By now, I am sure you have all heard the news that the dates of the Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show are shifting to January 30 – Feb 1, 2019.
This is great news, especially given the success of last January’s show. Coming out of that show, it was clear that the earlier dates were either untenable or not advantageous for a large number of suppliers, retailers and the buying groups; SSL and SMC. We heard these concerns and subsequently engaged in countless conversations over the past few months with Outdoor Retailer on moving the dates back to the end of January.
Outdoor Retailer listened and worked hard to accommodate our feedback. Kudos to them for listening to our industry and doing the right thing to keep us together. Just as we all had an opportunity to convene and create one of the most successful shows and business environments in recent history, it is critical now, for the success of our entire industry, that we maintain this momentum into the future.
But this change did not come easy. It took the hard work of a lot of people and the coordination of a number of major moving parts, especially with SSL and SMC who undertook a major change of course mid-stream to keep the Winter Sports Market in Denver. I applaud their efforts, the collective efforts of the industry, Outdoor Retailer and those of the city of Denver who all made this change possible.
However, the date change has understandably created a bit of confusion on a couple of issues that I will quickly address:
The November Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. The Outdoor Retailer Winter Market is still scheduled for November 8-11, 2018 in Denver. There has been no change to this show. As I’ve mentioned before, this show is a great venue for outdoor apparel brands that have early deadlines and those winter suppliers that want to create a “reveal” or “first showing” of their new products with both the outdoor and winter buyers. In addition, the November Outdoor Retailer Winter Market will provide busy retailers with the ability to have first time conversations with manufacturers and product managers.
The SIA/WWSRA On-Snow Demo. We are reviewing the 2019 on-snow demo options with our partner (WWSRA) in regards to the new dates. As the new snow dates are mid-week, we’re evaluating how and where we can provide the best possible demo given these new constraints. More information will be forthcoming in the coming weeks.
And not to be forgotten in all of this good news; we closed-out the 2017/18 season here in Park City with SIA’s Spring Fest at Thin Air, a two-day event hosted by SIA featuring some of the most inspiring Olympic athletes, business leaders, and entrepreneurs speaking to a packed house of snow sports industry execs, local business leaders, athletes and students. The event delivered on our mission of educating the industry and providing the tools for all of us to strengthen our businesses for the long-term and from the feedback we’ve received, the first-time event was a success. Thank you to everyone who attended and to the SIA board who came out in force.
Enjoy the last turns of the season.
