With the OutDoor show in Friedrichshafen, Germany edging in three weeks before Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, a number of U.S. buyers and journalists showed up to get a sneak peek at the newest gear before the “official” launch in North America at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. The show is still primarily a European regional show, while some French vendors appeared to treat the show as a German regional event.
Show organizers estimated that there were a total of 15,137 trade visitors from 78 countries, a 7% increase over 2004 when there were 14,130 trade visitors from 68 countries. There were 650 direct exhibitors, 70% from abroad, and an increase of 9% of occupied exhibition area.
Now in its 12th year, the OutDoor show has matured to the point where it is becoming a dominant player in the European market. Many exhibitors told BOSS that when it come to the outdoor retail market, the OutDoor show is certainly more relevant than any other show in Europe. Trade visitors questioned by an independent survey institution confirmed the shows success, with 92% saying it was well worth the visit in every respect and 93% saying they would come back again.
Perhaps the most striking element of the show was the facility itself. Constructed three years ago specifically for large trade shows, the vaulted ceilings of the twelve individual halls were packed with exhibitors, retailers, and visitors, while the central courtyard made for a great location for the post-show party.
While OutDoor and OR are two very different shows addressing very different markets, it is nearly impossible not to draw comparisons between the two events and their venues. BOSS ran into Peter Devin, Outdoor Retailer Group Show Director, on several occasions at the show.
“This was my second visit to Friedrichshafen, and I was again impressed with the caliber of companies present,” said Devin. “These manufacturers and brands are very strong and represent the best of European brands in the outdoor segment. Additionally, it seemed as though the breadth of retailers who attended has grown, which is a nice testament to the show's timing and marketing to other countries outside of Germany.”
While the energy and excitement at OR is, to some extent, fueled by the limited exhibition space, looking at the quality of merchandising presented in Friedrichshafen certainly adds a sense of urgency to the expansion plans underway at ORs home at The Salt Palace. While every vendor is certainly not housed under one roof in Friedrichshafen, and there are clearly some prime locations, the layout levels the playing field a bit more and makes it much easier to see all of the exhibitors, large and small. More than one attendee remarked at the extent of the presentation of brands like VauDe, Rossignol, and Jack Wolfskin compared to their U.S. efforts.
The planned expansion in Salt Lake City should take Outdoor Retailer one more step in this same direction. “Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2005 hosts a brand new pavilion that houses over 477 booths, resting on the new floor for the expansion and direct double access from the main hall of the Salt Palace,” Devin told BOSS. “The new expansion of the convention center is coming along ahead of schedule, and the revised new space will provide some real breathing room for Summer 2006.”
While there was a strong North American vendor presence at the show, only a few of the North American climbing-oriented brands banded together to create a corner of the hall with a distinctly different feel. Five Ten, Black Diamond, prAna, and ArcTeryx all had connected booths with a refreshment area and big screen television in the middle. This created a great central gathering point for climbing retailers and buyers from all over the world, and it remained packed with attendees throughout the show.
Several Italian companies, organized by their trade association, create the same type of atmosphere on a much larger scale each year at Interbike in Las Vegas. This could be a great opportunity for many of the North American outdoor brands to make an even bigger impression on the highly fragmented European outdoor market.
North American brands have more of an ability to sell in multiple markets and become pan-European brands, even more so than established and entrenched European brands. By grouping together, possibly under the banner of the OIA, and establishing a North American section of the show, there is the potential to create a much larger impact on the show floor.
Even though many of the European vendors told BOSS that they look to the North American outdoor market for the model of professionalism, there was a great mix of innovation, business, and fun in Friedrichshafen that rivaled any sporting goods show. Based on the history of European brands selling to the U.S. market, most shy away from a stronger presence at the OR show. Entry into the U.S. market is still seen as a daunting task. With the expansion in SLC, BOSS sees an opportunity for European companies to band together and create a presence here as well.
Many drew a sharp contrast in how brands are presented in Europe and in the U.S. BOSS heard from a number of U.S. vendors that the OutDoor show exposed a sharp contrast between retailers in the U.S. and those in Europe as well. Perhaps the biggest point made is how the market in Europe actually accepts the outdoor lifestyle as fashion, while the U.S. specialty market is still reluctant to commit to the fashion aspects of the business. The use of color, or lack thereof, was mentioned by a number of vendors as a real shortcoming for the U.S. market.
The Outdoor Retailer Summer Market promises to present a livelier presentation of color this year, but vendors still appear to be frustrated by the inability to expand their product lines as the European companies are able to do. If U.S. vendors start to step out of the box and infuse more fashion elements into real technical product in a bigger and broader way, BOSS can only hope that U.S. retailers will take a chance on more than black, brown, and tan.
