United By Snow: On Day 3 of SIA Snow Show Industry Gathers To Do Business, Socialize, Learn and Get Inspired

Denver, CO (January 31, 2015) — Between meetings and appointments, industry members found time on Day 3 of the 2015 SIA Snow Showand Sourcing Snow in Denver, Colo. (Jan. 29 – Feb. 1, 2015) for networking, education, browsing for new niche products and visiting the Show’s curated exhibits to learn about different market segments. With 60+ seminars and clinics as well as opportunities to meet with peers on issues that affect their business, retailers, reps and brands can all find a way to get inspired – keeping the industry in tune with issues and trends concerning all aspects of the snow sports business.

“For me, the Show is so much more than just a product presentation, it’s a true breeding ground for ideas and inspiration,” saidTeddy Schiavone, owner of Summit Ski Shop in Framingham, MA. “The forums, the marketing information, and the opportunities for retailers like me to network with each other has become a major feature for me. The mini think tanks going on are such a great asset; the opportunity to network in a productive environment and share ideas is definitely one of the best things about the Show.”

“The Snow Show seminars and curated sections address so many production, marketing and sales questions while giving buyers, reps and manufacturers the chance to think about long-term business solutions,” said Maggie Bittner, Associate Director of Meetings, Events, and Education for SnowSports Industries America (SIA), the snow sports industry’s member-owned trade association.

“So many good seminars, so little time. There are a ton of good seminar topics this year. Just walked out of one with a very engaging speaker- that is always a plus when time is of the essence,” said Geoff Brugler, Appalachian Outdoors, State College, PA

Seminars in Sourcing Snow were new to the education line up for 2015, convening designers and suppliers to discover product development trends, technologies and planning.

Ali Levy, SIA’s visual merchandising consultant, delivered her Sourcing Snow seminar Displays on a Budget, and inspired the attendees to think outside the box. “Using tape rolls in a display is genius,” enthused Laura McLaughlin from Turtle Fur. “I never would have thought of that.”

The NEW Nordic Center presented by Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA) and media partners, Cross Country Skier, Ski Post, SkiTrax, Snowshoe Magazine, XCSkiResorts.com offered buyers an exclusive preview of apparel, equipment, accessories and technologies specific for the cross country and snowshoe experience with marketing and merchandising education

“I’m so thrilled to see SIA bringing Nordic gear together in this exhibit to give buyers an overview of what’s available,” said Penelope Gleason, Marketing Director at Paragon Outfitters and Boot Doctors in Telluride CO. “The category is growing so much. We’ve seen a huge boom in popularity in our store, and I love getting to see what’s new and being able to ask questions in a relaxed environment.”

CRAFT @ SIA  returned to the Snow Show with even more exhibitors in its second year to educate the industry about the small, independent, hand-crafted ski and snowboard manufacturers.

“If we weren’t at SIA, we’d just be roaming the carpet, looking at other exhibitor’s stuff so having our 8 feet of fame at CRAFT at least puts us in the game – we’re in the house!” said Caleb Baukol, Big Wood Ski.

Cyrus Schenk, founder of Renoun Skis, is a new exhibitor to CRAFT and is a 2015/16 ISPO Gold award winner for Most Innovative Design. “To be at SIA is an opportunity that without the CRAFT display wouldn’t be possible at all. The exposure we’re going to get from this is just unbelievable,” he said. “We’re so excited to be here, so excited to show our product, and to really show the world a new way to design skis. This is only the beginning.”

Another popular spot on Show floor was the Women’s Lounge, uniting the latest in women’s gear and apparel. “The lines look great – people are in great spirits and there is a huge women’s presence and exposure to the marketplace at this Show in comparison to others. This is a pretty male-dominated industry but I think more vendors are coming out with more unique women’s products – which is awesome!” said Cassandra Medrano, the CLYMB, Portland, OR.

At Backcountry Experience, the launch of Project Zero’sBackcountry Starts Here industry collaborative backcountry safety campaign convened retailers, reps, and the media to consider and discuss safety issues surrounding this growing segment of the industry.

“We’re hoping to sell backcountry gear in the near future, so the Backcountry Experience Exhibit seminars are a huge help to me,” said Michael Crites, VP of Marketing for REVANT OPTICS. “With selling this gear comes responsibility to educate, so we need to think about not only the messaging, but the how-to information and the needs we’re going to address. These people are going to be plugged into these safety concerns and that’s going to guide our decision making about what types of product we’re going to bring into our shop. Backcountry Starts Here is amazing – it will help us so much with all the education efforts and provide us with a way to help our customers. It’s so much better than having to start from scratch on our own.”

The annual SIA Snow Show is where influential and visionary snow sports brands connect with leading retailers, resorts and media to unveil their latest innovations, exchange ideas and build relationships that shape the industry.

For more information regarding SIA Snow Show events, hotels/travel and exhibitors, go to: SIAsnowshow.com. For 24/7 updates on all things 2015 Snow Show, check SIA’s Latest and follow SIA on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. We’ll be sending highlights before and during the Show to keep you in the know. Use #SIA15, #SIA15intel and #SIA15demo to join the conversation.

– SIA –

Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2014, SnowSports Industries America (SIA) is a non-profit member-owned trade association with a long history of working to support the snow sports industry. SIA, based in the Washington, DC Metro-Area with offices in CO, OR and RI, works year-round with North American snow sports suppliers, retailers, resorts, reps and service providers to develop products and programs for their individual and collective business needs. With member support and industry participation, SIA annually hosts the industry’s largest core winter sports trade show, the SIA Snow Show, along with the On-Snow Demo/Ski-Ride Fest and the Sourcing Snow supplier show. SIA also helps retailers and resorts connect with snow sports participants around the country through Snowlink.com. Learn more at Snowsports.org.