Outdoor Retailer hosted more than 27,000 overall attendees, and 1,595 exhibitors, including 329 who were new to Summer Market.


 

The exhibits filled 545,684 net square feet, 95,000 in temporary pavilion structures, making Summer Market 2014 the largest OR show ever staged.

 

 

“The feedback from the market has been very positive. Summer Market featured paddlesports, running, climbing, yoga, technology and so much more. Innovation in gear and accessories continues to drive consumer interest which brings more and more traffic to specialty outdoor retail, the heart and soul of our industry,” said Kenji Haroutunian, Emerald Expositions vice president and Outdoor Retailer show director. “Each year the OR team strives to develop content and business opportunities that support the overall growth of the industry.”

 

 

Summer Market kicked off at the Open Air Demo, Aug. 5 with near pristine weather and water conditions at Pineview Reservoir’s Cemetery Point. Retailers, media and brand representatives gathered to get hands-on and demo more than 130 brands. Activities from Glamping to a multisport competition made the day memorable for retail buyers and media.

 

 

The industry met in the Salt Palace Convention Center for an additional four full days of product launches, events, business education, buying and networking.

 

 

“The show has been fantastic! Lots of fun new things, awesome colors, great patterns, innovations and new fabrics, lots of energy and life. It’s a real happy experience…again,” said Sarah Schuster, Clearwater Outdoors, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. “We always have a great time at the on-water demo getting to experience so many kinds of boats and boards. We enjoy having some one-on-one time with a few of the CEOs and sales directors. For me that’s a special time to get more intimate with the people who run the companies and it makes us feel special as a retailer. Hopefully it helps us create that relationship we’re looking forward to for the next 20+ years in business.”

 

 

Highlights from the expo include:
The new Venture Out area was home to like-minded brands that represent the growing urban and lifestyle trend that has influenced and invigorated the modern outdoor movement. Venture Out was designed to help brands validate the fact that outdoor function does exist in a fashionable solution, while expanding their brand reach to new market segments. This new area had a constant buzz of buyers and media looking for new products for their stores.

 

 

The Tech Zone was created to highlight the latest technology for outdoor use. The products featured in this zone help make the outdoors more accessible, safe and fun for the connected adventurer, bringing new consumers to retail stores. A full schedule of education sessions helped provide information and context to this new product offering.


The New Product Zone was a busy and exciting place on the show floor, and it provided an easy-to-navigate center where new products could be found. Outdoor Retailer’s new digital product platform, Preview @ OR, was housed within the Zone and highlighted an assortment of brands product introductions.


 

Business Forums @ The New Product Zone gave attendees the opportunity to sit in on educational and informational sessions without leaving the show floor. These sessions featured topics relevant to our communities, which included paddle, fly fishing, running, yoga and climbing.

 

 

Ragnar Relay Events and Outdoor Retailer teamed up to stage a Relay Challenge in support of the Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition (OIWC). Relay teams of three enjoyed a morning run on a 9 mile, looped course that conveniently started at The Pavilions @ OR. The mini Ragnar Relay race took runners on a steady climb to the entrance of the Canyon followed by an exhilarating descent back to the start-finishing with plenty of time for runners to get back for the opening of day three.

 

 

Attendees and brands alike got an interactive experience with the latest tools, technologies and best practices of outdoor product design in the Industrial Design Center.

 

 

VIP media gathered for a fly fishing excursion to the Provo River, on-site casting and instruction, helped to shine the light on the relevancy and opportunities of this growing segment of the OR show

 

 

All-star athletes, including Tommy Caldwell, Sasha DiGiulian, Lynn Hill and Chris Sharma thrilled more than 2,500 attendees with the United States' deep water soloing competition at the Olympic Park in Park City, Utah. A VIP After party featured the Outdoor Retailer All-Star Industry Bands from Black Dimond and Clif Bar.

 

 

“It was our first time in the main hall, so it’s pretty exciting,” said Maria Boustead, Po Campo. “We’re a little bit dwarfed by all the big booths around here but the traffic has been great! A steady stream of people, lots of new faces and a lot of interest in the bags. I have a whole bag full of business cards, a lot of new prospects and people writing orders for immediate delivery, for the holiday and for next spring as well.”

 

 

“I Love OR! It always has quality buyers and retailers. The people who came by and see your stuff always have relevance,” commented Peter Daring, Peak Designs. “We love interfacing with consumers, but interfacing with retailers is a really big part of the business. If you’re selling products in the arena and you’re not at OR, rethink your marketing budget and get here!

 

 

Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2015 will return to Utah with the Open Air Demo on Tuesday, August 4th and with the Summer Market Expo running Wednesday, August 5 through Saturday, August 8, 2015. Winter Market stages in a few months, with the All Mountain Demo on Tuesday, January 20th and the Winter Market Expo running Wednesday, Jan. 21 – Saturday, Jan. 24th.