Spoiler alert – this is a lengthier note than normal, but given the significance of the past week and the important information included, please read to the very end!
I am sure you all have seen and heard the big news! After a successful run with the Snow Show for more than 50 years, we have sold the show to Emerald Expositions. Starting in January of 2018, SIA Snow Show and Outdoor Retailer will combine to form one consolidated show: the “Outdoor Retailer Snow Show,” taking place January 26-29 in Denver, Colorado.
This decision was reached with great care and with the best interest of the members, and the industry as a whole, considered first. Accordingly, the SIA board of directors unanimously agreed that this was a good move for a number of reasons:
- Emerald not only understands the value that the Snow Show currently delivers to the winter industry, but also understands the need to further enhance the value delivered back to the exhibitors and attendees, while helping the show flourish overall.
- A combined winter show is a benefit to the industry. The combined show will bring together the outdoor and snow sports industries under one roof. This means it’s a more effective platform for our members to do business and a greater return on their trade show investment. As a result of one less winter trade show in an increasingly congested trade show landscape, stresses on suppliers and retailers are reduced.
- Selling the show frees up the resources and bandwidth for SIA to develop new programs and tools that will directly benefit the members and their businesses, and help the industry thrive overall.
An overwhelming majority of our voting members agreed with this, with over 70% voting in favor of the sale.
So what does this mean for SIA moving forward?
SIA will continue to play a role in the new show. In addition to continuing to produce the On-Snow Demo at Copper Mountain and Industry + Intelligence Day at the new consolidated January show, SIA will have multiple seats on Outdoor Retailer’s Event Advisory Board, in an effort to provide insight and advice on behalf of our members and the snow industry.
SIA will now have the bandwidth to enhance existing programs, while creating new tools and initiatives to help grow our members’ businesses, including research, education, participation, consumer outreach, and retail support.
The long and short is, SIA is not going anywhere. To be clear, we sold the Snow Show, not the organization. SIA has always been, and will continue to be a member-driven trade association. Our mission is to “help the industry thrive” and that is what we will continue to do!
Many are asking, what will you do with the money? What will SIA do next? While I don’t have all of the answers for you today, I can tell you the following:
SIA staff will present the Board with a three-year strategic plan for the organization in late July. This plan will include specifics around how we will reinvest the proceeds and the creation of new programs and tools that we plan to roll out – to reiterate our areas of focus: research, education, participation, consumer outreach, and retail support.
This plan will also be in line with the Strategic Road Map (below) that we developed over the last 12 months as a result of listening to the wants and needs of the industry.
As for the proceeds of the sale, we will adhere to the following:
For a period of 3 years, a limited amount of funds will be used to run operations until new programs are in place for new revenue streams.
Reinvestment of funds back into the industry, as it relates to SIA Strategic Plan outlined above.
A baseline of the proceeds will be put into an investment fund for a perpetual source to fund long term plans.
We look forward to sharing this plan with the industry when it’s fully baked!
And lastly, what does this mean for you in the short-term?
If we receive your booth space deposit and membership forms BEFORE 11:59 pm on May 31, you will get last year’s show pricing. Despite the fact that SIA members will get discounted square footage at the new show, if you wait until June 1, you will pay more!
I will host a live webinar at 2:00 pm MT on Tuesday (today!) on Brandlive https://sia.yourbrandlive.com/c/sia-snow-show-announcement-meeting to speak more to the sale of the Snow Show and to answer your questions. Looking forward to seeing you there.
I also want to point out that, as we plug along in pursuit of creating greater value for our members, our entire staff is here to answer any questions, listen to your feedback and be of assistance in any way! Whether its Jo in accounting, Todd in communications, Kyle, Colin, Bill and Reese in membership, Kelly in research or Debbie in events, we are here to help!
