21.2 million outdoor consumers.
“Throughout the show, Wild Reach connected exhibitors with curated outdoor storytellers, driving verified engagement through Popfly’s tracking suite and providing brands with an asset library designed to extend their ROI long past closing day,” Taylor Hoekstra, founder of Popfly, said.
Surf Expo has brought on Popfly as well to help run Tidal Reach for this show.
“Surf Expo already delivers one of the most valuable buyer audiences in the industry,” said Lindsay Hubley, Senior Vice President, Sports and Outdoor at Forge, the new parent company of Surf Expo and Outdoor Retailer. “Tidal Reach gives our exhibitors another way to extend that value, pairing our buyer base with creators who know the surf and watersports lifestyle from the inside out.”
Content creators at Outdoor Retailer last week in Minneapolis. Photo by Tim Aukshunas, courtesy of Outdoor Retailer.
What Surf Expo Has Planned for January
Tidal Reach is built to give brands and retailers something more measurable than booth traffic alone.
“Tidal Reach gives us real ROI for both brands and retailers. Brands get engagement data to stand alongside the orders written on the floor and get consumers excited about what will be carried on retailers’ shelves in the future, while retailers get another way to validate the brands they’re picking before they ever leave the show,” Turner said.
The September preview is deliberately focused on identifying and supporting creators who bring authentic voices, engaged audiences and a genuine connection to surf and coastal culture. Participants will work closely with the Surf Expo team and Popfly to help shape the content strategy, creator experience and brand partnerships that will define the program’s full January rollout.
“This is about getting it right before we scale it,” Hubley said. “The September preview will help us build a program that works for creators and exhibitors alike, so that when we open Tidal Reach to our full exhibitor community in January, it launches with real proof points and a model that’s already been tested in front of Surf Expo’s buyer base.”
From there, Surf Expo has said it plans to expand Tidal Reach further in 2027, into a year-round platform connecting buyers, brands, media and creators across the industry.
More Happening at September Surf Expo
Tidal Reach arrives alongside a broader lineup of programming at the September show.
A Learning Lab session, “For Surfers, By Surfers,” will bring together Jamie O’Brien, Kolohe Andino, Kekoa Cazimero and CJ Hobgood at The Stage for a conversation on the shift from sponsored athlete to brand founder, as a new generation of surfers builds brands and shapes culture in the space.
Steko will hold an on-site premiere for “FUDO,” featuring Kolohe Andino, Rasta Robb, and Hayden Rodgers.
Surf Expo is also hosting an industry party at KINGS, sponsored by Lightspeed, with bowling, billiards, food, drinks and networking, along with daily fashion shows featuring mimosas and wine, also sponsored by Lightspeed.
All are part of a full slate of happy hours, buyer lounges and industry parties that have become a fixture of the show.
Surf Expo Brand Lineup
A sampling of confirmed exhibitors spans the show’s diverse floor categories. Surf and lifestyle names include Billabong, Quiksilver, RVCA, Hurley, Roxy Swim, Rusty, Rhythm, Brixton, Katin, Catch Surf, Salty Crew, Dark Seas, Seager Co., Duvin, Jetty and Howler Brothers. Resort and accessories brands include Body Glove, Fair Harbor, Pura Vida, Sand Cloud, Sun Bum, Herschel Supply Company, Aloha Collection, Tommy Bahama, tasc Performance and Life is Good. The floor also includes a deep bench of dive and watersports brands, including AFTCO, Cressi, Guardian Scuba and SDI Scuba Diving International, among hundreds of additional exhibitors across gift, decor and souvenir categories.
Surf Expo Show Numbers Trending Up
Surf Expo’s core numbers are also trending in the right direction for September. The show is on track to top 600 exhibitors showing thousands of products.
Pre-registered buyer numbers are also up. Surf Expo currently has more than 5,500 pre-registered retail buyers, representing 3,550 companies from 52 countries and all 50 states. Buyers come ready to commit: more than 80% of buyers who attend the show write orders on the floor, and 93% place orders with new vendors they discover there, per Surf Expo.
