ORWM ’13 Preview: SNEWS events picks for the week

Our bags are packed, we’re on a plane and we’re almost to Salt Lake City to partake in yet another cycle of Outdoor Retailer madness.

After compiling the schedule of events for the week, we are super excited at all our options for the week. Below we’ve compiled our top picks of events to hit during the show. If you have anything to add, be sure to include it in the comments section, on our Facebook page, or Tweet it to us.

Our favorite munchies, like New Balance waffles and the brownies from Gramicci, are going on through Friday, so if you need to know where to find nourishment, know that those events are repeated at the same time in the same booth number until Friday.

The All Mountain Demo at Solitude Mountain Resort kicks off the show at 9 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 22. Shuttles to the demo will run hourly from Salt Palace to the Solitude from 8 a.m. to Noon.

More than 50 exhibitors will have booths at Solitude with plenty of events and demo time in-between.

AMD Backcountry Tours

10:30, 11:30 and 1:30

Head to the backcountry with professionally led skiing, riding and snowshoe tours. The trips depart from the Backcountry Tent at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and each last about 2.5 hours. You can sign up at the tent or ahead of time online. Choose from the Sidecountry Tours (skiing or riding out-of-bounds with no skins), Backcountry Tours (skiing or riding out-of-bounds with skins) or Snowshoe Tours.



Peter Devin Memorial Ski Run

9-4

To honor former Outdoor Retailer Show Director Peter Devin, his family and the ongoing fight against ALS, post your time up the Eagle lift and down the run ‘Inspiration’ at Solitude and compare your ‘loop time’ to the current Show Director’s Kenji Haroutunian’s time. He’ll be on Telemark gear so you’re sure to beat him. Suggested donation $10; Posted time will garner Outdoor Retailer to match $10. Beat the Show Director? Outdoor Retailer will match $20 and you get a shot at the prize tent! All proceeds go in Peter Devin’s name to Augie’s Quest, the group fighting to find a cure for ALS.

Nordic Challenge

9-4

Experience the latest in Nordic technology with the AMD Nordic Challenge. Test the newest equipment and participate in an exciting and challenging course for the opportunity to win cool swag and prizes from OR exhibitors. Shuttles will run continuously throughout the day from the entrance to the demo to the Solitude Nordic Track area.

Avalaunch Transceiver Park / Beacon Search Area at Solitude

10:30-4

Avalaunch is teaming up with Be Snow Smart and the Utah Avalanche Center to host the Beacon Search Area at the All-Mountain Demo at Solitude Ski Area. See if you can beat Dean Cummings’ time in the park and win great gear. Join iconic Big Mountain skier and Alaska heliskiing pioneer Dean Cummings for a session designed to bring to life the lessons of his award-winning Be Snow Smart avalanche education program. Participants will learn on-the-go, top-to-bottom terrain assessment techniques, how to make the best backcountry decisions based on Dean’s cardinal Three Strikes rules and other practical tips. Even for veterans with years of formal avalanche training attest, Dean’s approach boils down the most important considerations for backcountry skiing into practical, memorable tips that will help keep you and your partners safer.

Chill Zone

1-5

New for 2013 is the “Chill Zone” where attendees can enjoy music, food and network. Eat and drink at the WienOR Roast with complimentary Sierra Nevada beer, hot dogs, chili and s’mores. Toward the end of the event and the close of the All Mountain Demo, Outdoor Retailer officials will announce their decision for the show’s future location.

Shuttles back to the Salt Palace will run hourly from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Day 1

OIA Industry Breakfast, sponsored by Timberland

7-9 – Salt Lake Downtown Marriott at City Creek

Breakfast and inspiration … what could be better? Join Outdoor Industry Association and The Timberland Company for a complimentary breakfast and inspiring keynote by Eco-Entrepreneur and Urban Revitalization Specialist Majora Carter. As America’s demographics change, we see new challenges and opportunities for wilderness conservation, traditional markets, and public health evolving every day. Majora sees the connection between our growing urban populations and how they experience the outdoors – starting in the same types of low-income urban neighborhoods where she was raised and continues to live and work. As opposed to Homeland Security which focuses attention on statistically insignificant threats from abroad, Majora’s theory of Home(Town) Security starts by looking inward at how we strengthen the fabric of all our communities, and where we can grow from there.



Wake Up with Waffles and New Balance

9-10:30 – #36165

Start your morning with New Balance. Enjoy waffles and all the fixins’ as you check out their fall 2013 collection.

Stinger Waffles and Coffee

9-11 #23039

$5 Honey Stinger Travel Mugs full of coffee and topped with an Organic Stinger Waffle with proceeds benefiting Leave No Trace.

Free NPT Brownies To Make You Smile

9 -6 – #15019

Gramicci is serving up free NPT brownies to celebrate the launch of their hemp performance baselayer. Stop by and share a smile.

Recharge Like a Greek Warrior: NB Greek Yogurt Bar

2-4 – #36165

Get your afternoon energy boost with the New Balance full Greek yogurt bar and check out the fabulous fall 2013 collection.

Pints & Popcorn

2-4 – #155-401

Come enjoy a frosty beverage and popcorn made with flavor-infused cottonseed oil. It’s free and you get to keep the cup.

The Digital Journey of Outdoor Sports Enthusiasts

9-10

Shoppers in the market for outdoor apparel and sporting goods rely heavily on the Internet to make purchase decisions, an influence that’ll continue to grow. Google has partnered with Compete to understand how outdoor brands and retailers can influence shoppers during their purchase journey, with a special focus on the role of search, video and mobile. Join us to learn about shopper behavior and explore effective digital marketing strategies to reach potential buyers. 

Six Strategies for Stealing Customers Back from Amazon

Noon-1

Thanks to smartphones, consumers today can experience a product in the store then buy online for 10-15 percent cheaper. In order to combat “showrooming,” companies need to stop haggling on price and start innovating on service. Learn six ways to develop a bottom-up customer-centered strategy.

Born in the USA: Why Manufacturing’s Return to America is Critical to Your Business

Noon-1:30

This panel discussion hosted by OIA and Woolrich will discuss the challenges and benefits of producing products domestically, what it takes to begin producing domestically and debate whether consumers are really willing to pay the premium for domestically produced goods. 

Lolë White Yoga Session, Get in the Loop! (every day event)

10:30-11, 1-2 – #38213

Come and meet with our Lolë ambassador in the Yoga Zone to get in the loop and be part of the movement. All dressed in white, three local yogis will be moving on the enchanting live music of M-Michèle, a renowned Montreal harpist.

Project OR & Design Center Kick-off Party

2:30-3:30 – Design Center #155-501

Join us in the Design Center and see the latest innovative fabrics driving the outdoor market and get a close-up look at the Project OR competition. Enjoy an afternoon treat while learning more about what the Design Center offers and get a first-hand look at the Project OR design boards while a panel of industry celebrities picks their winner.

Axe Throwing

9-6 – #38154

Stop by the Arborwear booth and try axe throwing. Daily winners receive Arborwear gift certificates. All donations benefit TCIAF.

Meet Blind Hiker Trevor Thomas

4:30-6:30 – #29117W

Come have a drink with Team Farsight and meet their newest member Tennille – the only trail and city trained guide dog.

OR Winter Games Industry Party, sponsored by Sierra Nevada, Ad Roll, UPS and Canada Goose

6-8 – Meeting Room 251

The Outdoor Retailer Winter Games will commence after show close of Day 1 with food and beer, brought to you by Sierra Nevada. The AdRoll Beer Pong Competition is sure to entertain, plus photo booth fun with UPS. Grab a cold Sierra Nevada brew while you watch the hockey game and relax with friends and colleagues. Arc’teryx, Baffin and Canada Goose present the fourth annual Canadian Cup, where 16 industry teams (including Alaskan Retailers, Eddie Bauer, Icebreaker, Keen, Nikwax, The North Face, Prana, PrimaLoft, Outdoor Retailer, Yukon Charlie’s, Woolrich and Rogers Corporation) to raise more than $10,000 for The Conservation Alliance. Must have Outdoor Retailer badge to attend.



Bicycle Dreams Movie

7-9 – Brewvies Cinema Pub

See “Bicycle Dreams,” the award-winning feature-length documentary about the Race Across America (RAAM). The screening is presented as a benefit for the Cutthroat Racing cycling team. The film, which has won numerous awards at film festivals all over the world, is an up-close look at what RAAM riders go through, says Stephen Auerbach, the director and producer of Bicycle Dreams. They deal with searing desert heat, agonizing mountain climbs, and endless stretches of open road. And they do it all while battling extreme exhaustion and sleep deprivation.

Day 2

Conservation Alliance Breakfast

7-8:50 – Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek

Featuring a special presentation by Cheryl Strayed, the author of the acclaimed, No. 1 New York Times bestselling memoir, Wild. At age 22, Strayed found herself shattered by two major life events: her mother’s sudden death from cancer and the end of her young marriage. To cope, Strayed used drugs and sex before she hit rock bottom and confronted her emotional pain by attempting to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Wild tells the amateur hiker’s tale, and illustrates the healing power of our wild places.

All-Level 5k Group Run 

7-7:45 – South Plaza in Athleta Tent

This free 5K starts from the Athleta tent at the Salt Palace’s South Plaza, the Marriott Hotel and the Hilton Hotel, ending at the Athleta City Creek Center store for breakfast, private shopping and Smartwool giveaways. RSVP 801-532-3874.

Good Morning OR – Presented by Runner’s World

7-8:30 – South Plaza

Join the Runner’s World crew on Day 1 and 2 of the show for an early morning run, plus an excellent opportunity to test products, before the show starts. Add these runs to your planner, and don’t forget to set your alarm, both runs begin at 7 a.m.

Protecting Your Brand on the Web and in Social Media

10:30-11:30

Join nationally recognized legal experts to learn how the Internet has changed the world of brand protection from infringements to counterfeiting to how to best safeguard your brand in a world where the Internet has blurred country boundaries and social media enables an instant international town hall meeting.

Why Store Design Matters

Noon-1

Join Alison Embrey Medina, Executive Editor of Display & Design Ideas Magazine as she moderates a panel of world-renowned store design and customer experience experts from leading contract design firms JGA, Little and Gensler to educate you on why design, layout and merchandising matter in your store.

Durable Water Repellency in the Outdoor Products Industry

2-3:30

Getin the know on the use of durable water repellency treatments – and the general class of PFC’s – within the outdoor industry. This session will highlight the key issues and provide an update on the work of the OIA DWR Task Force within the OIA Chemicals Management Working Group.

Competitor/Altra Treadmill Challenge 

10:30 – Noon, 4 and 5 – #36176

Join the team from Competitor Magazine and Altra in the treadmill challenge on the Boston Marathon Course. Battle the clock and each other!

Avalaunch presents Conrad Anker

10:30 – #34105

Visit the Avalaunch booth for a Conrad Anker lecture and Q&A with poster signing afterward.

Merchandising Matters with Robin Enright

11-11:30 – #38213

Learn how Yoga Journal and Robin Enright of Merchandising Matters collaborated to create a booth with a personality all its own. Enright will talk you through the initial design stages, touch upon how design decisions were made and explain what the process from inspiration to execution entailed. Take these insights back to your retail environment or get inspiration for your next Outdoor Retailer booth.

Avalaunch presents Dean Cummings 

Noon – #34105

Dean Cummings presents The Steep Life Protocols with Q&A and poster signings afterward.

Rockin’ Yoga with MPG Messenger Payge McMahon

Noon-12:30 – #38213

Mondetta Performance Gear presents Rockin’ Yoga, an exciting Vinyasa yoga, aka power yoga, workout to rock music, designed for outdoor athletes who love pushing the limits. Mountaineers, rock climbers, backpackers, snowboarders, runners you name it, this is for you.

Outdoor Retailer Presents Close to Nature Runway Show

Noon-12:30, 3-3:30 – Meeting Room 250

See the trends that embody the outdoor culture for Winter 2013/2014 brought to life with the latest technical and lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories the outdoor industry has to offer. Drawing from the lines being presented first at Winter Market, CLOSE TO NATURE will have four showings over two days with roaming displays across the show floor and in the Zones. Next season’s top-sellers and inspiration abound; don’t miss it!

Live Interview with Polar Explorer Eric Larsen

4-6 – #25001

Join us for a live event and happy hour with Eric Larsen, interviewed by Jon Dorn of Backpacker Magazine. You could win a snow bike.

MK Mechanical Bull Rodeo

4-6 – #3001

Donate $20 to Grand Teton NPF, get a $30 MK gift card, find your liquid courage to ride the bull. Buck Off at 5:30.

Outdoor Inspiration Awards Presented by adidas Outdoor 

6-8 – Room 250

Celebrate the individuals, groups, and companies whose efforts excite and motivate others to make the great outdoors a part of their lives. Last winter, Reinhold Messner and Sasha DiGiulian spoke about their motivations in the outdoors and how they pay it forward before recognizing the most inspiring influencers affecting outdoor recreation today, including Erik Weihenmayer, the National Outdoor Leadership School, the Nantahala Outdoor Center, and The North Face.

Backcountry Film Festival

7-9:30 – Brewvies Cinema Pub

The Backcountry Film Festival will be serving up films, brews, food and a killer tonight. Come see why winter rocks.

Bowl-O-Rama 

7-10 – Ritz Lanes, 2265 South State St.

Hop on a free shuttle to get your strike on at ExOfficio’s Bowl-O-Rama. Proceeds benefit OIWC. Register your bowling team at www.oiwc.org.

Wolverine Party with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Mayer Hawthorne

8-2 – The Depot, 400 West South Temple

Tickets to Wolverine’s winter party will be available at booth #32155. Mayer Hawthorne and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis will perform live for an industry-exclusive show. Tickets will be available at the Wolverine booth #32155 during show hours on Thursday and will be available only to badge-holders.

Teva Party

9-2 – Club Elevate, 155 West 200 South

Come on feel the noise; girls rock your boys; come and get wild at the Teva party with us featuring the original Quiet Riot band.

Day 3

OIWC Leadership Awards With Backcountry.com CEO

7-9 – Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek

Jill Layfield, CEO of Backcountry.com brings a unique perspective on how companies can retain top talent that results in a diversification of its leadership team. Through her multitude of roles at Backcountry.com, balancing CEO duties with parenthood, and serving as one of the few women CEOs in the Outdoor Industry, Layfield will reflect on how her experiences can help other companies in the Outdoor Industry. Breakfast included.

Refresh and Renew with Lucy Activewear and Prana Yoga

11:30-Noon, 3:30-4 – #38213

Refresh and renew with Lucy Activewear and Prana Yoga Studio. Join us for thirty minutes of hatha flow. Hatha based yoga focuses on gently paced postures (asanas) and stretches in combination with the breath to develop flexibility and relaxation.

Avalaunch’s Winter Market Awards & Surebert

Noon – #34105

The 2nd annual Avalaunch Winter Market Awards gives industry insiders a chance to honor their picks for the year’s best. The categories include: New Product, Ambassador, Safety Product, Avalanche Educator and Overall Company.

E-Commerce Bootcamp: Pump up Your Online Business in 60 Minutes

Noon-1

Looking to expand your business from startup to superstar? It’s time to start selling your products online. Join small business e-commerce expert, Matt Winn from Volusion, as he whips your business into shape to start or expand selling online.

The Yoga Craze: Defining Retail Opportunities

1:30-2:30

Fact: Over 16 million people practice yoga in the U.S. and people who practice yoga are also huge outdoor enthusiasts. Get insider perspectives from a manufacturer, a retailer, a studio owner and a yoga teacher that will help your business tap into the potentially profitable yoga market. Presented by the Yoga Journal.

Journalism in the Digital Age: Reaching Broader Audiences

3-4

Led by Yoon Kim, this seminar focuses on how digital publications can reach larger and broader audiences. Opening words will be given by Kenji Haroutunian, Stasia Raines of Outdoor Nation, and Megan Mulligan of SNEWS. The session will break into workshops on specific Internet marketing tactics such as bookmark marketing (Reddit and Pinterest), SEO, and Social Media (FB, Twitter, IBM).

And the winner is!

4-4:30 Design Center 155-501

Join us in the Design Center to toast the winner of Project OR Cycle 10. See all the designer’s final garments and cast your vote for the People’s Choice winner.

Competitor Magazine’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Endurance Happy Hour

4:30 – 6 – #36176

Visit the Competitor Magazine team in the Endurance Zone for the Rock ‘N’ Roll Happy Hour. Enter to win a race entry to an upcoming Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon Event.

Voile Presents Head For The Hills at The Stateroom

8-11:30 – The Stateroom, 638 South State Street

Voile presents Head For The Hills bluegrass band at The Stateroom. Free tickets at Voile booth #30027E.

All Star Industry Jam

8-1 – Club Elevate, 155 West 200 South

Join Osprey Packs, Klean Kanteen and Timmy O’Neill for music and drinks benefiting 5 Gyres and Paradox Sports. $10 donation.

Day 4:

Prana Rejuvenation Room

8:10-8:50, 11:05-11:45 – Upstairs in Meeting Room 254C

Free Yoga at the Prana Rejuvenation Room.

Lunch Hour Fashion Show

Noon-1 #17027

Come to the SportHill Booth for our Winter 2013 Product Fashion Show. Beautiful models and lunch are on us. Details at booth #17207.

–Compiled by David Clucas and Ana Trujillo