Outdoor Retailer Trade Show Update — Summer Market '03
Outdoor Industry looking athletic and fitness-oriented with an array of companies that fit that bill, from running and walking to yoga and Pilates. Plus, info about TNF's adventure race.
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SNEWS will be running regular Outdoor Retailer trade show updates through August. The intent is to keep the industry up-to-date with news and information that will help retailers, reps and exhibitors with trade show attendance and planning.
Outdoor Industry looking more athletic and fitness-oriented by the day
If you had any doubts about the increasing influence of the fitness and athletic sect on the outdoor industry, look no further than the exhibitor line-up for this summer’s Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. More and more leading manufacturers with an emphasis on running, yoga and fitness will be in Salt Lake City this August. With a continued interest in physical activity and mental well-being in the consumer landscape, that bodes will for retail buyers who will find over 200 companies with products designed to help their customers “gear up and get out” in these activities!
We took a glance at the exhibitor list and culled the following companies you might want to make time for in your planning calendar:
In running and fitness – Adidas, Asics, Brooks, CW-X, Fuelbelt, Hind, New Balance, Nike ACG, Speedo, Sugoi, Thor-Lo, Timex, Wigwam, Cannondale, Sporthill, Patagonia, Lava Gear, Gramicci/Icebreaker, Fitter International
With yoga goods and apparel – Blue Canoe, Hugger Mugger, Material Performance, Prana, Gaiam, RACC Wear, Blurr, Stonewear Designs, Eldo (La Sportiva), Wild Roses, Isis
Get hooked on adventure racing with TNF’s Outdoor Industry Challenge
The North Face will be the presenting sponsor of Four Winds ’03: The USA Supreme Adventure Race/Utah, Aug. 14-21. Teams will mountain bike, trek, kayak, swim, horseback ride, power parachute, navigate, boulder bound, rappel and ascend across a secret course through the Uinta and Ashley National Forests and Jordanelle and Wasatch State Parks.
Additionally, TNF recently sent out a “race within a race” challenge to the outdoor retail industry for companies to create their own squads and attempt to beat a TNF adventure racing team. The corporate teams will race the same course as the other competitors of the USA Adventure Race — all coinciding with Outdoor Retailer Summer Market.
TNF will provide daily coverage of the race in its booth — Booth 250 — during the show. TNF is also promising to donate $1,000 to Leave No Trace for every team that beats the TNF team in the Outdoor Industry Challenge. Interested teams should contact TNF by email at letitia_ferrier@vfc.com.
Major props for the creative challenge box sent to TNF competitors. We particularly love the sticker that says, “Four Winds. What you’ll feel when our team blows past you.” Naturally, our juvenile minds drifted and pondered if this meant the TNF team of four finely tuned athletes would be breaking wind every time it passed someone, and then, of course we imagined that would be motivation enough to stay in the lead.
As much as we would love to jump into the fray, SNEWS wishes that TNF had picked a different time to hold an industry adventure racing challenge since it is enough of a challenge just to cope with managing the buying, selling and power schmoozing at Outdoor Retailer.
