Industry: Outdoor Retailer show sees success despite troubled economy

Despite wet, smoggy weather last weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah, the inside of the city’s convention center, the Salt Palace, was full of excitement for outdoor sports. The Outdoor Retailer Winter Market (OR) trade show filled downtown Salt Lake City and Snowbasin Resort with more than 16 thousand attendees Jan.20-24. The manufacturers, buyers and industry experts were treated to four days of meetings, exhibits, deals and demos with the industries big and up-and-coming brands.

Despite wet, smoggy weather last weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah, the inside of the city’s convention center, the Salt Palace, was full of excitement for outdoor sports. The Outdoor Retailer Winter Market (OR) trade show filled downtown Salt Lake City and Snowbasin Resort with more than 16 thousand attendees Jan.20-24. The manufacturers, buyers and industry experts were treated to four days of meetings, exhibits, deals and demos with the industries big and up-and-coming brands.

Of course, the slouching economy was in the minds of everyone in attendance, but OR organizers say it’s not all doom and gloom for those that make their living in the outdoors.

“Historically, the outdoor industry has done well in economic downturns, and this trend appears to be holding true today as our overall numbers are down only slightly from last year’s Winter Market,” said Kenji Haroutunian, Outdoor Retailer show director in a press release. “Although some manufacturers and retailers sent fewer people to this year’s show, the right exhibitors and buyers were in attendance, and orders were definitely being written on the show floor. I met several new retail attendees who were really surprised at the depth and quality of exhibitors at OR.”

Further boosting moral was the addition of 110 new exhibitors as well as new areas and events to better accommodate business. One such addition was the revamped Backcountry Base Camp at Snowbasin Resort. The venue offered convention goers a hands-on field trip, allowing them to demo cross country skis, snowshoes and accessories on Utah’s pristine slopes. The center included a new, more realistic testing track for cross country skis and an avalanche safety product demo.

“We got off to a great start at our Backcountry Base Camp at Snowbasin with hundreds of retailers and industry VIPs getting a first-hand opportunity to try out the latest and greatest in outdoor gear on some of the best snow on earth,” Haroutunian said.

Manufacturers also reported positive results from this year’s show. “I think we are selling products that people want. They are still enjoying winter and this is a less expensive way to get out the door and enjoy winter,” said vice president of Fischer’s nordic division, Peter Ashley.

Poll maker Leki vice president, Greg Wozer, shared the optimism about show turnout on Saturday. “On day three it was great to see how many people were here, you can feel the volume of people in the room,” Wozer said.

Despite what the economy was last year, Leki finished 2008 up in sales. Not surprisingly, Wozer credits the market-defying success to faithful skiers. “Whether you’ve got a good snow year or a bad snow year, you can always count on the ski enthusiast to be out there, they’re going to find snow no matter what, and they’re going to ski in conditions no matter what,” he said.

The difference Wozer is seeing is in what retailers are buying and not necessarily how much. “The way retailers placed their orders, their feeling is that people are going to be spending less money next year, so their product mix for 2009 definitely moved price points down.”

Despite positive feedback, preliminary show numbers indicated that the slow economy adversely effected show numbers of both attendees (down fiver percent) and sold floor space. Rossignol sales rep for Utah and Colorado, Paul Harmon noticed the drop in passersby. “It seems to me that the traffic is down a little bit, the demo attendance was a little disappointing, but overall the customers I’m seeing are pretty happy,” Harmon said.  “Nordic has been a really good bright spot in the business this year.”

Many of the manufactures and buyers in attendance at the OR show headed straight to Las Vegas for the SnowSports Industries America (SIA) show following the Salt Lake gathering. The spotlight turns to alpine skiing in Sin City, with top brands unveiling 2010’s crop of new gear.