This summer, the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), a 4,000-member trade group based in Boulder, Colorado, and Outdoor Retailer, a biannual trade show owned by Emerald, agreed to conclude their exclusive 30-year partnership.
Outdoor Retailer provides a platform for face-to-face commerce, product launches, networking and industry training to improve business and support the outdoor recreation economy that reached $1.1 trillion in spending in 2022 in the United States, a 19% increase from 2021, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). U.S. outdoor businesses earned $563.7 billion in 2022, representing 2.2% of the country’s gross domestic product, according to the BEA.
OIA members will continue to receive a 10% discount on booth rates to exhibit through Outdoor Retailer Winter 2024, which will be held November 6-8 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.
Context: Outdoor Retailer brings together retailers, manufacturers, designers, distributors, industry advocates, journalists and more to drive outdoor recreation through commerce, unique product experiences, dedicated media events, content and web-based business solutions. The industry gathering is one of 140 trade shows and events produced by Emerald, a public company that generated $382.8 million in revenue in 2023, according to its annual report.
Related: Earnings: Emerald cuts losses, resumes dividend payments
What they say: “OIA and Outdoor Retailer have a longstanding partnership that has provided industry-leading education, networking and community experiences. We value the valuable opportunities that Outdoor Retailer has long provided and continues to provide to the outdoor industry and our members,” said Kent Ebersole, OIA president, in a press release. “This next chapter allows our organizations to work to unify our industry, foster growth and deepen community engagement.”
Why it matters: “Outdoor Retailer is proud to have worked closely with OIA throughout our decades-long partnership and the collaborative ways we have cultivated growth across the outdoor industry,” said Sean Smith, Outdoor Retailer Show Director. “As we move forward, we will continue to work with industry organizations like OIA and others to provide valuable education and community advocacy at our shows and commit resources that ensure the industry progresses and thrives. We are committed to serving the evolving marketplace and providing the strongest national stage for the outdoor community to gather, learn and build relationships.”
TSNN’s Danica Tormohlen spoke to Lindsay Hubley, senior vice president of Emerald’s sports and outdoor group, who oversees a portfolio of trade and consumer shows that includes Surf Expo, Outdoor Retailer, Overland Expo and Outdoor Design and Innovation. We also reached out to the OIA for comment, and a spokesperson told us that the OIA is in the process of solidifying some future partnerships and event opportunities, but declined to comment further at this time.
What are the immediate and long-term plans for Outdoor Retailer after the conclusion of the exclusive partnership with OIA?
Outdoor Retailer plans to continue working with the Outdoor Industry Association on educational programs, outreach efforts, and connecting the OIA with existing members and potential new members at the Outdoor Retailer show each year. Ending the exclusive portion of our relationship helps both Outdoor Retailer and the Outdoor Industry Association work with a multitude of partners to achieve their goals and expand each entity’s overall reach.
How do you plan to maintain the value and appeal of Outdoor Retailer shows without the exclusive partnership with OIA?
Outdoor Retailer’s value proposition is built on connecting brands, products and service providers with retailers of all sizes. This year, Outdoor Retailer rolled out several new features, including the all-new Hosted Buyer Program, limited booth sizes and dedicated buyer hours, to foster quality relationships.
With new and traditional brands on display and over 50 educational sessions and events from a variety of vendors, Outdoor Retailer provided three valuable days for the outdoor industry to do business and build relationships. Outdoor Retailer will continue to invest in these strategies while focusing on developing new and discoverable brands at the show floor to ensure retailers continue to receive long-term value.
Can you provide any statistics or information on how recent Outdoor Retailer shows performed in terms of attendance and participation?
While we don’t have specific attendance or exhibitor data to share, I can share the following information from Outdoor Retailer’s 2024 Summer Show Recap:
Outdoor Retailer and Outdoor Design + Innovation introduced several new features at the summer shows, including the all-new Hosted Buyer Program, which welcomed more than 165 buyers. In total, buyers represented more than 30,000 retail locations. More than 80% of the brands at Outdoor Retailer were first-time exhibitors, providing critical discoveries for retail buyers looking for next-generation products relevant to the new outdoor consumer. Additionally, with new and legacy brands exhibiting and more than 50 educational sessions and events, the shows provided valuable time for the outdoor industry to conduct business and build relationships.
How will Outdoor Retailer continue to support industry education and community advocacy in the absence of its exclusive partnership with the OIA?
Outdoor Retailer is excited to continue working with the OIA on educational programs and will now be able to work with many other nonprofit advocacy groups to advance initiatives in the outdoor industry.
Related: Outdoor Retailer Consolidates Winter Market and Snow Show
What steps is Outdoor Retailer taking to adapt to the changing needs of the outdoor industry?
Outdoor Retailer took a category-driven approach to its floor plans, including embracing new categories, such as adding a pickleball area inside the living room to highlight emerging trends that are of interest to new outdoor consumers.
We also launched our Hosted Buyer Program to help retailers traveling to Salt Lake City engage with the show community. OR has also adopted a model to support new and discoverable brands, providing essential discovery for retail buyers looking for next-generation and relevant products for the newest outdoor consumer. Limited booth sizes will continue to ensure smaller brands have as much opportunity to generate new business at OR as more established brands.
Related: Emerald Expositions buys SIA Snow Show, merges with outdoor retailer
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