OIA urges support for Outdoor Retailer Winter Market
17/12/2018
This year was one of change for Outdoor Retailer. The shift in dates was brought about after organiser Emerald Expositions acquired the Snow Show from SnowSports Industries America (SIA). As a result, it launched a new event known as the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show. This takes place in January, with the Winter Market instead moving to November to coincide with the beginning of buying cycles.
The situation was also complicated by the fact that these two events, as well as the Summer Market, have been relocated from Salt Lake City to Denver this year. The new venue is the Colorado Convention Centre.
The inaugural Outdoor Retailer Snow Show took place in January 2018, with the Winter Market taking up its new slot for the first time last month. Feedback from those at November’s exhibition suggested visitor numbers were considerably down on previous editions, something which OIA appears to have confirmed in a recent statement.
“The first Outdoor Retailer Snow Show filled the Colorado Convention Centre with buzz, new energy and excited brands and retailers, which obscured the fact that late January is still too late for many outdoor brands and likely will not be sustainable for years to come,” OIA said.
The organisation added that there is now confusion among outdoor companies about which exhibition they should attend and has moved to offer clarification for those having difficulty making a decision.
It explained: “The reasons to have our industry’s winter launch show in November remain as strong as ever. Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in November is the right time for our brands to launch their winter collections to retailers. Showcasing new product lines to retailers at the beginning of the selling season allows brands to highlight innovation and build momentum for a strong selling season.”
OIA went on to emphasise its belief that outdoor brands with winter collections to show are best served attending the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in November 2019.
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