PRESS RELEASES | Published Nov 2, 2020
Surf Expo, the premier watersports and beach lifestyle tradeshow announce today that their upcoming January 6-8, 2021 show will take place in the West Concourse of the Orange County Convention Center, a shift from the North/South Hall where the show has been held previously.
Roy Turner, Surf Expo Show Director and SVP said, “Our top priority is to reunite the industry together safely. Our team is committed to creating an experience where we can safely and effectively conduct business.”
The West Concourse will provide space for social distancing plus multiple entry and exit points to the show floor, a more favorable floorplan, and easier move in and move out for exhibitors. At around 120,000 net square feet, the reduced footprint will allow for approximately 420 exhibitors with increased aisle space for distancing. While attendance is expected to decrease somewhat due to travel restrictions and store closures, the overwhelming response from retailers is that they need inventory, and want an in-person show. Retailers from all across the US and Caribbean are registered to attend including Hi Tech Surf Sports from Maui, HI, Sun Diego from Carlsbad CA, K-Coast Surf Shop, Ocean City MD, Archie’s Surf Shop in Ontario, CA, Coastal Edge from VA Beach, Red Sail Sports in Aruba and Grand Cayman.
Allyson Catanzaro, Buyer and Boutique Manager at La Playa Beach and Golf Resort in Naples, Florida said, “I am looking forward to attending Surf Expo to see vendors in person and to be able to touch and feel product. Zoom calls have worked, but it doesn’t replace the in-person contact.”
Jim Archibald, owner of Archie’s Surf Shop in Ontario, Canada added, “Surf Expo has been hugely instrumental in our success. Archies wouldn’t be the same without it. We haven’t missed a winter show in 30 years. I don’t want to break the stretch.”
The January 2021 show will be the first gathering of the industry since our January 2020 Surf Expo. Events will include the annual Florida Shape Off board shaping competition, live seminars, fashion shows, the Surf Expo Industry Party and happy hours.
“Our focus will be to conduct the show with safety at the forefront. A comprehensive preparedness, prevention and response plan is in place, based on guidance issued by the by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and federal, state, and local governments. This plan is our commitment to providing assurance and confidence that our events have health and safety as our number one priority,” added Roy Turner.
All information about health and safety is available on surfexpo.com, which will be updated as we move closer to the show.
About Surf Expo:
Surf Expo is largest and longest running watersports, beach and resort lifestyle tradeshow in the world. Produced twice annually, the show draws buyers from specialty stores, major chains, resorts, cruise lines, marinas and beach rental companies from across the U.S., the Caribbean, Central and South America and around the world. Surf Expo features apparel, hard goods, accessories and gifts, and a full line-up of special events, fashion shows, and annual award ceremonies. Surf Expo is a trade-only event. The next show will be held January 6-8, 2021 and September 9-11, 2021 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando Florida. www.surfexpo.com or connect on Instagram @surfexpo, Twitter @surfexpo and Facebook @SurfExpoOrlando.
Surf Expo is owned by Emerald Expositions, a leading operator of business-to-business trade shows in the United States. The company currently operates 60 trade shows, as well as numerous other face-to-face events. In 2018, Emerald’s events connected over 500,000 global attendees and exhibitors and occupied nearly 7 million net square feet of exhibition space.
For more information on Surf Expo visit surfexpo.com
Be sure to visit the Shop Eat Surf website to view valuable Industry News and Resourceful Articles regularly via this link: Shop Eat Surf
If you are not already a BRA Retail Member, you can easily opt in to either Regular (no cost) or Distinguished ($99/yr.) Membership via this super simple join form