Outdoor Retailer Announces Winter Programming Transformation With New Leadership Conference And New Dates

Outdoor Retailer announced a fresh format in its approach to serving the outdoor and winter sports marketplace. Through the introduction of new events and a shift in future dates, Outdoor Retailer will provide more opportunities for the industry to engage in the timeframes that best support the industry. The new format will be:      

• January 2023: Outdoor Retailer Snow Show runs January 10-12, 2023, at the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center and new Hyatt Regency Salt Lake, with the new addition of The Summit by Outdoor Retailer on-mountain experience on January 9, 2023 at Brighton Resort;
• June 2023: The Outdoor Retailer Summer national business-to-business commerce event remains in June at the Salt Palace at the front of the summer buying season, with the new Outdoor Adventure X (OAX) consumer festival staging the weekend prior at Snowbasin Resort; 
• Starting November 2023: The national winter business-to-business commerce event rebrands as Outdoor Retailer Winter and moves to early November in the Salt Palace at the start of the seasonal sales cycle;
• Launching January 2024: The Summit by Outdoor Retailer expands into new multi-day leadership conference with an immersive on-mountain winter experience, moves to late January, and aligns with Winter Sports Market, the specialty buying group trade event from Snowsports Merchandising Corporation (SMC) and Sports Specialists Ltd. (SSL).

For the next five years, 2023-2027, Outdoor Retailer events will take place in Salt Lake City and County, starting with Snow Show this January 10-12, 2023, at the Salt Palace. Neighboring mountains and outdoor spaces will become destinations for experiential and consumer programming. Find all future dates at outdoorretailer.com. 

“We’re evolving the Outdoor Retailer format and creating new, unique ways for brands to engage around their business needs and goals,” said Marisa Nicholson, Outdoor Retailer senior vice president and show director. “These changes are based on feedback we’ve received from brands, retailers, reps and suppliers, all working on earlier product deadlines. So, we’re transforming to make sure we’re providing the most relevant platform to showcase product and do business. Outdoor Retailer Winter and Summer are now both at the beginning of the respective sales seasons and in position to support the greater buy/sell ecosystem. 

“In addition, a new event, The Summit by Outdoor Retailer, will deliver elevated education and conversation. Through a renewed partnership with SMC and SSL, The Summit now aligns with Winter Sports Market to establish a more efficient industry calendar and new avenues for customer engagement,” continued Nicholson. “We’re excited to be expanding upon our cornerstone events, to move into the timeframes the industry needs, and to provide more meaningful opportunities for the community to connect.”  

With the shift into November, Outdoor Retailer Winter now serves the industry at the front of the fall/winter sales season and better supports the marketplace’s buying and selling cycle and earlier deadlines. This commerce-focused event will connect manufacturers with retailers and media, providing efficient opportunities to unveil products, inform decisions, build relationships, and discover the breadth of what’s new in the industry. Outdoor Retailer Winter will be held in the Salt Palace Convention Center, with the annual Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards staging during the event to celebrate industry advancements in gear, production, and services.

“Winter Sports Market (WSM) is excited to be partnering with Outdoor Retailer to create the best possible winter buying experience for the snow industry,” shared both Gary Fleming, president of Snowsports Merchandising Corporation (SMC), and Tyler Lockard, president, Sports Specialists Ltd. (SSL). “Our winter show has been a great success and we will continue to operate it in Salt Lake City in January. We are excited that Outdoor Retailer will be putting on an early November show and our groups support this fully. This addresses the buying timelines for apparel and will allow our buyers to be in one place at the right time.”

The Summit by Outdoor Retailer makes its debut this January 2023 as an enhanced demo with guided snow sports activities and hands-on gear testing at Brighton Resort in Utah. Starting in 2024, The Summit expands into a multi-day leadership conference held annually in Salt Lake with keynote speakers and educational programming, workshops and strategy sessions, advocacy and networking, plus avenues for direct consumer engagement. The immersive on-mountain winter experience will remain part of the event, offering the industry more meaningful ways to connect, try new gear, and fuel creativity out on the snow. Through a renewed partnership, the annual Winter Sports Market, a buying group event for invited retailers held at the Salt Palace, will be aligned alongside The Summit to provide more business opportunities and a streamlined buying experience for the industry.

“We are equally excited to support The Summit and on-mountain experience that Outdoor Retailer will put on prior to WSM,” added Fleming and Lockard. “This will be one of the only opportunities to try product before the order deadlines, and Salt Lake is a great place for it all to happen.” 

Outdoor Retailer Summer remains in June at the Salt Palace and will kick off the spring/summer sales cycle. Also dedicated to commerce, the summer event will serve the needs of brands and retailers when products are introduced, plus the annual Outdoor Retailer Inspiration Awards will celebrate people and organizations making an impact in the industry. The new Outdoor Adventure X adventure festival will stage at Snowbasin Resort and Pineview Reservoir in Utah over the weekend in advance of Outdoor Retailer Summer, giving brands and retailers opportunities to connect directly with consumers and get a first-hand look at ways people of all ages are experiencing the outdoors. Additionally, Outdoor Retailer Summer will unite the industry around advocacy programs through initiatives launched by the Business With Purpose working group, including a familiarization tour and stewardship projects. 

Attendees and exhibitors at the upcoming Outdoor Retailer Snow Show this January 10-12, 2023, at the Salt Palace can get a first look at the venues and experiences planned for the future. The Summit by Outdoor Retailer will take place on Monday, January 9, 2023, at Brighton Resort and Solitude Nordic & Snowshoe Center, and feature professionally curated winter sports activities and guided classes for retail buyers and media. The new Hyatt Regency Salt Lake will host keynote education and lunch sessions, along with an enhanced Media Preview event and the Innovation Awards. Plus, attendees can access discounted lift tickets for the nearby Cottonwood Canyons ski resorts, and experience all that’s new in Salt Lake. 

Brands interested in connecting with the industry at Outdoor Retailer through exhibiting, experiences, advocacy programs, sponsorships, speaking, and more at any future event can contact an Outdoor Retailer account executive. The exhibitor list, floor plan are live for Snow Show, and sales are underway for The Summit and Outdoor Adventure X.

The Snow Show education and events schedules are also available and are filled with ideas, inspiration, and networking opportunities to support business and the industry. Attendees can register and access lodging options at outdoorretailer.com.