The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), which in July ended its 30-year partnership with Outdoor Retailer trade show, has inked a strategic partnership with the Switchback trade show to support the now semi-annual outdoor trade show. The year-round partnership will debut at the inaugural Switchback Spring in Nashville, TN from June 16 to 18, 2025.
It will also include support of Switchback’s late fall event, held in conjunction with The Running Event.
Switchback, owned by Diversified Communications (Div Comm), originally launched in fall of 2022 as a specialty outdoor showcase at The Running Event (TRE), North America’s run and outdoor specialty retail conference and trade show. Earlier this summer, the event organizers announced the addition of Switchback Spring, a new standalone gathering to be held each June during a key time in the spring/summer buying calendar.
Alison Hill, OIA board chair and CEO of Lifestraw, said in a statement, “This new partnership with Switchback underscores OIA’s commitment to driving the future business growth and overall health of the outdoor industry. We’re excited to join the Switchback team and collaborate on an event that will bring the industry together, which is critical for fostering innovation, driving business, strengthening industry culture, and ensuring long-term sustainability.”
“The number one request I hear from both long-time veterans of our industry and the rising next generation is ‘give us a great place to gather.’ The Switchback team has a proven track record of success, and we’re excited to collaborate with them on growing an event that can deliver multiple benefits to a wide range of outdoor industry members,” said Kent Ebersole, OIA president.
“OIA and Switchback are completely aligned on the importance of building a valuable and welcoming environment for the entire outdoor industry community and doing it with the support of quality industry partners. OIA has an inspirational commitment to this industry and the people who comprise it, and their deep working relationships with both brands and retailers is unparalleled,” said Christina Henderson, Switchback event director.
Upcoming dates and locations for Switchback include Austin, Texas (Switchback at TRE, November 19-21, 2024); and Nashville, Tennessee (Switchback Spring, June 16-18, 2025).
OIA’s exclusive partnership with the Outdoor Retailer show, which is owned by Emerald Expositions, was expected to conclude following the 2024 Outdoor Retailer Winter Show from November 6 to 8, 2024, but show owner Emerald Expositions canceled the November show with a plan to focus solely on a June event for now.
As reported by SGB Media (see below), the changeover comes as Boulder-based OIA has shifted away from its heavy reliance on Outdoor Retailer trade show royalties as the show continued to get smaller and exhibitors left the venue. Under the leadership of Kent Ebersole, who took the reins at OIA in 2022 just as Outdoor Retailer was exiting its five-year home in Denver to return to Salt Lake City, the non-profit has reworked its programs and membership to shift more of the revenue to program services.
In late September. Outdoor Retailer’s organizers said it was shifting from two shows to one show a year with plans to merge its winter and summer trade shows into one event set in June 2025. Show director Sean Smith said at the time, “Having one show will enable Outdoor Retailer to deliver a larger, more comprehensive show and an enhanced experience which will better serve both retailers and brands.”
The Switchback event will still find competition for attention from retailers and vendors as Grassroots Connect also holds its Spring show in mid-June in Reno, NV. In 2025, Grassroots Connect’s spring show runs from June 9 to 12. Newer to the space is the Big Gear Show, a consumer-focused show that partnered with Outside in Denver, CO.
Image courtesy Switchback/Diversified Communications Inc.
More from SGB Media on the OIA show partnership front:
EXEC: Assessing the Financial Impact of the OIA and Outdoor Retailer Break Up
