Photo by Keith Fearnow, courtesy of Outdoor Retailer.
Outdoor Retailer is announcing some big news today – they are moving to one annual show in June rather than having two shows each year.
That means OR November 2024 will not stage in a few months.
The Daily asked Outdoor Retailer Show Director Sean Smith questions about the new strategy and what it means for OR going forward.
Why is Outdoor Retailer cancelling the November show?
Outdoor Retailer Show Director Sean Smith: We aren’t cancelling the November show, but rather we’ve made the decision to position the Outdoor Retailer Winter and Summer Shows into a larger, more comprehensive show to be held in June of 2025.
Our decision comes after taking in a ton of feedback from exhibitors and attendees along with data on just how important the June sell-in time is for the industry. Having one show will enable Outdoor Retailer to deliver a larger, more comprehensive show and an enhanced experience which will better serve both retailers and brands.
Any concern that combining the two OR shows into one June show may buoy other outdoor shows that have emerged?
Sean Smith: Focusing on putting one larger, more comprehensive show in the important sell-in month of June is where we’re putting our attention. We believe that is what’s right for our exhibitors and attendees and the industry. We can’t worry about what other shows might or might not do. Our primary concern has to be what we think is best for our business as it serves the outdoor industry.
What will this mean for the June 2025 show? Any new or different plans for that?
Sean Smith: The June 2024 OR show was successful and brought some renewed energy and optimism. A big part of that was the launch of our hosted buyer program which resulted in a strong turnout of key retail buyers from all channels. For June 2025, we will continue with our significant investment in bringing the best and most varied group of buyers to the show.
We also are committed to increasing our efforts to get new and innovative brands and products to the show because that’s what really drives the industry. Some examples include offering state pavilions (like Maine and Arkansas), a new emerging brands section called Ascent, and new product categories such as backyard games, outdoor living, and high-end gift and souvenir.
Our goal for June 2025 is to grow what we did in 2024, and bring even more energy and fun while ensuring that we focus on connecting buyers with brands.
Is it still important to OR to attract large brands as well as newer brands? Will there be any new strategies introduced to attract larger brands to the June 2025 show?
Sean Smith: It absolutely is critical to OR that we attract large brands as well as newer brands! We believe the newer brands being at the show should inspire the large brands to be there, but it will be our commitment to buyers through our hosted buyer program that should be the draw for the larger brands. The main objective for exhibiting brands at a trade show is to connect with buyers and OR will have the buyers that brands of all sizes will want to see.
In addition, our sister company, Elastic Suite, is offering a special program for brands who are on the Elastic Suite platform. As the leading B2B site for the outdoor industry, OR is excited for Elastic brands to take advantage of the special pricing for June 2025.
Will OR stay in Salt Lake City going forward?
Sean Smith: Absolutely. OR is staying in Salt Lake City and we’re happy to be there. Salt Lake City has been such a great partner – from Visit Salt Lake to the Salt Palace Convention Center to all the businesses downtown. It’s a beautiful city. It’s safe, close to the airport, and convenient in terms of brands doing business and getting set up in the convention center. We heard nothing but positive feedback from exhibitors and attendees about being in Salt Lake during and after the June 2024 show.
How is OR looking to differentiate itself going forward compared to other shows in the market? What role does OR want to play in the outdoor industry going forward?
Sean Smith: We believe OR made it clear this past June on the differentiation. OR’s role is to be a true national show for retail buyers from all channels. We provide a deep level of connections not just nationally, but internationally as well. And our educational content on the show floor is something most retailers value heavily, which is clear by the sheer number of attendees at each session.
OR also puts a spotlight on providing retailers with a great collection of new brands and products as we talked about earlier. And no other show has the hosted buyer program that we offer.
All that said, we appreciate the role that other shows in the market play as well, such as GOA. They’re important and do a great job. Going forward, we want to continue to bring in buyers from a wide variety of retail channels, provide strong educational programming, deliver quality media coverage, and be the national gathering of the outdoor industry’s thought leaders.
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