NSSRA says retailers ‘disappointed’ in new Snow Show dates
The National Ski & Snowboard Retailers Association released their first official comment about the new Snow Show dates, saying they were 'disappointed' at not being included in the talks. NSSRA President Brad Nelson tells SNEWS exactly why he's upset, and why there might still be hope.
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The National Ski & Snowboard Retailers Association issued an official statement regarding the new Snow Show dates for 2013, saying they were “disappointed” in the move and “considering options that might better represent the interests of snow sports retailers.”
The statement, issued on March 23 was the result of an emergency teleconference held to discuss the recent announcement of earlier Snow Show dates starting in 2013 by the SnowSports Industries America Board.
The newly announced 2013 show dates are January 12-15, one week prior to the Martin Luther King Jr., holiday weekend and approximately two weeks earlier than current show dates.
In the statement, NSSRA Chairman Brad Nelson said, “We are disappointed once again that show dates are being chosen based on the needs of manufacturers rather than retailers. Our office has received feedback from our members that indicates that for many reasons these dates do not work for specialty snow sports retailers.”
In a follow-up call with SNEWS®, Nelson said the statement was necessary to put out a clear message from the snow sports retail community regarding the new show dates. Nelson said, “The only way to explain it is that we are sick of this. We are an equal partner in this conversation, and were not at all part of the decision-making process. The dates we have for the show right now are not good, but this is way worse.”
Nelson said while he can understand the reasoning that led to the new dates, he cannot understand why retailers—“the customers at the show”–were not consulted. He said that now, rather than capitalizing on the momentum of a record-breaking sales year, “We’re arguing about show dates.”
“Hopefully the statement achieves what we want it to do, which is create a new discourse about the issues with the new dates, and maybe the decision can be rethought,” Nelson said. “In the end, whatever dates we choose are not going to help us sell one more ski, or create one more skiers. What we should really be doing with all of this energy is focusing on growing the sport.”
For more background on SNEWS WinterSports’ continuing coverage of this issue, click here. And, be sure to voice your opinion on the date move using our Reader Survey posted below.
–Peter Kray
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