After some hesitations and discussions on the subject, the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show will be taking place as planned as an in-person event on Jan. 26-28, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. Its organizers have unveiled an accompanying education program and a redesigned floor plan centered around the “Resource Center,” a new information hub that is meant to provde access to industry knowledge from experts who will be on hand to answer questions and offer advice, allowing attendees to gain insights that will help them make business decisions. Both face-to-face meetings and one-on-one appointments with the experts will be available.
The educational program begins with the Snow Industry Association’s (SIA) Industry + Intelligence sessions, which will take place on Jan. 25, before the show’s opening day. The Industry Breakfast will take place on the first day with a keynote address by an author, Steven Kotler, on “The Art of the Impossible.” Daily Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) luncheon sessions will feature community conversations. Snow Show programming at The Camp and Trend + Design Center will offer retailers, designers, brands and all attendees the opportunity to learn more about various topics, including design trends, sustainability and climate action, color, gear innovation, advocacy and retail operations.
The new Resource Center will be located in the middle of the upper level of the Colorado Convention Center as the central hub of the floor plan. Spokes in the aisles will lead visitors to familiar exhibit areas (Venture Out, The Camp, Source, LUXE and Trend + Design Center). In addition, Fresh, an area for first-time exhibitors and explorers, will make its Snow Show debut.
At first glance, the OR Snow Show is already well booked, considering the ongoing pandemic situation, but many well-known apparel companies and ski brands are currently still missing from the exhibitors’ list. The fact that a trade show in January is not favorable for softgoods recently prompted Messe München to reschedule ISPO Munich permanently to the end of November for this and other reasons. The CEO of an Austrian ski company told us that it prefers to work with buyers at regional shows.
Registration for the Snow Show is open, and attendees can check out the floor plan and book appointments now. For the latest exhibitor and dealer listings, visit outdoorretailer.com.
