Editor’s Note | April is an exciting month at SNEWS

Find out what’s cooking at SNEWS this month.

It’s been a busy few months at SNEWS. Aside from keeping up with an unprecedented number of breaking news stories in this first quarter of 2017, and working hard to be your number one source for the latest in outdoor industry news, we have so many exciting projects in the works.

Here are six things assistant editor Kassondra Cloos and I are beyond psyched to share with you this month.

1. Our Spotlight Series this month is all about Gear and Apparel Design. In partnership with Bolger & O’Hearn, the Massachusetts-based specialty chemical innovator, we’ve got a diverse collection of stories about what goes into the outdoor products we sell. We’ll be looking at forces outside the outdoor industry that influence design trends, exploring sustainable design practices and taking a deep dive into fluorocarbons and DWRs, and giving you an opportunity to test your sustainability IQ.

2. Have you noticed the new columns we’ve debuted recently?

>#CoolShops introduces you to new specialty outdoor retail shop each week, each with a unique business model, and a new spin on connecting with customers. If you are a shop doing cool things—or if you want to nominate one for coverage, please send us some deets at snewsedit@aimmedia.com.
>5-Second Polls are a way for you to keep your finger on the pulse of the industry. Our polls literally take 5 seconds or less to complete, and you can immediately see how your answers compare to everyone else’s. Gauge your opinions—on everything from who’s the ideal tent mate in a blizzard to who has done the most for gender equality in the outdoor industry—against your colleagues. Plus, by participating, you can win some cool prizes.
>3 Questions With…is a weekly convo with an interesting character. These aren’t long-winded, dense interviews, but short, sweet, easy to read on the go, and full of insights you won’t find anywhere else.
>Elevator Pitch launches this Thursday. You’ll get the chance to “ride the elevator” with brand new companies and hear about innovative products in two minutes or less. If you’d like to be featured in this new series, click here to apply.
>Trail Food Fridayin which we boldly sample some of the craziest new trail foods to tell you about the good, the bad, and the just plain weird.

3. I’m also proud to continue to roll out our Innovation Project video series in partnership with Marmot, which features interviews with some of the best independent specialty outdoor retailers in the biz. Our industry relies on the passion, expertise, and, yes, innovation that these shops display every day on the front lines of our industry.

4. Award-winning writer, Tracy Ross, has turned her attention to business reporting with a special feature on the widespread trend of outdoor brands opening their own brick-and-mortar shops around the country. She looks at what’s driving this trend, how it effects nearby independent retailers, and best practices for running these stores in a way that doesn’t alienate their retail partners. be on the look out for that story later this week.

5. Outdoor Retailer, where our industry gathers as a unified tribe with a common purpose, is just 97 days away. This summer marks the 35th anniversary of OR, and as always, SNEWS is proud to be the team behind OR Daily. We are deep into planning, assigning stories, gathering product and trend info, building out a calendar of events, and getting ready for what is sure to be a passionate show. If you have an event to promote, a new product to brag about, or just a cool story idea, now’s the time to put a bug in our ear. Click here for everything you need to know.

6. And last, but certainly not least, we are preparing for the launch of our shiny new website next month. I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say it will be epic.

Thanks for coming along for the ride. As always, I welcome your comments and feedback, and hope to see you out on the trail.

Cheers,

Kristin Hostetter
Editor-in-Chief