OR Winter Market Preview 2018

News

PRE-SHOW EDITION Countdown to Winter Market 2018

WINTER MARKET 2018

THE OUTDOOR TREND REPORT

BIG PRIZE

Feature

Events

GET SET

DON’T MISS

The first-ever Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards debut on Night 1.

Must-know planning info for reps, retailers, media, and more.

Save the date for these talks, seminars, happy hours, and gear demonstrations.

PAGE 8

PAGE 13

PAGE 54

POWERED BY SNEWS

VOTE! How to fight for the outdoors this November PAGE 6

THE 133 IDEAS, INNOVATIONS & VOICES DRIVING THE INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW PAGE 25

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News

PRE-SHOW EDITION Countdown to Winter Market 2018

WINTER MARKET 2018

THE OUTDOOR TREND REPORT

THE 133 IDEAS, INNOVATIONS & VOICES DRIVING THE INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW PAGE 25

The official publication of:

BIG PRIZE

Feature

GET SET

Events

DON’T MISS

The first-ever Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards debut on Night 1.

Must-know planning info for reps, retailers, media, and more.

Save the date for these talks, seminars, happy hours, and gear demonstrations.

PAGE 8

PAGE 13

PAGE 54

POWERED BY SNEWS

VOTE! How to fight for the outdoors this November PAGE 6

CONTENTS

WINTER MARKET 2018

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Vote the Outdoors!

Outdoor Industry Association’s Alex Boian has the tools to navigate the upcoming midterm elections.

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Innovation Awards The full story behind Outdoor Retailer’s brand-new contest highlighting the industry’s best and brightest.

SHOW PLANNER

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Do OR Like a Pro

Maximize your show with tips for every type of attendee:

The brand-new Innovation Awards are handmade in Colorado.

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14 15 16 17

Retailers Reps Designers Media

LOGISTICS

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41

Show Areas

Where to find new brands, take in a presentation, play with little ones, and more.

20

Show Map

Navigate the Colorado Convention Center.

22

Stay Connected

Find all the show tools you need in the musthave mobile app.

“The outdoor space is growing rapidly because new people are participating in the space. A brand will fail if they assume their future customer is their traditional consumer.”

–Harriet Riley, digital content specialist at Nemo Design

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

PAGE 51

54

Events & Education

Fill your calendar with seminars, speakers, and fun.

TRENDS

25

The Outdoor Trend Report

What will be hot this season—and beyond?

We tapped 57 industry insiders to gaze into the crystal ball for an exclusive look at all the next big things.

26 Consumers

Small, unique brands have a moment; the rise of custom gear; extended sizing gains traction.

Plus: podcasts & Instagram LNT

32 Retail

Digital brands solve brick & mortar growing pains; how big store festivals drive business.

Plus: doing massmarket distribution right

38 Apparel

So long, PFCs; spinning oyster shells into fabric; adjusting to a warming climate.

Plus: 4 green gear moves

44 Industry Issues

Tariffs put the squeeze on; Native American voices; surveying sexual harassment/assault.

Plus: public lands at risk & original artwork.

50 Marketing

Native content evolves; harnessing the spirit of urban running; datadriven PR. Plus: top brand collaborations

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OUTDOOR RETAILER DIRECTOR’S LETTER

YOU’RE

INVITED

T H U R S DAY, N OV E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 8 MILE HIGH BALLROOM AT THE COLORADO CONVENTION CENTER

WE’RE EXPLORERS AND we’re visionaries.

The two descriptors are intertwined, overlapping as we shape the future of the outdoor industry. Our quest for adventure has us always on the lookout for what’s new, and our imagination keeps us searching for what’s next.

In short, #weareINNOVATORS. Our industry has always been guided by innovation. We imagine what might be possible and design the gear or process that can transform an outdoor experience.

It’s evident in bags and packs, shoes and socks, skis and SUPs, tents and lamps, and in so many more tools and gadgets. We witness it in specialty shops, at festivals, and on expeditions. And this year, we’ll have a chance to see the products and services leading the way at the inaugural Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards. Join us on Night 1 (November 8) for the celebration!

We also believe in creating product with a purpose and guiding our businesses such that we can make an impact on the places we work and play, and with the people we strive to inspire. Our passion overflows, contributing to the ongoing growth of our industry.

As we build toward the future, we are excited to

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launch the new show cycle. When we gather in November, January, and June, we’re in a position to best serve the marketplace and to create a more efficient, more cost-effective show experience. The new dates make Outdoor Retailer the place to see the most brands and retailers all in one place and to get a head start on the buying and selling season.

We all have an opportunity to foster change in our industry. We may not see the impact as it’s happening, but the end result can benefit our businesses and the consumer. It’s important to keep evolving and to maintain the outdoor industry’s status as a powerful economic force.

In its simplest form, innovation is defined as the introduction of something new. That’s exactly what defines Winter Market—new dates, new cycle, new products. Innovation is also about so much more. It takes collaboration, vision, and embracing new perspectives. And that is exactly what we do as we come together at every show.

We truly are all innovators, and we’re looking forward to seeing you again in Denver!

Marisa Nicholson

Outdoor Retailer Vice President and Show Director

#weareINNOVATORS

PHOTO BY MANNY LEMUS

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OUR VOICE IS STRONG. OUR VOTES ARE STRONGER. In just a few weeks, we have an opportunity to Vote The Outdoors in our midterm elections.

We have seen how important election results are for our industry and our world. The stakes have never been higher.

By Alex Boian, OIA Political Director

But there’s something even more powerful than our voice: Your vote.

You have the power to elect outdoor advocates, leaders who will vote to fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, our nation’s premier and most important source of conservation capital. You have the power to drive sound economic policies in your district by electing candidates who understand and value your company and your customers’ contributions to your community, to creating sustainable and healthy outdoor industry jobs and to driving a powerful recreation economy.

The upcoming midterm elections are the most important of our time. Elected officials who weren’t listening to us before, are now paying attention. Our Outdoor Recreation Economy reports are definitive: The outdoor recreation economy is as impactful in small towns like Bentonville, Arkansas, and Coal Township, Pennsylvania, as it is in large cities like Denver, Boston and Seattle.

This past July, at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, we launched Vote The Outdoors, a campaign to educate candidates and voters about the substantial benefits of the outdoor recreation economy in their communities. As part of that campaign, we have created the following resources and tools that we encourage you to use as you seek to educate yourself before casting your ballots on November 6.

POST-ELECTION ANALYSIS Outdoor Retailer Winter Market begins just two days after the election. No doubt, there will be plenty of results to analyze and unpack. Join OIA for lunch on Wednesday, November 7 for the industry lunch at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. We will breakdown the election results and what it means for you, the industry and our country. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

REGISTER TO VOTE None of this matters if you’re not registered to vote.

Visit vote.org to get registered.

CONGRESSIONAL SCORECARD We’ve given every sitting member of Congress a letter grade based on their voting records and support for the outdoor industry. You can find the scorecard at bit.ly/2p6LycD.

VOTE THE OUTDOORS VOTERS GUIDE There are so many candidates and so many issues. How do you know which candidate is the most supportive of the outdoor industry’s issues and priorities? Furthermore, how could races on the opposite side of the country from you affect the balance of industry interests in Congress? The OIA government affairs team has done extensive research on races around the country and identified roughly 35 watch-worthy and pivotal races.

You can also learn who the candidates are on your ballot with a simple online search at bit.ly/2QsEt2j.

DONATE TO GET MORE OUTDOORISTS ELECTED Help us support outdoorists who are running for office by contributing to the Vote The Outdoors Action Fund votetheoutdoors.org. Vote The Outdoors Action Fund will help elect candidates across the country who understand that our land and water is part of our national heritage, who will invest in and protect our land and water, and who will support the recreation economy today and for future generations of Americans.

This November’s election is critical, and we hope you will adopt Vote the Outdoors in your business: encourage your staff to study the candidates’ positions on public lands, climate change and trade and then make sure you and your employees have the time to go vote.

I’m going to #VoteTheOutdoors this November–are you? See where your local reps stand on outdoor issues with @OIA’s Congressional Scorecard: OIA’s Congressional Scorecard My priorities for the 2018 midterms: protect public lands, #SaveLWCF, support the outdoor economy, and elect candidates that will #VoteTheOutdoors.

Who’s with me?

In 2018, I’m going to #VoteTheOutdoors. I’m voting for healthy communities and healthy economies. Are you?

We have the power to vote for change, for brighter futures for outdoorists and the natural spaces we love. Make sure you’re registered to vote, follow @outdoorindustry for election resources, and keep using your voice to make yourself heard on the issues that matter most to the outdoor community.

Help us get more outdoorists elected

votetheoutdoors.org

The outdoor industry is rising, we are a political force in Washington, D.C., and statehouses across the country.

Now we must take the next step to make sure that candidates and voters know their recreation economy and how, together, we can Vote the Outdoors this November.

PHOTO COURTESY OIA

It has been about 18 months since our industry definitively proclaimed, “enough is enough: Threats to America’s public lands and waters not only jeopardize the $887 billion outdoor recreation economy, they undermine our American heritage.” For perhaps the first time in our industry’s history, we were galvanized around a single issue and learned the power of our own collective voice.

GET SOCIAL. ELECT OUTDOORISTS.

NEWS

WHAT’S HAPPENING OUT THERE

Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards THE INAUGURAL OUTDOOR

Retailer Innovation Awards are set for the first night of Winter Market, Thursday, November 8 (Capital One is the presenting sponsor).

It will be an evening to celebrate innovation and achievements in the outdoor industry from across all seasons, recognizing the cutting-edge products and brands pushing the limits in outdoor gear, retail services, and materials technology.

“We’re excited to unveil the Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards at Winter Market,” says Marisa Nicholson, Outdoor Retailer vice president and show director.

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

“Innovation remains a centerpiece in our industry. We are all searching for lighter, faster, stronger, and technically superior. We’re seeking ways to streamline and customize our businesses. Now, as we get set to open the winter season at the November show, we will have an opportunity to acknowledge the products, brands, and people at the forefront and who are making an impact that will extend beyond our industry.”

The awards will become an annual fixture at Winter Market and an ongoing opportunity to showcase the products made famous at the trade show.

A distinguished panel of judges determines the finalists and winners, and winners will be unveiled during the live Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards show. All attendees are invited to the ceremony in the Mile High Ballroom in the Colorado Convention Center. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Outdoor industry and event veteran Liz Ferrin is working with Outdoor Retailer once again, now producing the awards. Ferrin has also facilitated the production of Outdoor Retailer’s Inspiration Awards and Sundance Film Festival activation, among other programs.

Tune In

Outdoor Retailer and A+E Networks have partnered to highlight the inaugural Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards. New, short-form programming from the ceremony and the

innovation gallery will air as part of A+E Networks’s Outdoors block on FYI and HISTORY. “The partnership with A+E Networks offers an incredible platform to showcase the people, products, and brands shaping the future of the outdoor industry,” says Nicholson. “A+E Networks shares our commitment to supporting the growth of our industry and to bringing the dynamic stories of the outdoor experience to life.”

Exclusive content from the Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards ceremony, along with interviews with the brands about their products, will air as part of the “All You Need To Know” programming strand within the Outdoors block on FYI and HISTORY and during such shows as “Alone,” “Swamp People,” “Curse of Oak Island,” and “Mountain Men.” “We’re thrilled to partner with

PHOTOS BY LISA ISSENBERG/KIITELLÄ; COURTESY (2)

Colorado metal artist Lisa Issenberg at work on a trophy.

NEWS

Marisa and the Outdoor Retailer team to continue to showcase the innovation throughout this dynamic and growing industry,” says Christian Murphy, A+E Networks’s senior vice president, enthusiast brands and programming partnerships. “Audiences that tune in to our highly curated Outdoors programming blocks on FYI and HISTORY and engage with our outdoors enthusiast content online are passionate about the outdoors and crave information about brands and products that will make their outdoor experiences more rewarding, many of which can be found when walking the aisles of Outdoor Retailer.”

The Outdoors block is a highly curated destination on the FYI (Sundays, 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.) and HISTORY (7 a.m. to 12 p.m.) channels with shows and short-form series that inspire viewers to experience everything the outdoors has to offer.

internationally, both in front of and behind the camera, for 20 years.

Starting his career in Australia, he moved to the U.S. to lead the international programming and marketing groups for A+E Networks around the globe, and later the U.S. domestic programming group. He has launched innovative new approaches around shows, including content models in enthusiast genres: namely, outdoors, auto, and home.

While his experience has been predominantly behind the camera, throughout his career Murphy has also worked in front of the camera.

He recently developed, wrote, produced, and hosts a new series, “All You Need To Know,” which will showcase industry events and markets, including the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market and the inaugural Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards.

The Host

The Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards trophies were imagined, designed, and fabricated by Colorado metal artist Lisa Issenberg. Using the awards logo and compass as inspiration, Issenberg created the custom metal awards in her studio, located in the mountain town of Ridgway,

Christian Murphy of A+E Networks will host the live ceremony to announce the first winners of the Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards.

Murphy is a veteran television executive, having worked in nearly all areas of the business in the U.S. and

The Trophy

Colorado.

Through her business, Kiitellä (Finnish for “to thank, applaud, or praise”), Issenberg custom designs and handcrafts awards for the outdoor industry and some of the world’s most well-known winter sports competitions. She fabricates using both industrial and hand techniques. The main material is metal—steel, brass, or bronze—and she often incorporates other materials, like wool felt and bamboo. Because they are handcrafted, each piece is slightly different, or “delightfully imperfect,” says Issenberg. “I’m so thankful the Japanese have an official term for this: wabi-sabi.”

Through the making of custom awards and recognition pieces, Issenberg found the synthesis of her passion for the outdoors and nature and her art. “This is where my heart is—it feels right,” she says. “Someone is being honored for their accomplishments or philanthropy, and you are a part of that appreciation through your art.”

#weareINNOVATORS

Innovation is along on every adventure. It’s helping us navigate, carry a lighter load, get down the hill faster, or run a better business. It can be

the catalyst for an experience that improves our quality of life, or even save our life.

At Winter Market, Outdoor Retailer is celebrating innovation and sharing life-changing stories.

Enthusiasts and show attendees are encouraged to submit personal accounts of how an innovative product or service transformed their outdoor experience.

These stories will be highlighted on Outdoor Retailer channels around the awards and from the trade show floor. Fans and followers can tag @OutdoorRetailer and use the hashtag #weareINNOVATORS to tell their stories.

Everyone has a tale of a time when a product or tool used out in the wilderness or within the walls of a specialty store made an impact: Share yours today.

Innovation Gallery

See all Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards finalists on the show floor.

Throughout Winter Market, those products and retail services at the forefront of the industry, and selected for the final round, will be on display. Stop by and see the future of outdoor (see map, page 20).

Meet the Inaugural Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards Judges THEY’RE LUMINARIES, designers, retailers, and journalists. They’ve seen the growth of the outdoor industry over the span of decades. They’ve founded companies, guided new product development, and inspired many to take a leap in design and business.

The esteemed panel of judges for the first Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards features leaders in innovation, and they will continue to shape the future of outdoor with the selection of the inaugural winners.

Outdoor Retailer Brand Development Director Larry Harrison says of judging the awards, “The best definition of innovation may be, ‘You know it when you see it.’ It follows that when judging prod-

ucts on their merits, it pays to have a diverse jury. We have worked to balance academic and artistic rigor with primal outdoor instincts to ensure judges bring a large worldview to the contest.”

With keen eye and historical knowledge, the judges evaluate the entries on four factors: spark, desire, function, and impact. They’re looking at concept, design, originality, sustainability, and relevance. They’re asking, what sets the product or service apart in the industry? What’s its potential impact? What truly makes it innovative?

The initial panel of judges will be joined by additional judges for the evaluation of finalists on the eve of Winter Market.

BRANDON STODDARD

Brandon Stoddard is a faculty member and director of the Hall Global Entrepreneurship Center in the Goddard School of Business & Economics at Weber State University.

His work with students has included the creation and management of Outdoor Weber, an outdoor recreation idea pitch competition for university students worldwide. He also manages operations for Community Oriented Services for Helping, Inc. and maintains a seat on the board of trustees for the Utah Certified Development Company. He has held various roles in both the private and

public sectors assisting entrepreneurs and helping organizations grow.

DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

A freelance writer and editor, Doug Schnitzspahn is currently the editor-in-chief of Elevation Outdoors and editor for Outdoor Retailer Magazine.

He has covered the business and community of the outdoors over the past two decades, and he also finds the time to immerse himself in the wild, having recently hiked all the high points in Scandinavia. He has contributed to numerous publications and websites and got his start THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

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NEWS

D’WAYNE EDWARDS

Over the course of his 30-year career, D’Wayne Edwards has received numerous design awards, been voted one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business, accumulated and owned more than 50 patents, and designed more than 500 styles for premier athletes such as Derek Jeter, Carmelo Anthony, and Michael Jordan. In 2010, Edwards founded the first academy in the U.S. dedicated to footwear design, called PENSOLE. PENSOLE has quickly become the preeminent footwear design school in the world by securing partnerships with the industry’s top footwear brands and retailers.

D’Wayne is an advocate for diversity and change through PENSOLE and is determined to leave his industry better than when he entered it.

JENNIFER NOLFI

Jennifer Nolfi possesses a unique blend of both public and private sector experience. In 2008, she entered the athletic and outdoor industry via her work with Prosper Portland (then Portland Development Commission). She led the first regional comprehensive industry study resulting in an action plan and infographic. She now serves as executive director of the Center for Retail Leadership at Portland State University’s School of Business, where her responsibilities include developing a pipeline of talent to support footwear, apparel, and gear companies with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion.

JIM THOMSEN

More than a dozen years ago, Jim Thomsen left business behind and set sail around the world with his wife, Katie, and he only recently stopped, turning in the sailboat for a Sprinter van. His departure from his role as president of Eastpak/

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

JanSport/Kipling International marked the end of a career involved with nearly every aspect of the outdoor industry—as a sales rep, manufacturer, and distributor, and in retail, as an executive, and as a participant. He started working with Dick Kelty in 1967 at retail. Soon after, he co-founded Wilderness Experience, the first outdoor company to go public. He has been a rock climber, mountaineer, backcountry skier, and sailor and is currently a backpacker, kayaker, and canyoneer.

KRISTIN HOSTETTER

Kristin Hostetter is the editor-inchief of SNEWS (snewsnet.com), the leading outdoor industry trade news website, and The Daily at Outdoor Retailer, the show’s official magazine. Prior to that, Kristin served as BACKPACKER magazine’s gear editor for 22 years, where she developed the Editors’ Choice Awards program into the most coveted gear award in the industry. She is a self-proclaimed “gear nerd” and the author of four books, including BACKPACKER’s Complete Guide to Outdoor Gear Maintenance and Repair and Don’t Forget the Duct Tape.

NONA BARKER

As a co-founder of Eagle Creek, Nona Barker is one of the creators of the adventure travel gear category. For nearly 40 years, she worked on revolutionizing travel through the exploration of materials, stitching, and smart design. Nona also spent more than 25 years with the Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Fire Department, retiring as a captain in 2016. She has been an active hiker, sea kayaker, backcountry skier, traveler, and community volunteer.

RICH HILL

Rich Hill has experienced every angle of the outdoor industry—from river guide to executive—over the course of more than 30 years. Along the way, he worked with numerous well-known brands, including Kelty, Marmot, Patagonia, Ibex, and prAna. Today, he is the president of Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, connecting independent outdoor specialty retailers and brands. He sees the products launched by brands and monitors adoption across retailers, allowing him to assess not only what is innovative, but also what is commercially viable.

SALLY MCCOY

Sally McCoy is a lifelong outdoorist and a career public lands champion. Her roles in the specialty outdoor and active lifestyle industry have included CEO of CamelBak; co-founder of Silver Steep Partners, a leading investment banking firm that advised on the Eagle Creek, Montrail, and Helly Hansen transactions; president of Sierra Designs and Ultimate Direction; and vice president at The North Face. She is also a founding member of The Conservation Alliance and Outdoor Industry Association, has received the Outdoor Industry Leadership Award, and was named a “Top Innovator of the Last 25 Years”

by Outside magazine.

DR. SUSAN SOKOLOWSKI

Through more than 28 years with performance sporting goods, Dr. Susan Sokolowski has been working cross-functionally between footwear, apparel, and equipment in

creative and strategic roles. She has been recognized for achievements in product design and innovation, including at the Design Museum London, received awards from the U.S. Olympic Committee and Volvo, and has been awarded 35-plus utility patents. She has managed several product innovation and research organizations, including at Nike, Gravis/Burton Snowboards, FILA, and the University of Oregon, where she currently is an associate professor and director of the Sports Product Design Graduate Program.

TRACY GRAY

Tracy Gray is the founder/managing partner of The 22 Fund, a growth equity firm with a job creation mission and investment strategy to increase the export capacity of Southern California manufacturing companies, targeting women- and minority-owned businesses. She is also an executive in residence at the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, and is founder of the nonprofit We Are Enough, an organization focused on educating women on investing in womenowned businesses and investing with a gender lens. She was named one of the 50 “Women of Influence” in business in Los Angeles and is featured in the recently released book 200 Women: Who Will Change the Way You See the World. She was formerly senior advisor to the LA mayor, an investment professional at a venture capital fund, and a systems engineer on the Space Shuttle program.

WANDA WELLER

Wanda Weller knows sustainable design. She spent eight years as design director for Patagonia, and she previously held a similar position at adidas. She started and owned the sustainable home retailer Modern Folk Living in Ojai, California, and has recently founded the home textile company Alterra Pure. Wanda has also served as an instructor and lecturer at the Otis College of Art and Design.

#weareINNOVATORS

PHOTOS BY COURTESY

in the industry as executive editor of Hooked on the Outdoors. His writing has been noted in Best American Essays and he won a fellowship in nonfiction literature from the Colorado Council on the Arts in 2003.

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SHOW PLANNER HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR SHOW

Even the bears want a peek at what’s new this Winter Market.

Welcome to Winter Market!

Your insiders’ guide to the November show.

PHOTO BY OUTDOOR RETAILER

Get Ready

Whether it’s your first time to Outdoor Retailer or your 50th, the same truth applies: The scope of the show can be overwhelming. But you don’t have to spend your precious time wandering, wide-eyed, around the show floor. The secret: Put in a little planning now, and you'll cruise the booths, seminars, and events like a pro come November. Fear not—we’re here to help every step of the way.

Get Set

Start your planning right here: We’ve reached out to show veterans for their time-tested tricks on making the most of your Outdoor Retailer experience. Turn the page for tips tailored to retailers, reps, designers, and media, plus handpicked events and seminars you should get on your calendar now.

The Show Planner online platform also lets you organize everything in one place—and syncs to

our mobile app (see page 22). This is where you can search for exhibiting brands using a variety of filters, request and schedule booth appointments, peruse maps, and check out the list of educational seminars and events.

Go!

Winter Market’s new November schedule means you'll get an earlier jump on tomorrow’s most exciting gear, just in time for the buying season. Show up ready to hear from the industry’s wisest advisors; touch and feel the most innovative new gear; forge new partnerships; and mix with industry movers and shakers at networking events galore.

Just don’t forget to leave a little time for wideeyed wandering. Planning may be crucial, but it’s no substitute for discovery—and that’s what this show is all about.

Find the Exhibitor and Attending Stores lists at outdoorretailer.com.

THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

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SHOW PLANNER RETAILERS

HIGHER EDUCATION Here’s a curated list of can’t-miss sessions just for retailers.* 1. OIA Industry Breakfast | Retail Isn’t Dead: Optimism in the Age of Ecommerce Day 1: Thursday, Nov. 8, 7-9 a.m.

Mile High Ballroom 2. Authentic Activations Day 1: Thursday, Nov. 8, 10-11 a.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL) 3. Bridge the Culture Gap: Digital Content Strategy for the New Outdoor Era Day 1: Thursday, Nov. 8, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL) 4. ROI for Retailers Day 2: Friday, Nov. 9, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL)

Key Show Skills

5. Afternoon Buzz—Innovations Day 3: Saturday, Nov. 10, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

High Altitude Den (Booth 38087-UL)

5 tricks of the trade for making this your most successful show yet

Wear a watch. Looking at your phone every five minutes makes people feel nervous and rushed. A watch is a bit more discreet.

Be courteous of other people at the show.

Remember, most retailers work the full show day (happy hour will not start at 3 p.m. for us!).

Grab The Daily as you walk into the show each morning (conveniently located at each entrance). Do a quick morning scan to look for new items or brands to add to your assortment. And take the magazine home so you can fully digest all the articles once the chaos subsides!

Don't forget to check in with and thank the nonprofits that you work with and support. Use the show to create new alliances with like-minded groups that you can team up with on future in-store events and projects.

Sources: Lisa Cooper, Mast General Store; John Mead, Adventure 16; Sarah Dreyfuss, Prooflab

YOUR REMOTE OFFICE SPACE

38103-UL

Consider the Retailer + Rep Lounge (Upper Level, Booth 38103-UL) your own personal office space on the show floor, a place of quiet among the madness. You’ll find craft services, WiFi, couches, work areas, show maps, and friendly staff. *See page 54 for complete event descriptions.

Words of Wisdom

“At A16, we feel it’s important to strategize and coordinate a plan a week or so prior to OR, to circle up during the show so none of our teammates feel like lone ships passing in the night, and to debrief a week or so afterward to make sure we follow through and put into action what we learned.“ –John Mead, Adventure 16

Browse the Exhibitor and Attending Stores lists at outdoorretailer.com.

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

PHOTOS BY OUTDOOR RETAILER; COURTESY

Use your technology. Come to the show with a charged phone and a backup battery pack to rejuice on the go. Have written and electronic schedules. Take pictures of people’s business cards so you can follow up, and then take pictures of your notes.

Things can get lost when you’re working with so many vendors.

SHOW PLANNER REPS

HIGHER EDUCATION Here’s a curated list of can’t-miss sessions just for reps.** 1. Showcase Brand Culture First, and the Sales Will Follow Day 1: Thursday, Nov. 8, 10-11 a.m.

MR 301 2. Bridge the Culture Gap: Digital Content Strategy for the New Outdoor Era Day 1: Thursday, Nov. 8, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL) 3. Amazon—The Pivot You Didn't Expect Day 2: Friday, Nov. 9, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL)

Key Show Skills

5 tricks of the trade for making this your most successful show yet Make your bookings flow with the floor plan.

You’re at the mercy of the retailers’ schedules, of course, but try to avoid bouncing all over the show floor every 60 minutes. Block out a chunk of time for each buyer and walk with them from booth to booth, which also gives you time to catch up on life.

Know each retailer’s business and what is selling well/not selling well ahead of time. This allows you to talk about the current state of affairs at the start of your meeting and offer strategies to boost sales for that period, then dive into the new products.

PHOTOS BY OUTDOOR RETAILER; COURTESY

Know your line inside and out, know each retailer’s buying patterns, and be ready with curated suggestions on what will fit into their lineup.

Make time to walk the show floor when not working your lines. You want to be a resource for your accounts, and they're more likely to trust you and consider you a peer if you can speak at a high level about industry trends and your competition.

Take a buyer out to lunch each day.* We all need to eat, and relationships are priceless. Don't talk biz.

Do a quick download each night. Enter business cards into your CRM app, make notes, and flag needed follow-ups. It's easy to let things slip through the cracks when you get home and head off to your next round of meetings.

Sources: Vanessa Downey, Apex Outdoor Sales; Kurt Smith, NRG Sales

4. Develop Rewarding Partnerships with Your Brands (for Retailers) Day 3: Saturday, Nov. 10, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL) 5. Afternoon Buzz—Innovations Day 3: Saturday, Nov. 10, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

High Altitude Den (Booth 38087-UL)

YOUR MOBILE OFFICE

38103-UL

Need a quiet space to meet your clients and talk strategy? The Retailer + Rep Lounge (Upper Level, Booth 38103-UL) is a special space to call your own with snacks and bevvies, WiFi, couches, work areas, show maps, and friendly guides to assist you. **See page 54 for complete descriptions.

Words of Wisdom

“An old adage comes to mind: 'Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.'

Pre-show planning is critical, but it’s even more critical to be flexible. While it’s tempting to book myself solid, I block off a bit of time each day to meet with potential new accounts and try to be accommodating for last-minute changes."

–Kris Versteegen, Iron Mountain Sports Marketing

*Hit up the food trucks at least once—they're on the show floor next to The Camp (Booth 32005-UL)!

THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

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SHOW PLANNER DESIGNERS

HIGHER EDUCATION Here’s a curated list of can’t-miss sessions just for designers.* 1. Supply Chain Innovation in the Outdoor Industry Focused on New Sustainable Fibers, Fabrics, and Technologies Day 1: Thursday, Nov. 8, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Trend + Design Center (Booth 53103-UL) 2. Promostyl: Spring/Summer 2020 Trend Influences Day 2: Friday, Nov. 9, 10-11 a.m.

MR 301-303 3. Sports Product Design Research Methods Day 2: Friday, Nov. 9, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Trend + Design Center (Booth 53103-UL)

5 tricks of the trade for making this your most successful show yet Appointment time is precious. Know who you’re talking to and tailor your spiel. Don’t go deep into the new hardshell you’re so stoked about if the buyer or writer in front of you is covering sleeping bags.

Be sure to schedule time with raw materials suppliers and manufacturers that you currently work with or are interested in working with to learn about the latest new tech coming down the pipeline— and how it could figure into your next gen of products. Create a list of questions and agenda points that you hope to cover with each supplier and share them before the meeting so you can be efficient with your time—and theirs!

Tone down the jargon. Most of the retail buyers and writers you’ll be talking to aren’t as immersed in it as you are. Stick to features and benefits unless

they ask you to explain further.

Prepare some visuals. If you’ve got some sweet new tech to unveil, create some assets that quickly and clearly explain how it works.

Explain your thought process. People want to know how you come up with new ideas. Share the reasoning behind some of your key designs and explain what problem you were trying to solve or a hole you were trying to fill with a new product launch.

Keep the dialogue open. Solicit feedback, take the time to understand what’s driving it, and be willing to brainstorm new approaches and solutions.

Sources: Caroline MacMillan, GoLite; Casey Sumnicht, Big Agnes

5. Prototyping: Examples of Lessons Learned the Hard Way Day 3: Saturday, Nov. 10, 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Trend + Design Center (Booth 53103-UL)

THE HEART OF THE ACTION

53103-UL

Designers: Make this spot part of your daily routine. The Trend + Design Center is where you’ll rub elbows with your fellow creatives and find daily sessions aimed at helping you understand supply chain, find inspiration, and learn about market trends. *See page 54 for complete event descriptions.

Words of Wisdom

“Even though my days are usually packed with vendor appointments and line showings, I make sure to carve out time to check out the many key trend and market seminars, talks, and panel discussions to spark new ideas and get inspired for the next season.”

–Caroline MacMillan, GoLite design director

Don't miss the inaugural Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards on Night 1! See page 8 for details.

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

PHOTOS BY OUTDOOR RETAILER; LIT TLE HAMMER/GOLITE

Key Show Skills

4. Driving Your Sustainability Strategy: How the Higg Index Can Help Day 2: Friday, Nov. 9, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

MR 302

SHOW PLANNER MEDIA

HIGHER EDUCATION Here’s a curated list of can’tmiss sessions just for media.* 1. OIA Industry Breakfast: Retail Isn’t Dead: Optimism in the Age of Ecommerce Day 1: Thursday, Nov. 8, 7-9 a.m.

Mile High Ballroom 2. Exclusive “Jon Glaser Loves Gear” Screening and Happy Hour Day 1: Thursday, Nov. 8, 4:30-6 p.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL) 3. Mediums That Matter Day 2: Friday, Nov. 9, 10-11 a.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL) 4. Fireside Chat: AAC Grief Fund Day 2: Friday, Nov. 9, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

High Altitude Den (Booth 38087-UL)

Key Show Skills

PHOTOS BY COURTESY; ANDREA HITZEMANN/ENECCO OUTDOORS

5 tricks of the trade for making this your most successful show yet Study the map. Plan your appointments geographically so you don’t waste time running through the aisles to get to your next meeting.

requests than you can handle. Only accept those that figure into a contracted assignment and leave yourself a couple of hours each day for free-ranging.

What's your booth number? Whenever you book an appointment, don’t forget to ask. Forgot? See the footer on this page.

Keep a “hit list” of interesting companies you want to check out during your free-range time.

Don't skimp on footwear. Your feet will get sore.

Pack at least two comfy pairs of shoes and rotate them each day of the show.

Forget the shoulder bag; carry a pack. When in meetings you’ll want both hands free to fondle the new gear, plus you’ll likely be schlepping several pounds of swag by the end of each day.

Stay focused. As a registered member of the media, you’ll probably get more appointment

Sources: Staff members at SNEWS; BACKPACKER; The Daily

5. OIA Industry Lunch: Just What ARE These State Offices of Outdoor Recreation?

Day 3: Saturday, Nov. 10, 12-1:30 p.m.

MR 301

YOUR MOBILE OFFICE

39103-UL

Need a quiet spot to file your stories? Check out the Press Room (Upper Level, Booth 39103-UL), where you’ll find work spaces, WiFi, resources, and refreshments.

BONUS TIP Don't miss the brand new Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards. See page 8 for details. *See page 54 for complete event descriptions.

Words of Wisdom

“You don’t have to see every product at every booth. I make sure to see one thing new, one thing that excites the brand, and one oddball item. Also, I make sure to meet and talk to some of the people who design the gear.”

–Doug Schnitzspahn, editor-in-chief of Elevation Outdoors and Outdoor Retailer Magazine

Get the Outdoor Retailer mobile app (page 22) to quickly search for booth numbers and check a floor map on the go.

THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

17

OUTDOOR RETAILER SHOW AREAS

Winter Market 2018 Let the games begin: The action kicks off right in the entry hall.

Venture Out is a destination for retailers to discover and explore modern outdoor trends and better understand how the definition of “outdoor” is changing. Head to Venture Out to see some of the brands pushing the limits in the outdoor industry, or grab a latte from Generous Coffee in the community space.

INNOVATION GALLERY LOCATION: UPPER LEVEL, BOOTH 43005-UL

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

See all Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards finalists on the show floor!

Throughout Winter Market, those products and retail services at the forefront of the industry and selected for the final round will be on display. Stop by and take a look at the future of outdoor.

THE CAMP LOCATION: UPPER LEVEL, BOOTH 32005-UL The Camp provides elevated education on the show floor—from the latest issues stores are facing to industry trends. The Camp will

focus on the stories, products, trends, and people that help drive traffic to retailers, and will provide daily education to inspire fresh ways to think and sell outdoor products year-round. Don’t forget to grab a cup of joe from Goodhart coffee!

innovation, the Trend + Design Center anchors the supplier story at Outdoor Retailer and serves the design audience with a compelling variety of education and networking events.

TREND + DESIGN CENTER

LOCATION: UPPER LEVEL, BOOTH 380187-UL

LOCATION: UPPER LEVEL, BOOTH 53103-UL The Trend + Design Center is where the design and R&D community gathers to hear what’s next. From trend forecasting to industrial design and materials

HIGH ALTITUDE DEN

On belay? Belay on! Stop by the High Altitude Den for climbingfocused activations, a place to hang, and daily happy hours with Goodhart Coffee from 3:304:30 p.m.

PHOTOS BY OUTDOOR RETAILER

VENTURE OUT LOCATION: UPPER LEVEL

OUTDOOR RETAILER SHOW AREAS

RETAILER + REP LOUNGE LOCATION: UPPER LEVEL, BOOTH 38103-UL Need a place to chill or have a quick meeting? Come to the Retailer + Rep Lounge to hang, put your feet up, or access Wi-Fi.

MOTHER’S ROOM LOCATION: STREET LEVEL, MR112 Calling all moms ... Head to the Mother’s Room to nurse, pump, have some refreshments, or hang with your little one.

INFO DESK LOCATION: STREET LEVEL, FOYER OF THE EAST ENTRANCE (BY THE BLUE BEAR) Have a question? Just head to the Info Desk and our staff will be ready to help.

HOUSING DESK LOCATION: STREET LEVEL, NEXT TO REGISTRATION EventSphere, the official housing partner of Outdoor Retailer, will be on-site at Winter Market to help with your reservations. Find the housing desk next to registration in the east entrance and be sure to book your housing for the Snow Show in January!

COAT & BAG CHECK LOCATION: STREET LEVEL, MR102 The communal tables in Venture Out are a great place for casual meetings.

THE DAILY PREVIEW

Drop your bags and jacket and hit the show floor!

What do customers want? That’s the million-dollar question. Lucky for you, The Daily gives the answer away for free every day at Outdoor Retailer. Pick up The Daily to read original reporting on gear trends from retailers and keep abreast of all the products launching at the show.

THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

19

OUTDOOR RETAILER SHOW MAP

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

PRIMALOFT® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF PRIMALOFT, INC. ©2018 PRIMALOFT, INC.

TAILORED FOR CHANGE We’ve rescued 84.7 million plastic bottles from landfills and transformed them into high performance insulation.

Because we believe when something is made for the outdoors, it should also be good for the outdoors. That’s why we’re continuously striving to lessen our impact on the earth. To date, we have produced three insulation technologies made of 100% post-consumer recycled content, striking the perfect balance between performance and sustainability.

Each one elevated. Neither sacrificed. It’s our commitment to being Relentlessly Responsible.

Join us to make change at booth #56004.

OUTDOOR RETAILER STAY CONNECTED

MOBILE APP

Download the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market mobile app to have all the show information you need in the palm of your hand. In the mobile app, you can access: Floor plan Exhibitor list Events Education schedule Product gallery Walking map Local info And more!

Search “Outdoor Retailer” in your app store and get access to everything you need to make the most out of the show.

SHOW PLANNER

The Show Planner is an online platform for retail buyers, importers/distributors, designers, nonprofits, independent reps, and working media to help in the show-planning process. Within the Show Planner you can find these great tools: Exhibitor list Interactive floor plan Education and events schedule Matchmaking Mobile app information Communicate with exhibitors View products

All you need to do is log in to your Show Planner and start planning your show!

MATCHMAKING

Let’s be friends! Stay connected before, during, and after the show…

Instagram Facebook Twitter YouTube 22

THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

@OutdoorRetailer @OutdoorRetailer @OutdoorRetailer @OutdoorRetailerShow

The matchmaking tool is part of the Show Planner, and it brings exhibitors and retail buyers, importers/ distributors, designers, nonprofits, independent reps, and working media together before the show starts. The Show Planner enables you to search for exhibitors based on product category, location, new to the show, and other filters. Attendees can get in touch with exhibitors to find out more information or request an in-booth appointment during the show.

Log in to your Show Planner and explore the exhibitors and products you’ll find at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market.

Pushing the boundaries of possibility starts by digging deep, CottonWorks™ is a comprehensive resource that gives textile industry professionals crucial knowledge and training. From webinars to workshops to market & trend analysis, you’ll find the tools and guidance you need to invent the future with cotton.

visit us at booth 53040 ul. i

cotton does

AMERICA’S COTTON PRODUCERS AND IMPORTERS Service Marks/Trademarks of Cotton Incorporated. © 2018 Cotton Incorporated.

EVERYDAY IS A BASELAYER DAY

FOR GIRLS. BY GIRLS.

THE OUTDOOR TREND REPORT The Next Big Things

They say change is the only constant—and nowhere is that more true than this industry, where technological breakthroughs, visionary ideas, and the ever-shifting retail marketplace keep business always moving forward. Enter this exclusive guide to the forces driving the outdoor market of today and tomorrow: We consulted 57 insiders to help you keep your eyes on the future of this vibrant, tumultuous, challenging, and ever-changing industry.

INSIDE CONSUMERS 26 • RETAIL 32 • APPAREL 38 • TRENDING ISSUES 44 • MARKETING 50 THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

25

CONSUMERS

Matador's blankets caught fire with young consumers.

Bucking the Trend

Lesser-known brands are on the up and up as consumers seek unique products. BY CAROLYN WEBBER ALDER

F

OUR YEARS AGO, the founder of Matador was sewing the company’s first pocket-sized blankets in his tiny San Francisco bedroom.

Since then, the adventure travel gear brand has grown wings and taken flight—a story that becomes more familiar each year.

Brands like Matador attribute the popularity of startups and small businesses to consumers’ desires for products that are unique and handcrafted. They like to know the story behind the brand, says Calvin Bond, a spokesperson for Matador. Retailers like Adventure 16 in San Diego, California, say lesserknown brands like Kühl are winning over customers

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

every day.

Matt Powell, vice president and senior industry advisor for The NPD Group, which performs market research for companies, says one of the biggest trends he has seen over the past couple of years is the rise of the little guys. Smaller companies like Obermeyer, Moncler, and Canada Goose are gaining traction while well-established ones remain stagnant.

“I think ‘small is the new big’ is going to be an important story for the next couple of years,” he says.

The shift can be traced back to millennials and Generation Z, who, above all things, like to be unique.

Having a lesser-known label on their down jacket

or beanie makes them feel like they are setting the trends. Just look at the local craft beer they are likely holding in their hands, he says.

“They want unique products made by unique brands sold by unique retailers,” Powell says. That trend can also be seen in customized apparel and equipment (see “One-of-a-Kind Design,” page 30).

Several of the smaller companies stepping up the ladder are getting attention by aligning with— or helping start—a social movement its customers believe in, such as Patagonia’s commitment to protect public lands, Powell says.

“The millennial and Gen Z consumers have been very clear that they want their brands to take visible stands on social issues,” he says.

If consumers agree with the values of the company, he says they’re likely to spend more money on those brands.

Oboz, a fairly new outdoor footwear company, emphasizes the importance of crafting shoes specifically for women; Powell says targeting a traditionally underserved segment of the population paid off.

Then there are the countless companies using their funds to make a difference. Tentree, a clothing company for outdoor enthusiasts, plants 10 trees for every item purchased, giving back to the spaces their customers recreate in. Cotopaxi donates part of its revenue to address global poverty and assist in refugee programs.

Another ongoing trend Powell says is hard to miss is the growth of more versatile, multiuse products.

Fleece and wool outerwear tops—that are durable, water resistant, and lightweight—have been steadily growing over the years, with NPD reporting $522.4 million in sales from August 2017 to July 2018, up from $517.2 during the same time period two years ago. While fleece sales grew, softshells dropped from $170.8 million in 2015-16 to $118.6 million in 2017-18.

People want gear that they can use in knee-deep snow or on a warm, bluebird dayhike, because winters these days can swing either way, Powell says.

That translates to more purchases of hiking and light hiking boots and fewer purchases of cold- and all-weather boots, which have steadily been dropping (sales were down 13 percent from August 2017 to July 2018, and the previous year they were down 8 percent).

“The consumer is looking for more versatile products that may not stand up to the most harsh conditions, but are good enough to get them through most things,” he says. “They’re trying to get as much out of their dollar as they can.”

As we go into this season with the memories of a dry winter last year fresh on our minds, Powell says this trend is likely to continue. Consumers want it all, and companies listening to those needs are coming out on top.

PHOTOS BY COURTESY; WILL ROCHFORT

THE OUTDOOR TREND REPORT

CONSUMERS

“The millennial and Gen Z consumers have been very clear that they want their brands to take visible stands on social issues."

–Matt Powell, vice president and senior industry advisor, The NPD Group

Case study: REI

The retailer introduces plus-sized outdoor apparel under its own label—and encourages its vendors to follow suit.

T

HINK OF AN AD for an outdoor company.

Typically, it includes someone with a perfectly proportioned body and toned muscles striving to accomplish a daring feat. But that’s not always the reality: Today, about 68 percent of women do not fit into the traditional 0 through 14 size scale (see page 29). What’s more, a large number of them are adventuring outdoors—or want to be.

REI’s 2017 Force of Nature marketing campaign rallied around women to promote a level playing field in the outdoors. The campaign encouraged female users to be bold and loud, and one result of the campaign was a message REI heard loud and clear: “We want clothes that fit us.”

Kelly Neel, senior category merchandise manager for REI, says the company was aware of the need for extended sizing before launching its

LEAVE NO ‘GRAMS

Land stewardship ethics come to social media.

women-first campaign. But once the ads were released, the requests really started to flood in.

“What we learned from the Force of Nature campaign was how passionate these women were about a need that existed out in the marketplace that was not being served,” she says.

Some customers commented that products simply did not exist in their size. Others complained about the products being a “shrink it and pink it” version, basing fit around the men’s counterpart rather than tailoring products specifically to the female figure.

After hearing the concerns, REI got to work tweaking their own apparel and asking companies like Columbia, prAna, and Kühl to follow suit.

Last fall, REI rolled out plus sizes in hiking apparel in a handful of stores (16 locations as of fall 2018) and online. It also stocked up on petite sizes in store and

tall sizes online. Neel says the one- to two-year buying cycle for many retailers limits REI’s and its vendors’ abilities to add the sizes immediately, but they are committed to making the change.

The cost of expanding sizes has held many companies back, and is likely to remain an obstacle. To design a collection of plus sizes, Neel says it can cost around $500,000.

And REI says they want to do it right. Rather than taking a size 12 and simply making it bigger, they’re doing research to see what specific parts of the apparel needs changing.

While women are the focus, REI has promised to take care of all of its members, including men. The national brand plans on continuing to offer petite and tall length options for men’s pants (as it has in the past) but also explore ways it can outfit all men and women who want to adventure outdoors.

Neel says once REI has a good grip on its apparel lines, the company hopes to mirror this movement in other types of outdoor gear, from bicycles to backpacks to hiking shoes. Never again does she want to hear people say that a lack of gear that fits is keeping them from taking to the trails. “We owe it to our members,” she says. –CWA

Camp 200-plus feet from lakes and streams ("We were closer to a quarter-mile," says photographer Will Rochfort).

IN JUNE 2018, Leave No Trace—in response to the ways geotagging and Instagramming contribute to wild places being overrun and, sometimes, degraded— added guidelines for social media use. In short: Post thoughtfully. Not only do the guidelines frown upon tagging specific locations, they also encourage modeling excellent LNT behavior in the backcountry. Here’s how @moxie82inc’s post from California’s Ansel Adams Wilderness does exactly that.

Camp on durable surfaces (rock, gravel, dry grasses) or impacted sites like this one.

—Evelyn Spence

Dispose of waste properly. This site is spotless.

Minimize fire impacts. The best way? Don't light a fire at all.

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27

CONSUMERS

Ethan Cotton 5-MINUTE INTERVIEW

Sustainability researcher

H

AVING JUST GRADUATED with an honors double major in marketing and supply/logistics management from Portland State University, plus a certificate degree in the athletic and outdoor industry, Ethan Cotton is already putting his education to work. In

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

Are consumers willing to pay more for sustainability? Why or why not?

Ethan Cotton Overall, yes. Most consumers really care most about their products either being in style or lasting as long as possible, so they can buy less. Price is still the primary driver for many people who don’t care about environmental factors. But there are segments of consumers—the environmentally sensitive—who are more willing to pay for sustainable products. They conceptualize the long-term effects and impacts of their purchases and are most inclined to pay more.

What can brands do to be genuine in their approach to sustainability?

EC More and more consumers are looking for brands to act responsibly, but they won’t be convinced to buy anything if a brand’s marketing message doesn’t feel authentic.

We all know consumers easily see through greenwashed marketing. But brands that have delivered a consistent and digestible message from the start may see consumers willing to pay considerably more because they align with the company’s values as well as the solutions offered.

I find the best approach is to be as transparent as possible. This also depends on how much a brand has centered its mission around sustainability. For established Corporate Social Responsibility powerhouses, consumers want the info up front and consistently available. For brands dipping their toes into communicating what responsibility means to them, talking about goals and how action-oriented campaigns achieve progress lets consumers feel engaged. Always strive to do more, but be realistic.

What’s something you’ve learned or researched in school that you found surprising?

EC One of the first reasons I decided to research this topic was because I was surprised by how little I knew about my decision-making processes as a consumer. I consider myself environmentally conscious and willing to spend my money on more responsible products. But I never looked for or processed much information about how sustainable products actually were. I was surprised at how much sustainable innovation occurs internally and how hard it still is, as a consumer, to get a strong understanding of what it all means.

What consumer trends emerging now can brands capitalize on?

EC Authenticity and transparency will be ever-more important. Consumers have more access than ever to information to make responsible decisions and maximize their value from purchases. I think the brands that will be big winners will adapt to engage buyers digitally with their sustainability messages. I hope consumers will take note of companies, like Patagonia, whose sustainability strategy has resulted in excellent financial performance along with proper environmental consideration.

—Amelia Arvesen

34%

BY THE NUMBERS

Customers who say they’re willing to pay more

for a product with an environmentally friendly innovation, according to Ethan Cotton’s research. That’s compared to 40 percent who would pay more for durability and 21 percent who’d pay more for a new material innovation.

PHOTOS BY COURTESY

his research for his thesis project, he heard from hundreds of people about how they’re increasingly aware of products that reduce harmful environmental impacts, and in many cases, more likely to spend more to get them. He sheds light on why brands can’t just use the buzzword “sustainability”—they have to actually prove what they’re doing to make the earth a better place.

CONSUMERS

IF YOU ASK ME

Love Story

SIZE SURPRISE More and more outdoor companies, in response to consumer requests—and in an effort to be more inclusive—are offering sizes beyond just 2 to 12. They’re on to something: Data show that our industry’s idea of the “average” woman isn’t really average at all. (Sizing is an issue for men, too, but they generally have more fit options in outdoor clothes.)

Why outdoor podcasts are the most relevant, efficient, and downright entertaining content form today. BY KRISTIN CARPENTER-OGDEN, FOUNDER/CEO, VERDE BRAND COMMUNICATIONS

The average size of an American woman aged 20 and over* Height: 5’4” Weight: 169 lbs.

Waist: 38.1”

The clothing size of the average American woman* 16 to 18, or a women’s plus size 20W

*CDC; 2016 study in the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology, and Education

H

50

30

0

REI XXXL: 46”

10

Average woman: 38.1”

20

Average of 6 leading outdoor brands: 35.6"

40

WAIST SIZE

EY, LOOK, I KNOW I’M NOT IN MY LATE 30S ANYMORE … But I still love to think I can be a marathon mountain bike racer. So when I decided to ride the Leadville 100 last summer, the absolute best form of preparation I found was the Leadville 100-Mile MTB podcast.

Every week, I listened to the show hosts dissect every last segment of the course, mile by mile. I heard in-depth interviews with pros talking about what they did right and the mistakes they wished they’d never made. I learned how to hydrate, plan my nutrition, and—perhaps best of all—exactly what my gear setup needed to be.

My point? Podcasts emotionally engage listeners with the stories behind their favorite brands, athletes, events, and pastimes, and even catalyze them to take action. It’s one of the most effective forms of brand storytelling today.

And it’s why podcasting is perfect for outdoor consumers. This industry was built on storytelling.

What do you do around the campfire? Or while on road trips? Swap stories. How do we get the inside scoop when planning our next major adventure? We listen to stories. How do we emotionally connect with something or someone? We connect through story. Today, we get to listen to our favorite storytellers via podcasts.

Though delivered technically, podcasts are a very intimate form of storytelling. The host’s voice is in our earbuds through the day-to-day of our lives, transporting us through the experience of the podcast.

And as I know from personal experience, podcasts are a powerful brand asset. They transport us into the story and enable us to join groups of like-minded people. Like a great brand, a great podcast can validate what a listener believes about him or herself.

All this is why I started my most recent podcast, Channel Mastery, which helps business leaders in our markets lead their companies to serve today’s omnichannel consumer. I knew my clients needed a trusted guide to support them through the incredible changes in the business landscape today.

And it’s why, whenever I’m stuck in traffic, folding laundry, or climbing on the gym wall, you’ll find me with my favorite podcasts streaming straight into my earbuds: The Cycling Podcast, She Explores, Dirtbag Diaries, Life Uncharted … and that’s just for starters.

FOR MOST BRANDS, EVEN THE LARGEST SIZE AVAILABLE WOULDN’T FIT THE AVERAGE AMERICAN WOMAN.

BRAND’S LARGEST PANTS THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

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CONSUMERS

One-of-a-Kind Design Retailers that adopt customization programs reduce the hassle of stocking inventory while gaining loyal fans.

UPS AND DOWNS

A look at the winter apparel and footwear that are—and aren’t—selling.

Jackets and mountaineering boots are in, softshells are down (way down): The last three years of sales data show some clear winners and losers among winter softgoods. The NPD Group's Marissa Guyduy shares the numbers.

800 700 600 500 400

$603.9 million $490.8 million

$571.3 million

Noninsulated shells

+6%

+16%

300 200 0

Aug '16 - July '17

Aug '17 - July '18

12 10 8

$9.6 million

$10.2 million

$9.8 million

Mountaineering boots

WINNERS

100

+4%

+2%

6 4 2 0 180

S

LEEVE COLOR? GREEN. Hood? No. Chest pocket? Yes. As companies like Eddie Bauer,

-21%

100

$118.6 million

310

Aug '16 - July '17

Aug '17 - July '18 Cold/Allweather boots

$302.3 million $279.2 million -8%

250 -13% $242.2 million 200 600

Aug '16 - July '17

Aug '17 - July '18 Hiking/Light hiking boots

$577 million $560 million

LOSERS

THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

Softshells

$149.4 million

-13%

50

Nike, and Trek Bikes have proven that letting customers choose exactly what they want pays off, other brands are looking to join the rising customization trend.

Brad Werntz, partner at New Normal Consulting, says people craving unique products is nothing new, but the way companies are meeting those needs is. He helps brick-and-mortar retailers adopt customization with in-store kiosks, which allow shoppers to construct the down jacket of their dreams by making selections on a screen.

Turns out, happy customers aren’t the only benefit. To stock the kiosks Werntz has installed at eight stores nationwide, only a handful of sample jackets are required. The customized one created on the screen is manufactured and shipped directly to the consumer, drastically minimizing the amount of inventory a brick-and-mortar shop needs to stock.

Without the need for inventory, retailers can skip the stages of receiving a product, tagging it, putting it on the rack, moving it around a store and, ultimately, liquidating whatever is left, Werntz says.

That’s good for brand image, too: When surplus products are sold at a discount store, the company’s brand can lose value in the consumer’s mind, says Tom Flierl, vice president of marketing for Amla Commerce, which develops ecommerce software platforms, including those for customization.

Flierl says reducing inventory obsolescence is one of the major benefits of customization for brands. Instead of mass-producing a new product and waiting to see what sticks, businesses can collect “real-time data on what consumers really like.” Want to know which colors will sell for a new bike? Have the consumers design it for you and see what trends emerge. As customers see prices fluctuate based on add-ons they opt for, companies can also observe what consumers are willing to pay for extras, Flierl says.

The ability to personalize also has an element of fun, which Werntz saw as children and adults huddled around the new kiosk at Ute Mountaineer in Aspen, Colorado, to mix and match colors on a down jacket. The attraction causes a buzz in the store and the town, luring curious customers to walk through the doors and tap into their creative side. —CWA

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$170.8 million

Aug '17 - July '18

-3% 550 -1%

500 3

Aug '16 - July '17

0

Aug '17 - July '18 Insulated shells

$1.29 billion -4%

1

$552 million

+1% $1.23 billion

Aug '16 - July '17

$1.24 billion

Aug '17 - July '18

PHOTO BY CHANDLER, INC.

The new design kiosk in Aspen's Ute Mountaineer: Sample size jackets will fill the tubes on the side.

Aug '16 - July '17

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RETAIL United By Blue’s Philadelphia store

Branching Out

For many digitally native brands, expanding into brick-and-mortar retail brings rewards—and challenges. BY JILL SANFORD

L

AUNCHING A BUSINESS with the direct-toconsumer online model has distinct advantages: complete control over brand messaging, a close connection with consumers, and the ability to gather detailed shopping data. But as many digitally native companies discover as their sales take off, there’s no substitute for the face-to-face, touch-and-feel benefits that a physical retail presence brings.

“For us, we’re a lot more than just a T-shirt or a hat,” says Sevag Kazanci, co-founder of Parks Project, an apparel company that started working with select retailers in 2014. “There’s something really special about someone being passionate enough about your brand to tell its story to you in person. That’s what our retail partners do for us—they really help drive that message home.”

And then there’s the way brick-and-mortar stores can help new consumers stumble upon the brand in a shop window or display. “We target the millennial consumer, primarily between 25 and 35 years old,” says

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

Brian Linton, founder and CEO of United By Blue, which opened its first of three brick-and-mortar shops in 2013, three years after launching online. “That said, our stores tend to see a broader age range as a result of our retail locations. The stores introduce people to the brand and create a much stronger connection to us.”

That’s not to say that adding a wholesale channel is without its own hurdles. “I'm hearing the same thing from a lot of digital natives—scalability is the challenge,” says Derwyn Harris, co-founder and CPO at Talkoot, a content tool for consumer-centric brands.

“Digital natives do well at gathering the insights and information from their customers to build brand loyalty, but when they start to go wholesale and interact with other retailers, they lose that connection.”

Wholesale business also requires overcoming logistical challenges, like adjusting the product development cycle to meet a retailer’s traditional calendar. Plus, “Digital brands may find themselves at the mercy of retailers with wildly varying price struc-

tures,” notes Bruce Dotterrer, outdoor industry analyst for The NPD Group. “Some retailers may demand exclusive products, which will have significant product development, merchandising, and supply chain implications.”

And sometimes, retailers can be a bit skittish about partnering with a digital-first brand. “We continually aim to prove to our retail partners that we are a fair retailer ourselves, and that their success is ultimately our success,” says Heath Christensen, director of wholesale at Cotopaxi. The brand was founded in 2010, opened its own brick-and-mortar stores in 2016, and made the jump to wholesale partnerships with select retailers (REI and Nordstrom) in 2017.

Careful consideration of retail partners can help. “Being digitally native gives us the freedom to be selective with our retail distribution,” says Christensen, because “a lot of brand awareness was already developed well before our product ever hit the retail shelves.”

This selectivity “directly benefits our own ecommerce business,” he adds, by strengthening the customer’s connection to the brand and allowing people to discover products they wouldn’t necessarily search for online.

Cotopaxi, United By Blue, and Parks Project were all created with an environmental and/or social ethic built into their brands. And all three say finding the right retail partners to communicate those values to consumers and help facilitate their broader purpose is a crucial part of their business.

“We found that the retailers that have a good sense of community and engagement are the ones we want to work with,” says Keith Eshelman, Parks Project cofounder. “We just want to be where our customers are.

Our approach is to build long-lasting partnerships with people who are aligned with our mission.”

Another popular strategy for having the best of both worlds: opening their own brick-and-mortar boutiques, gaining the advantages of physical retail locations while still controlling brand storytelling.

Cotopaxi has its own store in Salt Lake City. So do United By Blue (Philadelphia and New York), Stio (Jackson Hole and Teton Village, Wyoming), TREW (Portland, Oregon), and Outdoor Voices (various locations ranging from New York to Austin). Parks Project has experimented with pop-up shops inside other retailers near Sequoia National Park and in Los Angeles.

“Opening a brick-and-mortar retail space gives a digitally native brand the opportunity to connect directly with their customers,” says Christensen.

“In that space a brand can tell their story in a setting where customers can physically interact with both the product and brand employees. If a brand is creative, they can actually blend both the physical and digital worlds together.”

PHOTOS BY OUTDOOR RETAILER

THE OUTDOOR TREND REPORT

RETAIL

“We exist in a day and age where the traditional model of retail is extinct. You can’t just turn the key on the door every morning and expect to be successful.”

— Brendan Madigan, owner of Alpenglow Sports in Tahoe City, CA

Case Study: Alpenglow Sports Ambitious customer events build goodwill and drive big business for this Tahoe institution.

O

VER NINE DAYS EVERY FEBRUARY,

thousands of visitors and locals alike gather at a small shop in Tahoe City, California. They might strap on a pair of backcountry skis and get ready to hit the skin track for the first time. Or they learn backcountry bartending basics, or take a stargazing hike on snowshoes, or attend a film premiere, joining the community of winter enthusiasts who come together each year for the Alpenglow Mountain Festival.

“We exist in a day and age where the traditional model of retail is extinct,” says Brendan Madigan, owner of Alpenglow Sports. “You can’t just turn the key on the door every morning and expect to be successful.”

So six years ago, Madigan started Alpenglow Mountain Festival, a yearly event featuring backcountry clinics, demo days, film premieres, and more alpine-inspired activities. Each winter they see nearly

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

A peek at the fine art of merchandising.

3,000 participants—a staggering reach for an event Madigan says was not born out of a desire to increase store profits. The event takes four employees 11 months to plan; brings in 30 to 40 mountain guides, ski instructors, and naturalists to teach classes; and is supported by sponsor brands that include Outdoor Research, DPS skis, Osprey, Black Diamond, Mammut, and Klean Kanteen.

“At the root of it, we don’t do it to drive sales, we do it because we have a community-facing business model that’s been in existence for nearly 40 years,” says Madigan. “And we want to inspire people to do the things that inspire them, while giving back to people who support the shop.”

Madigan started at Alpenglow as a sales associate in 2003 before taking over the business in 2011. He launched Mountain Festival a year later, when the smaller, one-off events he held at the store would draw

New product by United By Blue gets some of the spotlight by adding a pop of color—and stepping outside of the category of women’s apparel.

upwards of 120 people. Madigan realized that his consumer base was craving the kind of community and education a larger event could provide.

It also draws a new crowd. “Mountain Festival is designed for that beginner or intermediate who maybe hasn’t been able to try winter sports,” says Madigan. “We wanted to provide a safe and friendly forum for that.” Turning attendees into loyal customers is an added bonus, of course.

“The first four years, I didn’t want to equate the event with any kind of monetization,” he says. “I said to companies, ‘I want you to believe in the event for the event’s sake.’ Some did, some didn’t. But we’ve really been able to grow our business organically with the partners who have stuck with us.” Most of his profit for the event comes from sponsor brands selling their gear to the store at a discount, a savings he passes on to participants. Customers get access to gear at special prices while developing brand loyalty with the store and the participating companies.

“I think you have to go above and beyond the dayto-day operations to be successful,” Madigan says.

“What that is, I think each retailer needs to determine [for itself], but events are very in vogue for a reason.” —JS

Plant life accessories add texture and also emphasize color contrast.

“Greenery is soothing, much like the outdoors,” says Salcido. In retail, plants are important as props to bring displays to life and soften them.

YO U R S T O R E M AY S T O C K

the newest, hottest threads— but if it isn’t displayed well, it won’t sell. Enter Robin Enright Salcido, the CEO of Merchandising Matters: Here, she lent a hand to Boulder, Colorado’s Neptune Mountaineering with an eye to cross-merchandising and spotlighting new product. “My goal was to invite women to explore fall with multiple items that can go from errands to the outdoors,” she says.

—Evelyn Spence

Green and red are complementary colors—opposite each other on the color wheel— which helps each one stand out.

Store-branded items on the wood stump add texture and make merchandising use of the space. This visual interest and contrast augment the ability of the human eye to pay attention to one thing at a time versus seeing a ‘grouping.’ “It keeps consumers from feeling overwhelmed,” says Salcido.

THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

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RETAIL

Dana Howe, Gabe Maier, Hope Buttitta, and Devaki Murch 5-MINUTE INTERVIEW

Grassroots Outdoor Alliance team

Devaki Murch, Rich Hill, Gabe Maier, Rachel Paar, Hope Buttitta, Dana Howe

I

F ANYONE HAS INSIGHT INTO the relationship between brands and retailers, it’s Grassroots Outdoor Alliance. The national organization is a consortium of 70 retailers and 69 vendors, and the GOA team of six is dedicated to the health and growth of specialty outdoor retail. Four of them gave us a glimpse into their retail world.

What do retailers need to do to keep attracting consumers in this retail environment? What’s trending?

Retail Relations Manager Dana Howe The things that are “trending” right now are things that great specialty retailers have been excelling at for years—creating community through events, classes, and genuine interactions with customers.

We’re seeing exemplary customer service from great staff who are passionate about product, outdoor experiences, and getting their customers outside in the right gear for their adventures. There’s a movement that’s all about designing a unique experience through everything from the niche products to merchandising and overall store environment and feel.

What are the biggest challenges retailers are facing—besides Amazon?

Vice President Gabe Maier Mind-set and adoption of change. Consumer pur-

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

chasing behavior is not the only thing that has changed at an increasingly rapid pace these past few years. The world in general is changing. To remain competitive, specialty retailers need to be open to changing not just the way they talk to customers, but how they look at profitability, engage with staff, position themselves as experts, collaborate with vendors, speak with intention and clarity on why they exist, and engage with technology.

What are you hearing about the November Outdoor Retailer show from Grassroots members?

Operations Director Hope Buttitta It’s a pretty big deal to be having Outdoor Retailer Winter Market immediately following the Grassroots Connect buying show. You’ve got the industry’s best buying event bringing hundreds of retailers and buyers to the doorstep of the our biggest national event. Connect is where Grassroots retailers engage with their tried-and-true brand partners, sharpening up the foundation of what’s going to happen on the retail floor next fall. And at Outdoor Retailer, those same retailers are going to start the show with an amazingly crisp idea of what they have and what they need—as well as how much they have to spend. It’s really an opportunity for discovery at the

perfect time of year that we just haven’t had in the outdoor industry for a long, long time.

What's the next big trend in retail?

Show Manager Devaki Murch A lot of times, huge breakthroughs can come out of simply putting great people in the same place at the same time, but sometimes you have to prime the pump a little.

At Connect, one of the ways we’re doing that is the Grassroots Mystery Booth, which is a curated collection of unique products and sales programs that we feel are exceptional, noteworthy, and fun. For the retailers, it adds a touch of discovery to a show that’s typically all about deepening relationships. And for the vendors who are invited to provide product to the Mystery Booth, it’s really a great challenge to create both a product and message that can sell itself to a retailer—not just a consumer—in a few words and images. —Amelia Arvesen

$412

BY THE NUMBERS

BILLION

How much the outdoor recreation industry contributed

to the economy in 2016—2.2 percent of the total GDP—according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. And the industry’s real gross output, employment, compensation, and overall economic impact all grew faster than the U.S. economy as a whole.

RETAIL

IF YOU ASK ME

Life Partners

There’s only one way vendors and specialty retailers can move forward in this marketplace: Together. BY RICK SPICER, EQUIPMENT BUYER/CO-OWNER OF PACK RAT OUTDOOR CENTER

BRAVE NEW RETAIL WORLD The next big thing in retail? Look for the shopping experience to get a whole lot more personalized, high-tech, and seamless across channels. Here’s a glimpse into the biggest trends 500plus surveyed retailers said they plan to implement within the next three years— if they haven’t already.

Unified commerce 60% 55% 50%

PHOTOS BY COURTESY

M

Y SHOP IS IN FAYETTEVILLE , Arkansas, literally a few clicks down the road from

Walmart HQ. So I heard the recent news of several brands pulling out of the new Walmart Premium Outdoor Store website with interest, but no surprise. From my perspective, selling technical products and equipment is the realm of a specialized, highly trained staff. These are the folks who have the customer’s best interest in mind—and therefore, ultimately, the brand’s best interest.

I’ve heard executives refer to this as “dated thinking” because consumers increasingly want products to be widely available. The question now is, what does a brand want? What is the value of a partnership with a specialty retailer, or better yet, a whole group of them, such as the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance? I’ll tell you exactly what it is: the staff that runs our shops. These are the dedicated gear junkies that will preach product tech like gospel, and more than that, they’ll remember customers by their first name and ask them how that sleeping bag worked out on their last trip. Retailers are the ones providing education and training to staff, along with clinics with help from our reps, allowing us to provide the best possible customer experience.

I understand the appeal of taking the easy way forward by flooding online channels with product. More consumers see it, it’s potentially easier for them to buy, and perhaps more sales are made.

I’m all for a brand moving in the direction that is best for them. But doing that in a way that damages relationships with specialty partners is a losing proposition. I know that things are changing, but retailers have a role to play in molding that change, and we have difficult decisions to make.

Foremost: Who will we partner with? Where do we draw the line with brands who choose to go mass market and/or direct to consumer, and still want a place at the top tier in our shops? Is it possible to grow, actually retain MSRP and margin, and also be proud of your contribution to the industry by providing a quality product worth what you’re asking for it? Yes, I believe it is, but it’s not easy.

Here’s how we can move forward together. Consider for a moment what you first see when hopping on many brand sites: “Click here for 10 percent off plus free shipping for purchases over $50.” What if, instead, you saw a photo of an actual employee of a shop using a product and a quick note: “To get the best fit and service, visit one of our trained partners.” Communication is also crucial. If you’re expanding into a new channel, we shouldn’t hear about it after it’s already open.

Another solution for a vendor partner is to allow entry-level products to be sold to mass market, while higher-end categories are held for specialty shops. That’s certainly a possibility I hear being discussed .

Looking toward the future, I see a distinction in brands that communicate, build strong relationships, and value placing their product in responsible channels. These will be the brands fiercely supported by shops that want to make their communities better. I also see brands that don’t fit this model, and for what it’s worth, there likely won’t be as much space on the shelves at the Pack Rat for them.

New technologies 42% 26%

Unified commerce initiatives

• 60 percent: Introduce real-time retail (gathering, analyzing, and using customer, product, pricing, and inventory data across all channels) • 55 percent: Introduce predictive analytics (using current and past data to make predictions about the future) • 50 percent: Offer a shared cart across channels (start the sale anywhere, finish anywhere)

Personalized services

• 42 percent: Offer personalized digital content • 34 percent: Offer customized promotions • 24 percent: Track per-

Personalized services 42% 34% 24%

Customer ID 35% 34% 27% 24%

sonal preferences and attributes

New technologies

• 42 percent: Use artificial intelligence (chatbots and virtual assistants) • 26 percent: Add virtual reality elements (i.e., through Google Cardboard glasses)

Customer identification via smartphone when they walk into the store, through…

• 35 percent: scanners • 34 percent: mobile apps • 27 percent: Wi-Fi • 24 percent: proximity beacons (devices that transmit targeted messages to nearby mobile devices) —ES

Source: 2017 Customer Service/Unified Commerce Survey from retail management consulting firm BRP

THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

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RETAIL

Nothing draws in customers quite like a cold brew.

Shoes & Brews in Longmont, Colorado

BOOTS ON THE GROUND

6 creative tips to boost in-store business It may be the era of one-click online shopping, but brickand-mortar retailers still have plenty of opportunities to provide a customer experience that Amazon can’t rival. Rod Johnson, owner of of Minnesota’s Midwest Mountaineering, and Mike Massey, owner of Massey’s Outfitters and president of the Locally platform, share a few time-tested tricks for driving foot traffic—and, therefore, sales.

1. Freebies!

It sounds simple, but Johnson swears by it. “We send out a coupon every week in our email newsletter for something free or 50 percent off,” Johnson explains. The best freebie? Beer. “Anything that can get customers in, looking at merchandise with a beer in their hand, is great,” he says (see left).

T

HE OLD ADAGE “build it and they will come” may no longer hold true for brick-and-mortar

retail. But as many specialty retailers across the country are learning, pairing beer (or coffee, and/or food) with tents and packs in a sort of permanent pint night is a surefire way to get people through the door. And once they’re in, a tall glass of local IPA encourages shoppers to linger, turning stores into bona fide community hubs.

“The purpose of the Trailhead is to help facilitate people’s experiences and adventures,” says Dave Blazer, owner of the Buena Vista, Colorado, specialty retail store, which now features an inshop restaurant and bar. When the longstanding shop relocated to a downtown location three years ago, Blazer decided to co-locate with another local business owner. Restaurateur Ryan McFadden opened up Simple Eatery in the same space, and the Trailhead joined the growing ranks of stores blurring the lines between specialty retailer and watering hole. “Offering a rock-solid dining experience in the building helps people fuel up, metaphorically and physically, as they plan, disembark on, or reminisce about their activities,” Blazer says.

Debby Thomas, who owns Black Dome Mountain Sports with her husband, Trent, in Asheville, was on the leading edge of the trend. The North Carolina store opened a taproom about five years ago. “We wanted a way to set ourselves apart,” Thomas says. “At that point Asheville was on the whole beer train, so we thought, well, why not?” Because they serve beer, Black Dome Mountain Sports is a natural fit to host community events, fundraisers, and even the occasional birthday party. Though Thomas says it’s difficult to quantify the tap room’s exact impact on her business, “It definitely hasn’t been a negative, that’s for sure.”

And for Ashlee Anderson, co-owner of Shoes & Brews in Longmont, Colorado, owning a business that was part brewery, part taproom, and part running store was the plan from the start. “We have been overwhelmed by the acceptance in our community of such a unique idea,” says Anderson. “It brings in people who maybe don’t consider themselves runners, but good craft beer is something they really enjoy. It’s giving people outside of our standard running store customer a reason to come in, and we are reaching a broader market.” Some of the Shoes & Brews beer customers have even done 5K runs with the store, finding themselves more drawn into the running scene than they otherwise would have been.

A simple move that boosts business and encourages loyal fans: We’ll drink to that. —JS

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

2. Prize wheel At Midwest Mountaineering, kids can spin the wheel every time they come in, winning something fun like a mini flashlight or a bandana. Or cater to pup parents with a dog wheel: Bring in a pooch, spin for a treat.

3. Employee garage sale Sales staff sell their old gear and make room in their closets to try the latest items, customers get screaming deals, and the shop drums up sales on new gear, too. At Midwest Mountaineering’s annual garage sale, employees sell $10,000 worth of old gear, and the retailer makes $20,000 from customers buying other products while they’re in store.

4. Pickup for online purchases “If a consumer started their shopping experience 15 minutes ago and they want to

bring it to a conclusion, choosing between getting something in four days and getting it tomorrow is a big difference,” Massey says. The Locally platform connects online shoppers who are browsing brand websites, blogs, and digital ads with gear items in stock at nearby stores.

5. Same-day delivery People want to get their hands on online purchases ASAP. Besides the popularity of Amazon Prime’s free twoday shipping, “Target and Walmart are using local delivery—and every other store needs to have a plan,” Massey says, whether that’s connecting with a third-party service like Deliv.co or just having employees do the delivering. Think beyond a simple dropoff to really outshine the ecommerce giants: “It’s one thing to buy the grill, it’s another to have it built and fully ready at your house,” Massey says.

6. Special events Host as many events as possible, and target specific demographics or customer types: ladies’ night, a backpacking class, a ski trip, a fishing instruction event, or a 5K packet pickup at the store.

Massey’s team has found that events with local clubs are particularly effective at building community relationships with reliable customers.

—Morgan McFall-Johnsen

PHOTOS BY OUTDOOR RETAILER

Tapped In

H I G H Q UA L I T Y & A F F O R D A B L E A C T I O N C A M E R A L E A R N M O R E A B O U T B R AV E 6 AT B O OT H # 4 4 0 6 5 - U L

APPAREL The path to PFC-free gear is long and wet, but we're getting there.

A PFC-Free Future?

Brands continue to push for an end to dangerous chemicals in our rain shells—but we're not there yet. BY RYAN WICHELNS

I

N THE YEARS-LONG BATTLE against polluting perfluorochemicals (PFCs) in gear, the outdoor industry is finally winning. But it's too soon to declare victory.

A major component in durable water repellent (DWR) treatments for years, PFCs have, within the last decade, gained a name as one of the outdoor industry’s most prominent pollutants, putting us in the crosshairs of environmental groups (like Greenpeace) and proving even the greenest brands and businesses have room for improvement.

PFCs appear on a wide range of outdoor softgoods— almost anything with some degree of water repellency. Most DWRs are applied to garments and gear by soaking the fabric in a solution, which is eventually washed—PFCs and all—into the environment. The resilient chemicals break down extremely slowly, and work their way into the environment and our drinking water, potentially causing cancer, liver and kidney damage, and reproductive problems.

But finally, it’s possible to imagine a day when the chemicals will be gone for good. “I think the reason there has been no ‘golden ticket’ is because all of

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

the approaches so far have been taking the traditional route and processes,” said Black Diamond Vice President of Apparel Trent Bush. “Finally, we’re starting from the ground up.”

As the dangers of PFCs slowly came to light, numerous brands made bold pledges to be free of the polluting chemicals by 2020, including Black Diamond.

PFC-free garments have been slowly on the rise ever since brands like Fjällräven and Columbia debuted PFC-free items in 2015 and 2016. Somewhat under the radar, Nikwax has quietly avoided using any PFCs in its treatments since the early 2000s. Just last summer, German brand VAUDE announced that its spring/summer 2019 apparel line will be completely PFC free, making it one of the first companies to reach that milestone.

According to VAUDE, PFC-free water repellents have finally caught up to the effectiveness of traditional DWRs, but a holdout, the company admits, is in oil repellency—crucial to protect the jacket and its waterproof/breathable membrane from degrading in contact with sweat and other bodily fluids.

“Oil repellency on fabrics is achieved only with the

help of PFCs,” the brand's website notes. “We have thoroughly examined the issue of whether outdoor products really need this feature and decided that for VAUDE, they do not.”

While prioritizing removing PFCs over durability has won VAUDE praise from Greenpeace (which labels the brand a “Detox Champion”), other companies are unwilling to make that same compromise.

At the other end of Greenpeace’s spectrum is Patagonia, which has said remarkably little on the issue of PFCs. In a 2015 blog post, the company acknowledged the issue and committed to switching from long-chain to short-chain PFCs, a fix that has been proven to have questionable results, and which Patagonia admits is “not good enough.”

However, with questions still lingering about the durability and longevity of PFC-free jackets, and with the large emphasis that Patagonia places on giving its products a long life, it’s not a surprise to see the company holding off. In a 2016 blog post, it mentions that sub-par waterproofing means “the garment must be replaced more frequently, which constitutes its own environmental problem ... So sacrificing garment life is not an option.”

Beyond mentioning that it intended to be PFC free by 2025, Patagonia declined to comment on the issue and has not made any major public statements since updating the blog post.

PFC-free waterproofing solutions are constantly improving, though, including when it comes to durability and sustainability. Black Diamond is in the process of launching a line of outerwear with Green Theme Technologies (GTT) Breathable Water Protection, making it one of the first brands to feature a PFC-free finish from GTT (Marmot also debuted its own line in early 2018). A key difference: GTT’s process involves a dry application, using pressurized gas to fuse the PFC-free DWR with the fabric’s fibers on a molecular level, boosting durability and eliminating water waste. “The fact that we can achieve all of this added performance [through the GTT technology] and long-term durability, without using any palm oil or water in the process, is incredible,” said Bush.

Not to mention, the waterproofing, breathability, and durability of fabrics treated with GTT’s technology all meet or even exceed traditional DWRs, according to the Bundesmann testing standard.

After a $15 million investment into research in 2015, W.L. Gore also announced last year that it would remove PFCs from most of its waterproof laminates by 2020—news that Greenpeace heralded as a major win, considering Gore-Tex’s ubiquitousness throughout the industry.

With the rapid expansion of new technology and a handful of brands committed to pushing the issue, a completely PFC-free outdoor industry no longer feels like such a long shot.

PHOTO BY LOUISA ALBANESE

THE OUTDOOR TREND REPORT

APPAREL

“People often say, 'I don't want a product with chemicals.' They're actually going to be cold and naked, because there isn't any solution that doesn't have chemistry.”

—Kevin Myette, bluesign technologies (p. 40)

Case Study: SeaWool Where to find the next sustainable, cozy, quick-drying performance material? It might just be under the sea.

T

HE OBVIOUS FIX FOR THE PROBLEM of reeking Taiwanese oyster landfills was probably not to turn the discarded shells into your next technical insulating layer—but one company decided to give it a try anyway.

The Hans Global Textile Company worked with the University of Taiwan to develop a method of grinding down the shells and extruding them into a filament. The shell filament was then mixed with recycled PET polyester (think: plastic water bottles) to create SeaWool, a soft, quick-drying, and antimicrobial synthetic fabric.

For fall 2019, Mountain Khakis will launch a complete line of SeaWool-based apparel pieces, including its new men’s and women’s Pearl Street Flannels (a reference both to the street in Jackson, Wyoming, and the mollusks' most famous byproduct).

“We’re constantly looking for new, innovative technologies to tell a sustainability story,” said Mountain Khakis Senior Product Manager Ned Hutchinson.

“A huge demand for oysters in Taiwan leads to a lot of discarded oyster shells, and although there are plenty

150 YEARS OF INNOVATIVE TEXTILES

Schoeller celebrates a milestone this year.

of applications for these [which include repurposing them as fertilizer], they still end up with massive piles of leftover shells,” he says.

But SeaWool isn’t just an environmental feel-good story; it’s a customer feel-good story, too. According to Hutchinson, the calcium carbonate in the shells boosts moisture wicking and breathability in the garment and makes it quick drying and warm when wet.

It also gives the pieces an antimicrobial quality (eliminating the need for additional chemicals for that purpose), and even makes the company’s new flannels naturally anti-static. Mountain Khakis’ blend mixes the oyster filament with cotton (for comfort) and nylon (for strength).

Alongside the flannels, Mountain Khakis will also launch a line of lofted layers that feature oyster shells in the insulation. A 60-gram blend of 50 percent polyester and 50 percent oyster filament yields a puffy just as warm (with a 0.69 CLO value, which is a measurement of insulating power) as one using PrimaLoft Gold, according to Hutchinson.

1961

First elastic fabric—or "soft shell"—is developed for the ski industry.

1994

Schoeller becomes the first activewear manufacturer to receive OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification, meeting a benchmark for low levels of harmful substances.

SeaWool technology has been around for a few years, though it hasn’t gained much traction in the industry beyond limited offerings from Orvis and Australian company Mountain Designs. And using the material in insulating jackets is even more under the radar, but Hutchinson sees the fabric getting a lot more attention as time goes on. “It’s a win-win for everybody.”

Oyster shells aren’t the first off-the-beaten-path ingredient for outdoor apparel. Repurposing a similar waste product, Repreve turns recycled plastic water bottles into wicking baselayer fabrics. In 2011, Mountain Khakis debuted a fiber that took advantage of the UV resistance and quick-drying nature of used coffee grounds to benefit a line of shirts. And the brand 37.5 uses the microscopic pores in volcanic sand and the carbon from coconut shells to increase the surface area of the material, absorbing infrared light to regulate temperature as well as trapping odor molecules to keep an otherwise traditionally stinky synthetic layer smelling fresh.

And in an industry already receptive to innovative textiles made from inventive natural ingredients, Mountain Khakis is hoping the future of insulation comes from “mussel shirts.” –RW Check out Mountain Khakis' new SeaWool collection at booth #36031-UL.

1994

The first temperatureregulating fabric, Schoeller PCM, absorbs and releases thermal energy to maintain a constant temperature.

2006

First intelligent membrane, c_change, mimics how a pine cone opens when the outside temperature rises and closes when it drops.

PHOTOS BY COURTESY

RUDOLPH SCHOELLER OPENED Switzerland’s first

worsted yarn spinning mill in 1868—and over the next century and a half, it transformed into a worldwide leader in both fabric technology and sustainability, with 500 brand partners in 50 countries.

Here’s a look at its greatest hits.

—Evelyn Spence

2012

Wind-repelling, insulating corkshell, a foam made from the residue material of wine cork production, is introduced.

2013

Ecorepel—free from fluorocarbons and PFCs—hits the market.

2016

Ecorepel and 3XDRY, two biodegradable, PFC-free finishing technologies based on renewable/agricultural primary products, debut.

2017

A durable, heatable e-softshell—with electronics incorporated into the fabric—is introduced at ISPO Munich.

THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

39

APPAREL

Kevin Myette 5-MINUTE INTERVIEW

Director of Brand Services at bluesign technologies

Kevin Myette has been working on sustainability in the outdoor industry since before it was even called sustainability, back when he was named REI’s director of product integrity in 2001. Now at bluesign technologies, he works with more than 80 of the industry’s leading brands—from Helly Hansen to Patagonia—to improve the integrity of their products and supply chain.

What’s an example of a process the outdoor industry is working to improve, but still hasn’t perfected?

There’s a lot of very challenging processes in outdoor, mainly because people generally don’t like to get wet. Many materials

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

What do you tell brands who want to be better, both socially and environmentally?

I tell them to get a supply chain analyst.

Ultimately, in order to make progress, you need to know your supply chain better. In the past, it wasn’t a brand’s priority to pay attention to every detail as to where those materials are coming from. But it is now.

Because if brands are making a coated material, it could be outsourcing some of the most impactful processes and you have no idea where that’s being done. You can start to immediately see the ramifications of not knowing that, but you also begin to appreciate how complicated and difficult that is. When you think that you know your supply chain, tell yourself you don’t and redouble your efforts. Everyone wants to be able to tell that story about the latest, greatest, greenest material made from angels’ wings or what have you. But there is a lot of on-the-ground work that’s necessary to even be in the ballpark.

Why do you believe that sustainability isn’t just a trend and is here to stay?

Sustainability is another dimension of

“ Everyone wants to be able to tell the story about the latest, greatest, greenest material made from angels' wings." quality and integrity. No one questions nowadays as to whether quality is important. And much of what you can do in improving the quality of product is almost inextricably linked to sustainability. A lot of the ways that organizations are currently marketing their greenness is a little bit old hat. I try not to roll my eyes too much at those that say, “We recycle the paper in our office.” I’m using that as an extreme example. But we shouldn’t even be having those conversations anymore. The most important thing for brands to do is not worry about being perfect, because nobody is. I think a decade ago it was optional whether or not you needed to get on the sustainability path. It is no longer optional. —Amelia Arvesen

30

BY THE NUMBERS

Number of regular Outdoor Retailer brand attendees that are members of the bluesign system

PHOTOS BY COURTESY

and products are designed for high performance and protection against elements.

People often say, “I don’t want a product with chemicals.” If they’re asking for material or apparel without chemistry, they’re actually going to be cold and naked because there isn’t any solution that doesn’t have chemistry.

In the world of water resistance, the industry has shone a spotlight on the problem of durable water repellency (DWR)— some forms are toxic to the skin and environment. We continue to struggle with a better form because we are trying to live up to the performance expectations of the past using chemistry that has some inherent limitations. We could stick with what we've identified as a concern with fluorinated substances and maintain a level of performance, or we move to some of the nonfluorinated ones, which are improving greatly but will always struggle with soiling and oil. A few other examples are managing solvents, like polyurethane, treating metal, or producing exotic plastics. To say that we’ve got a better solution is premature.

APPAREL

IF YOU ASK ME

Gear of the Future

Climate change is here—so we need a whole new way of looking at winter apparel technology. BY ERIC LARSEN, POLAR EXPLORER

E

VERY YEAR, I GO TO THE ONE OF THE COLDEST PLACES IN NORTH AMERICA—Lake

Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada—to teach a course on polar travel. Despite spending inordinate amounts of time on the polar ice caps, this is where I’ve experienced the coldest temperatures of my life. In 2008, on a weeklong training expedition, the temperature dropped to -75°F with the windchill. At one point while skiing that day, I thought I was going to literally freeze my butt off. I had to stop, dig out down pants, and put them on over all my expedition gear just to prevent frostbite.

Then, just nine years later, it rained so much in January that we were skiing through water and slush on top of the ice. I had to put plastic bags over my boot liners to keep my feet dry.

While warming temperatures might seem like a welcome relief for the chilled bones of a polar explorer, the opposite is true: It’s easier to travel at temperatures of 30 below zero than 30 above.

At freezing or just below, the snow is wet, clings to all your clothes, and melts. It is difficult to stay dry, and as a result, warm. To cope with a newly variable climate, the outdoor industry will have to adapt—and fast. Gone are the days of thick, bulky layers and gigantic puffies. I see clearly the future of winter apparel: versatile systems that function in an increasingly wide range of conditions, both above and below freezing.

Now, one of the main factors that I look for in all my winter apparel is breathability. To sweat in the extreme cold can be life-threatening (seriously). Back in the day (the '90s), I used clothing without a waterproof membrane, as I was most concerned about getting moisture from the inside to the outside. But on the Greenland ice cap this past June, it rained. Being able to stay dry from the outside has become just as important for me in polar environments. Therefore, a continued push toward fabrics that are both highly breathable and highly waterproof is paramount. Yes, there have been great advancements in both of these categories. But the holy grail of ventilation and weatherproofness is still out there.

Because there's still a lot of cold left in winter, brands also need to focus on designing systems of apparel—layers that can be interchanged depending on the conditions, activity level, and temperature. I don’t believe in the idea of a quiver-killer jacket or shell. The future is a thoughtfully designed “action suit,” where each layer complements the next and users adjust the number, type, and order of each layer as weather changes.

Greater climate fluctuations also mean increased wear on clothing. Freeze-thaw conditions are harsh at best, and more exposure means that the durability of materials and fabrics will play a major design role for apparel. Overall weight of clothing will continue to decrease, but it can’t come by sacrificing function or reliability. “Not light, but right” is a phrase I often use to describe this idea.

Of course, all of this is a moot point if we don’t shape up our carbon footprint as an industry. My sincere hope is that manufacturers find significant ways to reduce their impact through new and innovative sourcing and manufacturing. We’re all part of the problem—and now, more than ever, we all have to be part of the solution.

SUSTAINABILITY (IN THE) WORKS Upcycle, recycle, eco, and green: These days, they’re not just buzzwords. More and more companies are making strides in reducing our industry footprint. Here’s a snapshot of some of the biggest moves. –ES GREEN MOVE

AS SEEN IN…

IMPACT

Solution dyeing: adding dye to chips that are then melted and spun into yarn, rather than dyeing a finished garment

W.L. Gore, Schoeller ecodye, Fjällräven

Gore says the process uses up to 60 percent less water and lowers CO2 emissions up to 58 percent.

Turning factory fabric scraps into gear

Cotopaxi’s Repurposed Collection, all of Toad&Co’s S19 cotton

The practice diverts up to 20 percent of fabric scraps that end up in landfills, according to The New York Times.

Toad&Co’s recycled cotton saves 713 gallons of water per T-shirt.

Using renewable/agricultural raw materials

Schoeller ecorepel Bio and 3XDRY Bio

Schoeller’s plant-based Bio fabrics are 80 to 100 percent biodegradable, which helps keep fabrics out of landfills.

Greening up shipping

Toad&Co, Columbia

Toad&Co’s reusable LimeLoop shipper (made of upcycled billboards) saves about 10 trees per box.

Columbia’s single-wall shipping boxes use 30 percent less material.

THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

41

APPAREL

The winner of the Woolmark Performance Challenge will be announced at the show, walking home with €10K and a shot at designing the next big thing in wool.

CRYSTAL BALL

8 industry up-and-comers predict the next big thing.

This year, Western State Colorado University became the latest institution to offer a degree tailored to outdoor careers. These students—at schools like Western, Utah State, and the University of Oregon—are the industry’s future, so who better to predict what tomorrow’s outdoor industry will look like?

1. Rise of the robots “It’s only a matter of time until there’s a shift from traditional human-led, cutand-sew manufacturing to automated systems. AI will become a tool to drive innovation and solve many of the challenges facing the industry: finding alternatives to fluorocarbon coatings, developing new materials, and better resource utilization.” —Philip Siwek, Technical Apparel Design program at Kwantlen Polytechnic, British Columbia

Y

2. The next natural thread OUR NEXT FAVORITE WOOL LAYER could be designed by a college student. The winner

of the first annual Woolmark Performance Challenge will be announced on Day 2 of Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. Created by The Woolmark Company and adidas, the challenge attracted more than 500 students from universities across North America and Europe, all of whom hoped to design the next innovative performance wool layer. According to Woolmark, the challenge is designed to stimulate innovation and give college students an unrivaled opportunity to dream up new product applications for wool in performance gear, while also highlighting the material’s natural benefits.

Once the domain of just socks, wool is now a key ingredient for brands industry-wide in everything from baselayers to midlayers, technical pants, lifestyle clothing, insulating jackets, and even footwear. Woolmark is asking students to decide where else wool can go.

Announced in January at ISPO in Munich, the submissions were narrowed down to ten finalists who had the opportunity to attend a two-day workshop to fine-tune their ideas. Contestants include three students from the U.S., two from the United Kingdom, two from France, and one each from Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The winner will head home with a €10,000 prize, a three-month internship at adidas, and the opportunity to pitch and sell their idea to brands in hopes of seeing it produced as the “next big thing” in wool.

“New talent is the future of our business and the industry,” says The Woolmark Company Managing Director Stuart McCullough. “The Woolmark Company actively believes in education and fostering the development of the next generation of designers and change-makers.”

According to adidas Senior Design Director Tillmann Studrucker, the collaboration with Woolmark will help highlight young talent in the industry and give students an opportunity to help shape the future of athleticwear. “I'm looking forward to a lot of creative designs that are considering sustainability with material innovation ideas to blend performance and style, past and future.”–RW

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“We’ll see more use of spider silk in lightweight, ultra-durable gear. It’s highly flexible, strong, and light.” —Bennett Fisher, Outdoor Product Design and Development program at Utah State University

3. High tech “E-textiles will play a part in future garments, whether that’s through better integration of heating systems, smartphone apps, or health and activity monitoring.” — Connor Young, Utah State University

4. Digital makeover “The adoption of digital pattern-making tools at the design stage for outdoor apparel and equipment is going to become the new standard in the next five

years. It will revolutionize the fit and function of our gear by making the process more efficient.” —Veronica Villhard, Utah State University

5. One of a kind “[We'll see] more affordable custom apparel. I think we are moving towards a greater level of customization on a larger production scale.”

[See page 30.] —Mike Foley, Kwantlen Polytechnic

6. Less is more “We may start seeing an increase in gear rental/subscription-type programs.

These models fall within the thought of ‘the best product for the environment is the product that was never made.’” —Travis Hammond, University of Oregon

7. Size up “A lot of companies in the outdoor industries don't carry sizes big enough for a majority of Americans. And people are not going to buy products like kayaks or paddleboards if they aren't going to fit into them.”

[See page 27.] —Rachel Bodily, Utah State University

8. Get a lift “We’ll see the development and popularization of electronic, pedal-assist mountain bikes. Trail regulation will potentially need an overhaul as more users begin mountain biking with e-bikes. But they offer immense opportunity for those who’ve undergone knee surgeries, suffer from respiratory issues, or simply lack the cardio to travel long distances via bike.” —Caressa Binion, Outdoor Industry MBA program at Western State Colorado –Morgan McFall-Johnsen

PHOTOS BY ISTOCK.COM

Design School

2

0

Winter Sports Market Outdoor Retailer Snow Show

9

January 27-29 January 30-February 1

Outdoor Retailer Summer Market

FUTURE S H OW DAT E S

1

June 17-20

Grassroots Connect

November 1-4

Outdoor Retailer Winter Market

November 5-8

2

0

2

0

Winter Sports Market

January 26-28

Outdoor Retailer Snow Show

January 29-31

Outdoor Retailer Summer Market

June 22-25

Grassroots Connect

November 5-8

Outdoor Retailer Winter Market

November 9-12

C O LO R A D O C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

2

DENVER, CO

0

1

Winter Sports Market

January 24-26

Outdoor Retailer Snow Show

January 27-29

Outdoor Retailer Summer Market

June 14-17

Grassroots Connect

November 11-14

Outdoor Retailer Winter Market

November 15-18

2

0

2

2

Winter Sports Market

January 23-25

Outdoor Retailer Snow Show

January 26-28

Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Grassroots Connect Outdoor Retailer Winter Market

W W W. O U T D O O R R E TA I L E R . C O M

2

June 10-13 November 7-10 November 11-14

ISSUES

Have roof, will carry gear

Feeling the Squeeze

The Trump administration’s new tariffs could mean fewer hires, less innovation, and, eventually, higher prices for consumers.

BY ELIZABETH MILLER

T

HE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION has campaigned for years for the federal

government to address tariffs on outdoor products. But the latest changes aren't exactly what they meant.

OIA has argued that existing tariffs on outdoor products—14 to 40 percent on some items, compared to average tariff rates of 3 percent—put an undue burden on the industry, as the infrastructure and workforce necessary to produce much gear in America is long gone. But as of September 24, the industry has been faced with additional tariffs of 10

44

THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

percent, possibly climbing to 25 percent on certain products made in China by January 1 if negotiations don’t improve. Brands have been bracing for these measures with plans to tighten their belts.

Those hits are exactly what Rich Harper, manager of international trade at OIA, feared. “The effect will be to hamper the innovation the industry is known for and outdoor consumers demand,” Harper testified to Congress in August, as lawmakers considered adding the latest $200 billion in tariffs to the $50 billion already in place. The tax could reduce job creation or eliminate existing jobs, lead to discontinued prod-

ucts, and curtail product development, he warned. It might even put smaller companies out of business.

“With even a slight increase in price, the sustainability of our industry is in jeopardy because a price increase to consumers is fully expected to drive a decline in spending, which will ripple across local communities and tourist-dependent resort towns throughout the United States,” Nick Sargent, president of Snowsports Industries America, also warned in his own testimony to the congressional committee. “A 25 percent, or even 10 percent, increase in price on these products would certainly challenge even the most determined participant.”

The list of 6,000 affected products includes sports bags (like gym bags and duffels), camp chairs, kayaks, leather ski gloves, backpacks, some cooking gear, and bikes. The Trump administration has argued that tariffs will return manufacturing jobs to the U.S.—and aimed this specific round at punishing China for intellectual property violations that lead to knockoffs. While OIA is interested in working to address those concerns, Harper says they’d prefer a different approach.

Companies have begun looking at how to move production out of China, he says, but those switches take time. Meanwhile, at press time the president was threatening another $267 billion in tariffs. “At that point you’re looking at almost the entire U.S.-China trading relationship,” Harper says. That will likely mean tariffs on apparel and footwear, two categories spared this round. “I’ve been reluctant to categorize it as a trade war,” he says, “but it’s certainly escalating.”

The industry could see ripple effects even for domestic products because Trump has imposed tariffs on raw materials that many manufacturers import to build products in the U.S. That list originally included feather down and wool yarn, though down was dropped days before the tariffs went into effect (it—like just about anything else involved with China—could still be listed on later tariffs).

“It’s completely counter to what [the tariffs are] trying to achieve,” says Chad Altbaier, VP of Outdoor at Downlite, which supplies at least three companies making sleeping bags in the U.S., including Feathered Friends and Western Mountaineering.

Contracts for the coming year have already been signed, so brands cannot share those increased costs with retailers or consumers this season. “That means we may have to look at cutting costs in other areas, and one key area could well be letting people go,” says Dave Petri, vice president of marketing for Farm to Feet. It’s a push in the wrong direction for a growing company, he says. The uptick in yarn wool prices could also affect apparel prices, even without a direct tariff.

Eventually, the costs will almost certainly be passed on to retailers and consumers, who will face the ugly prospect of paying more money for the same product.

PHOTOS BY (LEFT) ISTOCK.COM/BOB WICK /BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

THE OUTDOOR TREND REPORT

ISSUES

“We may have to look at cutting costs in other areas, and one key area could well be letting people go.”

—Dave Petri, vice president of marketing for Farm to Feet

Case Study: La Sportiva

Taking a public stand on political issues has become an ethical— and business—imperative for this Colorado brand.

E

VERY MORNING WHILE DRIVING from his home in the foothills above Boulder, Colorado, into town for work, La Sportiva president Jonathan Lantz gets a clear look at the Front Range. That view has increasingly been clouded by brown haze.

“With the explosion of growth in the Front Range, and also the explosion of oil and gas drilling … there’s a visible difference [in air quality] just within the past five years,” he says.

So when Jason Keith of the nonprofit Public Land Solutions approached Lantz with the idea of drafting an op-ed about the Trump administration’s energy policies and how they’re affecting public lands and outdoor recreation, it wasn’t a tough sell. Lantz, Kim Miller with SCARPA, and Neptune Mountaineering co-owners Andrew and Shelley Dunbar signed on, and the piece appeared in The Colorado Sun on September 16.

THIS LAND IS OUR LAND?

Some of America's favorite wild places are facing new threats.

The op-ed, “Take a Stand for Colorado’s Public Lands,” tackled the Trump administration’s expedited oil and gas drilling policies and proposed leases near Great Sand Dunes National Park and Dinosaur National Monument, and in the North Fork Valley.

The Department of the Interior is expected to offer an unprecedented 13 million acres for oil and gas leases through the end of 2018, at the same time it has shortened public comment periods and environmental reviews. Lantz argues the moves put outdoor recreation at risk in ways that call for a public stance.

“It’s time to talk about a bigger-picture policy here,” he says. “There’s a lot more opportunities out there for more renewable resources than what our current administration is pushing towards, so if we don’t speak out, who else is?”

It’s a repeat effort for Lantz, who also wrote an op-ed that ran in the Boulder Daily Camera about coal-fired power plants in Utah emitting smog that

pollutes Colorado’s skies.

“Op-eds can be really important in both educating the public and starting a discussion, and also showing government at the local and federal level that you’re paying attention,” says Ashley Korenblat, managing director of Public Land Solutions. “There was a time when you just wrote a check to some conservation folks and you were done—and you still need to do that, but you need to do more than that. Are you going to wait until your favorite place is threatened to get involved? Because by then, it’s too late.”

The Daily Camera piece drew mixed reviews, Lantz says, including some people who declared they’d never buy La Sportiva products again. But in general, the response was positive and if anything, a boost to business from people who were happy to see an outdoor company taking a stand. After all, if public lands fall to an energy-dominance agenda, where will people find splitter cracks to scuff up those new climbing shoes?

“We’ve got a voice here, we’ve got all this strong economic data behind the outdoor industry now, and we’ve got to let [our position] be known—even if people are against what we say and think we should still be going with more traditional energy policy,” he says.

“That’s a risk that we’re willing to take.” —EM

Roughly half of Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is still in danger of being drilled, logged, mined, or developed.

The protected buttes of Bears Ears National Monument, Utah, have been shrunk by 85 percent.

MORE THAN 25 PERCENT of our land base in the United States—618 million acres, give or take—belong to us, the public.

But lately, it has seemed a bit more like take than give. Here’s a snapshot of where we stand on public lands. —Evelyn Spence

The Trump administration’s FY18 budget recommended opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to drilling operations.

In mid-September, the Trump administration offered up 200,000 acres of public lands for fossil fuel development in the San Rafael Desert and at the edge of Canyonlands National Park in Utah.

President Obama’s 48,000acre expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument may yet be rolled back for logging.

THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

45

ISSUES

Callie Rennison & Charlie Lieu

5-MINUTE INTERVIEW

Data scientists, #SafeOutside survey Callie Rennison

Charlie Lieu

among the leaders of the organizations to learn what they can do to stop it.

CL We received a lot of positive comments about the value of this work in the form of emails and other direct contact. We saw on social media that a lot of people didn’t know this was an issue, but with this new realization, they really want to help. But perhaps the most powerful thing that I heard were victims and survivors reaching out to tell us that up until the #SafeOutside initiative, they felt no one cared or was listening. And this movement made them feel like someone is listening and is doing something about it … More than one woman went as far as saying that this was a critical turning point in their healing process. —Amelia Arvesen

the #SafeOutside initiative and have partnered with SNEWS to survey the prevalence of sexual misconduct and gender bias in the outdoor industry. That survey follows the one the climbing community completed last spring, which was distributed by Alpinist, the AAC, and several other organizations and publications. Both Rennison and Lieu want to see the discussion continue.

SNEWS is surveying the outdoor industry. What other subsets of the outdoor space have reached out?

Charlie Lieu SNEWS is committed to leading the outdoor industry groups in conducting a survey that goes deep into the issues in the outdoor business. We have also had a number of organizations and groups reach out to us to survey their specific communities. For example, the outdoor community in South America would like to conduct a more extensive Latin America survey. The LGBT outdoor community would like to conduct surveys that take a more extensive look into issues affecting them. The snow sport, mountain biking, and water sport communities have all contemplated surveys specific to their sports.

What were your findings from the

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

climbing survey?

CL There were a lot of data and a lot of interesting tidbits, but at the heart of it all, the key finding is that one in two women and one in six men have experienced an interaction that can be classified as sexual harassment or assault (SHSA), which matches closely with the data collected by a multiyear study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The big, take-home message is: Climbing is just like the rest of society—people just don’t talk about it in our community, in part because the potential negative consequences (being shunned or ejected from the community) are so detrimental.

What kind of response have you seen from climbing organizations and media since publication?

Callie Rennison The unification of climbing organizations and the level of engagement by their leaders was another positive that has come out of this initiative. Many of the leaders we spoke to were surprised to see the degree to which SHSA happens among those who responded to the survey.

They were surprised to see how it affects those who have experienced it—how many disengage from climbing completely, or change how they engage (e.g., never do overnight trips). That said, there is real interest

12

BY THE NUMBERS

States with outdoor recreation (OREC) offices, task forces, or advisory councils.

California almost made the list, but Governor Jerry Brown vetoed a bipartisan OREC bill in September. The 12: Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Utah, North Carolina, Michigan, Maryland, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the latest, Maine.* *At press time, Maine had just hired a director for its upcoming office.

PHOTO BY COURTESY

C

ALLIE RENNISON AND CHARLIE LIEU are the two scientists behind

ISSUES

IF YOU ASK ME

Deny the Climate Change Deniers

Your vote is your most powerful weapon. BY JEREMY JONES

D

O YOU REMEMBER HOW YOU felt as the

poll results started to come in on November 8, 2016?

When it became clear that Donald Trump would be moving to the White House?

I remember how I felt.

Shock, horror, and guilt coursed through my veins. It was as though I had just lost a friend and hadn’t done enough to save him. In the days following the election, I questioned whether I was overreacting, but almost two years has passed, and it’s clear that I wasn’t. From a climate perspective, the results of that election have pushed us several steps backwards.

The importance of the upcoming midterm elections cannot be underestimated.

It’s time for the outdoor industry to be bold and stand up for what is right. Together, we are an $887 billion-dollar industry that supports 7.6 million American jobs. We’re bigger than Big Pharma and the extraction industries combined. But while we dwarf them in size, we can stand to learn a thing or two from their efforts to drive their interests into the American legislative process.

The collective effort on public lands and our demonstrative act of pulling the Outdoor Retailer show from Utah was a critical step in showing elected officials that we mean business. But let’s be clear: It was only the first step. While we were busy fighting for Bears Ears, Congress voted to open up our coastlines and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and natural gas drilling. The ANWR vote passed 224 to 201 in the House and 51 to 48 in the Senate. As one would expect, most of those ‘yay’ votes came from elected officials who are linked to the fossil fuel industry.

It’s not surprising when one considers that more than half of America’s 115th Congress are climate deniers. These fossil fuel-funded politicians make these votes with ease; they represent the dirty ways of the past simply because there are no consequences. There has never been a politician who has lost an election based on their climate denial. We need to change that.

At the Protect Our Winters Action Fund, our focus is not to change the minds of the climate deniers in Congress. Rather, we focus on denying those deniers an office on Capitol Hill by turning out the vote for climate champions. By empowering the outdoor community—an extremely powerful voting bloc—to become climate advocates, we can elect officials who will prioritize climate. Just a few seats in Congress can mean the difference between the renewable energy-powered ways of the future or the dead-end, unsustainable fossil fuel-powered ways of the past. We choose the future.

Climate change can be polarizing, but studies show that nearly 70 percent of Americans want to see action on climate. We need to use our collective might to demand climate action from our elected officials. The stakes are too high, and time is running out. I urge you to choose action over apathy and step into the climate conversation. Vote. Encourage your employees to vote. Give them time off to vote. Use your voice and your hard-won influence to urge your customers to vote. Together we can stack Congress with climate champions who will take meaningful action.

Pledge to vote with the POW Action Fund by texting #IWILLVOTE to 52886, and we’ll get you all the tools our community needs to show up and vote climate in November.

DIVERSITY WORKS According to a recent Forbes survey of 300-plus senior executives, a whopping 85 percent of respondents said that diversity is key to fostering innovation— and 78 percent will increase their focus on leveraging diversity. They’re onto something: The more we study diverse workforces, the more there is to love.

Here’s what the numbers say. —ES BUSINESS BOOST

Employees at diverse companies are….

45% likelier to report that their firm’s market share grew over the previous year.

70% likelier to report that the firm captured a new market.

CUBICLE CAMARADERIE

Companies prioritize diversity in order to….

#1 improve culture (78%) #2 boost financial performance (62%)

RECRUITING TOOL

When deciding where to work….

67% of overall respondents weigh diversity as a factor.

Among population subsets, that number jumps to: 70% of Latinos 72% of women 80% of Asian respondents 89% of black respondents 61% of women consider the diversity of the leadership team 48% of men do the same

CLIENT RELATIONS

NO I IN TEAM

A team with a member who shares a client’s ethnicity is…

Teams make better decisions than individuals…

152% likelier than another team to understand that client.

58% of the time, for all-male teams 73%, for genderdiverse teams 87% for gender-, age-, and geographically diverse teams

THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

47

ISSUES

Common Ground

How tribes and the outdoor industry are turning a casual partnership into a lasting alliance.

ART OF THE SALE

Four brands adding original artwork to their product lines.

There’s nothing like a unique work of art to make practical gear feel personal. More and more companies are collaborating with artists to offer special-edition products. The results are colorful, lively, and diverse.

1. Sunday Afternoons With 10 designs for adults and kids, Sunday Afternoons’s Artist Series trucker hats ($24-28) feature vibrant original pieces

by Oregon artists Chris Herbst, Acacia Lacy, and Jessilyn Brinkerhoff. Crown yourself in deserts, trout, and mountain landscapes with rainbow rivers.

2. Cotopaxi

N

ATIVE AMERICAN ISSUES have a new visibility in the outdoor industry these days, and insiders say that’s because of two little words: Bears Ears. The effort to protect the threatened national monument has become high-profile common ground for Native Americans and the outdoor community, two groups that have been almost adversarial in the past, starting conversations that have unearthed more shared values.

“It offers a lot for our groups to be working in concert to protect the full scope of resources that are important to all of us,” says Ethel Branch, attorney general for the Navajo Nation.

While other causes have brought the groups to the same side, such as the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline and development proposals at the Grand Canyon, Bears Ears delivered a new reason to ally. “Bears Ears gave us an external person or an external entity that caused the damage, and it really allowed tribes and outdoor recreationalists to say, ‘Look at what they’re taking from us,’” says Michael Johnson, Arikara, Hidatsa, and Ojibwe, and assistant director of development for the Native American Rights Fund, based in Boulder, Colorado. “It’s not tribes asking recreationalists to stay away. It’s not recreationalists desecrating tribal historic sacred sites. You see an alignment being built around fighting this deprivation.”

Now, Native Americans have spoken on recent panels during Outdoor Retailer, and a group of leaders held a tribal summit the day before last summer’s show. The eight states that signed the Outdoor Recreation Industry Confluence Accords last July committed to increasing diversity and working with tribal governments to boost the outdoor recreation economy. Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff are collecting tribal input for a new State of Colorado Outdoor Recreation Plan on how to manage public lands in culturally and historically sensitive ways. The conversation also has tribes looking to increase outdoor recreation on their lands. But the outdoor industry could do more, Branch says, to educate the public about respectfully visiting these areas, citing ongoing looting and grave robbing at Bears Ears.

The real payoff—and the real test—may still be coming , in the event of a more adversarial challenge. “Down the line, when we’re not all coalescing around the Bears Ears and we're dealing with a more tense situation,” Johnson says, “the relationships, the dialogue, and the understanding will lead to a better outcome in that situation, too.” —EM

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

3. EcoVessel Last summer, EcoVessel debuted the first of its upcoming Artist Collection with the Aspen insulated stainless steel water bottle ($45), which sports an engraved mandala design

by Phil Lewis, a Boulder, Colorado, artist. A portion of the proceeds will go to Water for the People, a nonprofit working to provide safe water and sanitation across nine countries.

4. Deuter + NoSo Patches Noso Patches Designer Kelli Jones met Deuter Marketing Manager Becky Marcelliano at a 2017 Outdoor Retailer show, and before long, they were working together to create the custom artwork—a peaceful mountain trail—for a specialrelease patch last June.

PHOTOS BY (LEFT) ISTOCK.COM/ADVENTURE PHOTO; COURTESY

Indian Creek, Bears Ears National Monument

To celebrate America’s public lands, Cotopaxi teamed up with Utah-based artist Samantha Zim to create 600 limited-edition packs with side panels adorned with red-and-orange Utah desert scenes ($40). Bonus: Proceeds from this picturesque daypack support the American Alpine Club’s conservation efforts.

SELL MORE FOOTWEAR IN snews YOUR SHOP W E K NOW OUTD OOR S

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SNEWS_ORAd_Nov.indd 1

10/15/18 9:04 AM

MARKETING

Farm to Feet’s SNEWS series on the wool industry resonated with its partners.

Native Content Grows Up Sponsored content levels up as more and more brands embrace the format. BY MORGAN TILTON

A

S AUDIENCES GET SAVVIER about native content—sponsored articles and videos that are similar to their editorial counterparts— brands are becoming more liberal with how they create it. The result: better storytelling, more engagement, and greater brand awareness.

That’s largely because sponsored posts help brands develop deeper connections with consumers through storytelling that’s comprehensive or tailored to the brand’s values. “Good native content is not just a platform for a brand to get on a soapbox to talk about itself: The content teaches readers something that’s valuable, and it’s a way for readers to interact with brands without disrupting what the consumers are experiencing,” says Leslie Barrett, strategic campaign manager at Active Interest Media's (AIM) Outdoor Group.

Due to higher quality, readers spend more time on these types of ads. For instance, “Facebook considers a typical video view to be three seconds, whereas

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

readers spend more time with our sponsored articles—an average time of two minutes, and a high of three minutes, 50 seconds,” Barrett says.

Outside magazine clients are also reaping those benefits, evidenced by the rate of client return year over year and the publication’s overall increase of its native content, which has grown by more than 200 percent since 2016.

“Ultimately, brands are selling product," says Sam Moulton, VP and director of marketing at Outside.

“But it’s hard to get their brand message or origin story out on their own website, because people go there to buy products. People come to Outside to read stories.”

Also, native content has a longer shelf life than traditional advertisements, which are meant to be consumed in very short periods of time, points out David Petri, vice president of marketing at Farm to Feet, which began native content creation two years ago.

“There’s only so much information you can include

in traditional ads, and most people are turning off pop-up ads,” he says.

In 2017, Farm to Feet partnered with the American Wool Council to sponsor a series on SNEWS to educate readers about the wool industry. The collaboration gave the brand resources to share a message on a larger scale—and it worked. “Anecdotally, the articles with the American Wool Council resonated among our retail customers and reaffirmed with them the value of our relationship,” says Petri.

Traditional native content includes product integration, but some brands are now opting for zero product placement, or even empowering an editorial team to develop the entire story with no requisite of brand inclusion. “A compelling story with no product placement or brand mention can be a huge win for a company, because people were entertained, and hopefully, the audience connects with the story on a deeper, emotional level,” says Moulton. In cases like these, the content’s goal is to build awareness and positive associations around the brand.

A handful of companies—like Patagonia, REI, and Eagle Creek—might have the resources to host consistent content on their own blogs or catalogs. For other brands, allotting marketing dollars toward native content is like firing a cannon: Brands can bypass the management and time that’s required for a blog to gain traction. With today’s high volume of digital content, it can be difficult to catch an audience’s attention through all of the online chatter, but publishing content via an established, credible channel helps: Publications already have their own audiences, editorial integrity, and media teams with the skills and equipment to produce attractive stories.

One critique—and continued challenge—of producing native content is ensuring that audiences understand that it’s sponsored. To help readers avoid confusion, both SNEWS and Outside have strict, consistent policies regarding the labels of advertorials and branded content on their social platforms, magazine, and websites.

And, as consumers get more accustomed to native content, brands are upping their game. Native content used to be boring, with brands typically paying to cover safe topics in a straightforward style, Moulton recalls. But as sponsored content becomes normalized, it’s gaining its own level of credibility and creative liberty. “Brands are becoming more openminded and willing to take risks with native content, like developing content with humor—which is the hardest thing to do,” says Moulton. And they’re growing more comfortable with handing over the creative reins to outside editorial teams. “Branded content is about trust for the media partner to represent a brand. That’s a big step for brands to take.”

But when done right—and with integrity—it’s one that pays off.

PHOTOS BY COURTESY

THE OUTDOOR TREND REPORT

MARKETING

Harriet Riley 5-MINUTE INTERVIEW

Digital content strategist, Nemo Design

Y

OU MIGHT REMEMBER Harriet Riley as a speaker at the Social Media Zone at the last Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. The creative strategic thinker crafts savvy plans to bring her clients’ ideas to life in the digital realm. Her approach isn’t just throwing another ad in people’s feeds. She seeks to ignite conversations and create more possibilities for people to engage.

What digital strategies resonate with people?

Harriet Riley It’s about giving people a reason to come to you by being a valuable part of their everyday lives. A piece of inspiration, a note of encouragement, a bit of education—those things that reveal the human element of the brand. You can do this with rich, sustainable, and quality storytelling that accentuates the brand’s values, mission, and purpose in a way no one else can.

Brandon Stanton’s “Humans of New York” is by far my favorite example—he is a master storyteller. He produces quick portrait and interview snippets on his social media and simply does a brilliant job of telling their stories and providing an introspective look at people who most of us never get to meet.

Imagine if brands took the same approach and got outside of themselves a bit.

What in your research of social media use and advertising/marketing has surprised you the most?

HR No content is better than poor content.

In the past, social platforms have pressured brands to stay on top of the algorithm, which has led categories to stretch budgets too thin, throw away process, and in doing so, tarnish its brand experience. Make a quarterly plan, only produce what you can afford and manage, and most importantly, root it in a story the user—not just the brand—will benefit from. If you don’t know what your audience needs to hear from you, then don’t talk until you do your research.

Give us an example of a brand that reinvented the way they engage through content marketing.

HR General Electric is generally the most applauded brand to date that reinvented its dialogue, spread onto creative channels, and engaged younger audiences who are otherwise alienated from the core brand. GE launched “Emoji Science” in 2014 with the help of Bill Nye and Snapchat to use emojis as a way to make challenging scientific concepts more accessible and entertaining to younger audiences. The campaign went organically viral. All too

often, brands boast their reinvention story based on surface digital metrics. It’s important to remember that content is just the handshake with the consumer, and the real answer lies in the business, products, and customer service to follow-through.

What’s a surefire way for brands to be successful with digital content?

HR Research, research, research to create insight-driven content. The outdoor space is growing rapidly because new people are participating in the space. A brand will fail if they assume their future customer is their traditional consumer. Step outside of intuition to find out who is interested and why, and create content to meet them on their journey. —Amelia Arvesen

15,385

BY THE NUMBERS

Number of likes earned

by Mountain Hardwear’s most popular Instagram post of 2018*,

an aerial view of Glacier National Park’s Mt. Wilbur.

With 616,000 followers, Mountain Hardwear stands head and shoulders above most other outdoor brand exhibitors in Instagram fans. *As of October 11

THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

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Case Study: Under Armour

A new race series leverages the brand’s urban foothold to introduce rookie trail runners to the mountains.

F

OLKS MAY HAVE BEEN surprised when Under Armour—a brand deeply rooted in a spectrum of team and urban sports—debuted its annual Under Armour Mountain Running Series in 2017. But Topher Gaylord, general manager of run at Under Armour and former Mountain Hardwear president, had a vision to bridge the gap between diverse communities.

“In essence, we want the race series to create unforgettable experiences for all of our participants in a format that challenges elite runners and makes trail and mountain running accessible to every runner and every ability,” Gaylord says.

So Under Armour partnered with Powdr Adventure Lifestyle Co., which owns nine mountain resorts in North America, to host trail races in Colorado, Vermont, and Oregon. Each event featured a festival-style day with a recovery zone, an athlete testing zone where racers could measure their baseline ability, and four race distances: a 5K, 10K, 25K, and 50K, plus prize money for the top male and female ultra-distance finishers.

“If you’ve never trail run, running on trails can be intimidating,” Gaylord says. “We want a race series that is more inviting. The 5K and 10K distances make events at each location accessible.”

Naturally, Under Armour marketed the event to the brand’s existing consumer base—which is diverse across ethnicity, gender, and culture—and the mountain races became some of the most diverse trail run events in U.S. history.

A central component helping Under Armour advertise the races, capture user-generated content, and develop a broader customer base is building grassroots relationships with urban run crews worldwide.

The brand works one-on-one with each community, providing product or gifting entry fees. Highly influential ambassadors, who activate their community and bring in more crew members, receive a flight stipend. The brand also partners with Trail Sisters to help drive awareness among female trail runners nationwide. Then, Under Armour uses a comprehensive marketing dashboard to measure each ambassador’s influence—including social media engagement and reach—which drives brand awareness.

“Conversion is difficult to measure one for one, but the elements of the marketing mix holistically—the crews, run series, and grassroots work—in order for us to be authentic in the community,” explains Gaylord.

Competition is found at race events, but the camaraderie of the trail running community creates a sense of approachability for newcomers, regardless of their background. “I don’t think many brands really know a way to invite urban runners and really diverse runners into the space," Gaylord says. "There’s more work to be done." –MT

PHOTOS BY (LEFT) UNDER ARMOUR/COURTESY

MARKETING

MARKETING

IF YOU ASK ME

The “D Words” As digital has forever changed media, data is also reshaping public relations strategies. BY DREW SIMMONS, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF PALE MORNING MEDIA

I

T’S MORE THAN A FEW TURNS PAST cliché to talk about how the “media is changing” in the digital age. You know it. I know it. The kid with the nose ring that just handed you a double mocha latte definitely knows it. But while the evolution of editorial continues, there’s also a corresponding sophistication in how companies—and their media representatives—measure, analyze, and strategize around their public relations efforts. Once upon a time, the industry standard for PR reports was a minimalist Word doc that included a list of placements, estimated “impressions” that each of those placements achieved, and their corresponding advertising equivalency .

If you’re old enough to remember those reports, you’re probably also old enough to remember the head-scratching that bubbled up when listening to how a poorly performing PR program had also somec3_winter18_OR_pre_ad2.pdf 1 10/10/18 10:09 AM how racked up millions of dollars in ad equivalency.

Times long ago changed for the better in the world of PR reporting, thanks to the rise of social media,

whose “live” digital metrics upped the game for the entire marketing department, relegating monthly PR reports to the Department of Antiquated Fuzzy Math.

While global agencies can justify the cost of current macro digital tools, the “boutique” agencies of the outdoor industry are in a vastly different boat when it comes to figuring out what do with limited budgets

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and a couple hundred hits a year.

Six years ago, our own agency felt the winds of the coming change in PR analysis and reporting, and did what any self-respecting Excel nerds would do: We started measuring. Our process began by recording every clip for every client and categorizing and rating individual brand mentions with more than a dozen filters, blending old-school data points like estimated circulation with just-for-us categories like where a “buy now” button refers the reader in a digital clip.

As results took shape, the data experiment transitioned from a “let’s see what happens” experiment to a “let’s share it” reality. One of our new tools was a clientfacing PR snapshot, helping inform brands and their PR managers exactly where they stood. Another fun result was an internal-only data summary, giving our directors deeper insights into how a brand is performing and how the media in general are covering a broad swath of outdoor products.

While data-driven PR strategy has been understandably valuable for many reasons, perhaps its biggest plus has been how it has helped the PR industry educate people about what we do. There’s an ongoing battle that PR agents have always had to wage, battling stereotypes that the field is just about spin, drink-buying, and Jedi mind tricks. Data is the silver bullet in that conversation, demystifying PR from a vague art to a marketing science, and showing us all that it’s really just about rolling up your sleeves and working as hard—and as efficiently—as you can.

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DIG INTO OUR HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SHOW’S EVENTS, EDUCATION, AND MORE

Events THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8

The Mingler: Grassroots Outdoor Alliance + Outdoor Retailer Networking Event

OIA Industry Breakfast | Retail Isn’t Dead: Optimism in the Age of Ecommerce

Attending Grassroots Connect show or coming in for Outdoor Retailer Winter Market?

Join your industry friends after Connect closes on Wednesday, November 7, at 4 p.m. in the foyer lobby of the Convention Center for The Mingler—a retailer networking event with music, food, drinks, and lots of good company.

Grab your Winter Market badge, meet with other Grassroots and Outdoor Retailer attendees, and hang out with Joe “The Mingler” Bustos and his impressive mustache.

Kick off Outdoor Retailer Winter Market with free breakfast and a birds-eye view of consumer sentiment. Enjoy the current retail landscape keynote presentation from Leslie Ghize of The TOBE Report. A brain trust of original thinkers studying new avenues of interest to the consumer, The TOBE Report is developing and evolving topics to inspire strategies and infuse creativity in the retail world. Ghize will give insight into the future of the outdoor retail industry with an exploration of applicable inventive concepts and clever customer engagement.

4-6 p.m.

Foyer Lobby, Colorado Convention Center

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THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

7 a.m.

Mile High Ballroom

Retailer Orientation 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Retailer + Rep Lounge (Booth 38103-UL)

Building on the success of previous Retailer Orientations, the Retail Relations team will host a meet-up with retailers looking for more information about the show.

Joe and Chris will cover show areas, show floorplan, where to find food and coffee, and much more.

Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards 6-8 p.m.

Mile High Ballroom

The Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards recognize the cutting-edge and carefully considered products and retail services made famous at the trade show. Winning products and retail services will be revealed on stage at a live awards ceremony on Thursday,

November 8. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 6:30 p.m. The ceremony is open to registered attendees and media. A panel of luminaries, designers, retailers, and media will evaluate entries based on a variety of factors, including concept, design, functionality, originality, sustainability, and impact. These judges will select winners from a pool of finalists, which will be on display on the show floor throughout Winter Market. For more info, see page 8.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9 The Conservation Alliance Breakfast

7-9 a.m.

Hyatt Regency Denver Join The Conservation Alliance and photographer Aaron Huey bright and early on morning 2. Huey will share his images and stories

from his most recent project, “The Battle for the American West,” a deep dive into the creation—and attempted dismantling—of Bears Ears National Monument, which appears as the cover story of the November 2018 issue of National Geographic.

Honey Stinger Coffee and Waffles 7-9 a.m.

Entrance, Colorado Convention Center

Honey Stinger Organic Energy Waffles pair perfectly with a hot cup of coffee! Visit the Good Morning OR Honey Stinger booth at the entrance of the Colorado Convention Center to start your show off right!

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8- SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10 Retail Buyer Buddy Program

10-11 a.m.

Outdoor Retailer Flag in the Foyer Want to shop the show floor with another retailer? Want to get a different perspective on how to find new products and brands at the show? Or just looking to meet others in the outdoor industry? Meet at the Outdoor Retailer flag in the foyer to meet other retailers that you can shop the show floor with!

Retailers: Shop with an Outdoor Industry Vet

3:30-4:30 p.m.

Outdoor Retailer Flag in the Foyer Want an inside look at how an industry vet shops the show floor?

Meet at the Outdoor Retailer flag in the foyer to meet other retailers and get an inside look at how a vet takes on the show floor!

INFORMATION ACCURATE AS OF OCTOBER 11, 2018 AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE

PHOTOS BY OUTDOOR RETAILER

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7

Education EVERY DAY AAC Education

9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

High Altitude Den (Booth 38087-UL) Choose your EDU Adventure. Come by the High Altitude Den climbing wall to tackle your burning questions.

Do you want to know more about anchoring?

Rappelling? Belaying?

Want to get a personalized AAC Universal Belay Card? The wall will be staffed with AAC educators ready to indulge your questions, have the tough conversations about best practices, and introduce you to products and manufacturers on display.

DAY 1 / NOVEMBER 8 Showcase Brand Culture First and the Sales Will Follow 10 a.m.

MR 301

If a brand isn’t presenting their culture on their website today, consumers will tune them out.

More than ever, online shoppers want to know what a brand stands for, and it’s up to brands to articulate it. John Evons, VP of global digital commerce at Fuerst Group, and Matt Faulk, CEO/ Founder of BASIC, will cover a recent digital transformation for KEEN and how the companies drew from KEEN’s offline culture to bridge the gap between purpose and product. BASIC and KEEN launched a redesigned site grounded in KEEN’s purpose-driven mission. It reflects stories of real-life consum-

ers and offers a browsing experience where shoppers are immersed in KEEN’s story.

Ready or Not, Here AI Comes! Insights into AI’s Impact on the Outdoor Industry and Your Digital Marketing Strategy 10 a.m.

MR 302

The future is now. Is your business ready to adapt and capitalize, or are you falling behind the competition? In this cutting-edge talk, Fidelitas Development CEO Tyler Sickmeyer will explain how artificial intelligence technology is impacting email marketing, content marketing, SEO, and social media— and how outdoor industry marketers can take advantage. Tyler will cover in-depth strategies on implementing the latest AI technology into your marketing.

Authentic Activations

10 a.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL) As millennials continue to prioritize experiences over things, how can companies respond to consumer shifts while adding value to their brands? From pop-ups and events to outsider activations,howcanweownthese experiences from a holistic, authentic point of view?

Bridge the Culture Gap: Digital Content Strategy for the New Outdoor Era 11 a.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL)

GOT AN EVENT? Submit your event to appear in The Daily, Days 1-4, here: bit.ly/ORWM18events Deadline: November 1. If you miss it, there’s no guarantee for inclusion, but email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com.

There’s a culture gap in the outdoors, and it’s growing as fast as the industry. Our audience might be bigger—but assuming these newcomers are traditional participants is a surefire way to lose them.

Join Nemo Design’s pro digital content strategist Harriet Riley to learn how the veteran agency helps clients bridge that gap. With a lens on digital content strategy, Riley provides actionable takeaways to help brands and retailers connect with a wider audience and not alienate core supporters.

Learn From the Best: Experiential Shopping

OIA Industry Lunch | Election 2018: The Aftermath

2 p.m.

MR 301

12 p.m.

MR 301-303

We know that elections matter and the outcomes can completely change the trajectory of our industry and our nation.

Join OIA Political Director Alex Boian and experts from across the political spectrum for lunch as they break down the results of the 2018 midterm elections and what it means for the outdoor industry. Did America Vote The Outdoors? And are we in for more of the same or did change come at the ballot box?

Box lunches will be first come, first served.

Carabiner Colloquium

1 p.m.

High Altitude Den (Booth 38087-UL) We invite carabiner manufacturers and climbers to explore the fundamental functions and features of all carabiners: secure connections, cost and durability, strength-toweight ratios, and overall strength. Sometimes, climbers want connections to be really secure.

Sometimes, we want the lightest and fastest thing on the market. And sometimes we want workhorse monoliths. See them all, get hands on, and ask every question!

1:30 p.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL)

A panel discussion of how retailers can use activities, events, and insider knowledge to reach new people, develop their community, and create richer shopping experiences for their customers.

A New Threat to the Outdoor Recreation Economy: How Additional Tariffs on Imports from China Could Impact Your Business

President Trump has proposed adding additional tariffs as high as 25 percent on imports from China, including certain outdoor products, in response to China’s intellectual property practices and forced technology transfers. These additional taxes on products like backpacks, sports bags, leather ski gloves, bikes, kayaks, and headwear could significantly raise costs for outdoor companies and consumers, impede job growth and innovation, and prevent more Americans from enjoying the outdoors. And apparel and footwear could be next. What is the impact on your business and how should you respond?

Understanding Amazon and its Impact on Your Business 2 p.m.

MR 303

Learn from the industry leader in marketplace sales and expertise with over $500 million in revenue and 10 years of experience on Amazon .com. This session is geared toward outdoor specialty retailersandmanufacturers.

We will cover: how Amazon works, principles and terminology, common frustrations and solutions regarding Amazon specific to the

outdoor industry, and lastly, what you can do to protect and insulate your business from the challenges that come with Amazon.

The Next Generation of Outdoor Consumer: Four Truths You Need to Know 2 p.m.

MR 302

When it comes to how they shop, where they buy, what they believe, and what they don’t, the next generation of outdoor consumers sees the world a bit differently than their predecessors.

In this lively session, we’ll look at four truths that brands and retailers alike need to know in order to win over the outdoor consumer of tomorrow.

Trends in Climbing: The Fixed Point Belay 2 p.m.

High Altitude Den (Booth 38087-UL)

Fixed point belays are used to belay a leader climber from a single fixed point, rather than incorporating the belayer’s body weight. It’s a technique that has been around a long time, but it’s only recently started trending in the U.S. among average climbers. If you’re a small belayer, if you’re ever belayed by children, or if you climb in diverse locales with challenges directly off the belay, you’ll want to learn more about this technique.

Bold Ideas: Innovation in 5 Minutes

2:30 p.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL) An inspiring exploration of innovative, bold ideas by entrepreneurs, artists, activists, and thought leaders around equity, inclusion, and belonging in the outdoors.

Conversation Towards Successful Sustainable Design and Domestic Manufacturing

2:30 p.m.

Trend + Design Center (Booth 53103-UL) Learn how Green Guru/Alchemy Goods (B-corp certified + Colorado Environmental Leadership ProgramGold Level) has paved the road for designing world-class product while manufacturing at a domestic level. We’ll dive into the importance of keeping close proximity to local sourcing, MFG, and market, as well as the end user. We’ll reveal the secret sauce of how eco materials and making the right pivots to ensure maximum durability are key when juggling the cost-to-benefit ratio for buyers, consumers, and general marketplace.

The Evolution of Advertising on Amazon: Strategies to Grow Market Share 3:30 p.m.

MR 301

Advertising has quickly cemented itself as a primary sales driver in the Amazon seller’s arsenal. As one of the most controllable and scalable investments a brand on Amazon can make, it’s also one of the most time-consuming and complex. With the proliferation of Amazon PPC technology platforms, an ever-growing number of advertisers, and a community-wide effort to better understand best practices, the sophisticated brand’s approach to ad programs like Sponsored Products, AMS, and AMG has been forced to significantly change over the past year. This session will walk through how the on-Amazon advertising landscape has evolved, how top-tier advertisers are adapting, and which ad strategies stand to be huge drivers of success in the years to come.

Attendees will learn how to create a sophisticated branding strategy and build a road map for where brands should prioritize their resources to drive sales.

THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

55

EDUCATION Innovate, Fund, and Grow: How to Build an Outdoor Products Business 3:30 p.m.

MR 302

Starting a business in the outdoor consumer products space can be an adventure. Like any adventure, you want to be sure that you have the tools for success.

Understanding trademark issues when choosing a name for the business, making sure you own all of your intellectual property, raising money, and preparing for how your business will impact your community can all be critical elements to success. Intended audience: anyone interested in launching or growing a company or product.

Takeaways: familiarity with the dos and don’ts of starting a business, guidance on creating a brand protection strategy, awareness of regulations for raising capital and growing a business, and understanding options for cause-based business models.

Afternoon Buzz— Human Tricks: Knots and Hitches 3:30 p.m.

High Altitude Den (Booth 38087-UL)

Come have a cup of joe from Goodhart Coffee and show off your best rope trick. We’ll provide prizes for special tricks.

Supply Chain Innovation in the Outdoor Industry Focused on New Sustainable Fibers, Fabrics, and Technologies

3:30 p.m.

Trend + Design Center (Booth 53103-UL) Join United By Blue (UBB) and representatives from leaders in the outdoor industry as Brian Linton, UBB’s founder, leads a discussion on the importance of incorporating new sustainable fibers, fabrics, and technologies into the industry’s varying supply chains.

Learn more about the technical and environmental benefits of using materials such as hemp, lyocell, PFC-free DWR

(solapel), bison fiber, bio-synthetics, and other fiber-up innovations in industry supply chains.

Exclusive “Jon Glaser Loves Gear” Screening and Happy Hour 4:30 p.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL)

Comedian and self-proclaimed gear aficionado Jon Glaser (“Parks and Recreation,” “Girls,” “Delocated”) will present the Season 2 premiere of his truTV comedy series, “Jon Glaser Loves Gear.”

In a happy hour sponsored by truTV, Jon will break down the biggest moments from the episode and geek out with attendees about one of his life’s greatest passions— gear!

DAY 2 / NOVEMBER 9 Industry Trend Breakfast | Market Overview and Q&A with Matt Powell

7 a.m.

MR 301-303

Join NPD for a fast-

paced, informative breakfast session. This is a must-attend event for those interested in understanding retail trends and sales in outdoor. The NPD Group’s sports industry advisor, Matt Powell, will provide an overview of what’s driving consumers and what they’re spending money on. Matt will be taking questions from the audience. Come experience this interactive session, which is critical to understanding what’s driving success at retail today. You won’t want to miss it. Please RSVP to Julia.Day@NPD .com or 303-402-5611.

Promostyl: Spring/ Summer 2020 Trend Influences 10 a.m.

MR 301-303

In this session, Promostyl will dive into the inspiration for the 2020 Spring / Summer season’s colors and materials relevant to all markets.

Mediums That Matter

10 a.m.

The Camp (Booth

32005-UL) Learn how to navigate the murky waters of earned editorial and branded content like a pro. We’ll talk to publishers, editors, and writers from your favorite outdoor magazines about the future of print and digital storytelling.

New Tools in the Fight for Sustainable Product Creation 10 a.m.

Trend + Design Center (Booth 53103-UL)

Companies have been moving more and more to sustainable practices in most aspects of their business. Trying to keep up with the most recent techniques for sustainability can be difficult or off the radar for many designers and developers. Several new tools in assisting with creating new and more sustainable products (software, prototyping technologies, virtual/augment reality) are discussed by faculty from Utah State University’s Outdoor Product Design & Development program.

From Micro-Fibers to Macro-Problems: How Long Could Microfibers Really Last?

11 a.m.

Trend + Design Center (Booth 53103-UL)

Microfiber and microplastics emissions are of growing concern to the scientific community and the public. Much research points to the textile industry as a contributor to the accumulation of synthetic microfibers in our oceans and land ecosystems. Yet there is some confusion surrounding what types of fibers may be contributing, and how long different fiber types may persist in various natural environments. Please join us to learn more about how different fiber types degrade in specific aquatic environments.

Amazon—The Pivot You Didn’t Expect 11 a.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL)

Whether Amazon is part of your business or not, in some way, Amazon

Tested & Proven

“

As a recovering Lyme disease patient, and mother of

two based in the beautiful, but tick-rich state of Maine, I do everything I can to protect our family from ticks.

I’m comforted knowing that Insect Shield technology is protecting us always while we enjoy the outdoors.

Tested. Proven. Mother approved.

”

- Heather Hurst

Founder & President, Project Lyme

Look for Insect Shield products from these trusted brands

EDUCATION affects us all. So their next big, life-changing innovation is about to change commerce once again, but it’s different than you might expect. Find out what it is, how it works, and why it could shape the next era of retail, wholesale, and more. Hear how the now-famous Amazon “Flywheel” strategy is getting an extreme makeover and why you should care.

OIA Industry Lunch | How Change Happens: Why Some Social Movements Succeed While Others Don’t 12 p.m.

MR 301-302

Why do certain movements succeed while others don’t? Social change expert and How Change Happens author Leslie Crutchfield explores some of the most dramatic social and environmental changes of the 21st century, from LGBT marriage equality and tobacco control to gun rights expansion and more. She shows why

some campaigns soar while others fizzle and looks in depth at the role of business in movements, highlighting how companies can have real impact on—and also be impacted by—the major movements of our time.

Box lunches will be first come, first served.

Prioritizing Your Technology Road Map: Life Without Spreadsheets 12 p.m.

MR 303

Spreadsheets, manual data entry, cleaning up errors, and communicating changes through emails slows everyone down. There is a better way—it’s called Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). Wave goodbye to spreadsheets and hello to amazing results like 15 percent reduced data entry and up to 10 percent increased sales.

Join this Lunch & Learn discussion and live demo to find out how freeing life without spreadsheets can be!

Rope Referendum 1 p.m.

High Altitude Den (Booth 38087-UL) We invite rope manufacturers and climbers to explore the fundamental functions and features of all rope: elasticity, durability, handling, strengthto-weight ratios, and a slew of other features like dry treatment, middle markings, end labels, colors, and styles. Get a chance to feel lots of rope varieties in their elements.

ROI for Retailers 1:30 p.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL)

In this workshop you’ll discover merchandise management strategies and key performance indicators that directly impact your store’s performance and profitability. Content highlights: increasing your initial markup, designing your sell-through and maintained markup, protecting your turn, GMROI (combo of maintained markup and turn). We’ll discuss how to approach a new investment to evaluate if the potential ROI

is worthwhile (technology, real estate, fixtures, sales floor expansion, website, staff, ads, etc).

Sports Product Design Research Methods

1:30 p.m.

Trend + Design Center (Booth 53103-UL) This workshop will focus on an array of research methodologies used to inform new and innovative sport products. We will follow case studies to understand how history, materials, manufacturing, trends, patents, environmental, and athlete insights influence the design of a product. The session will be led by Dr. Susan Sokolowski, associate professor and director of the Sports Product Design Graduate Program, University of Oregon.

Innovation Trend: Online Product Customization 2 p.m.

MR 301

Forty-one percent of consumers claim to

want a unique, customized product, yet many outdoor brands are not prepared for mass customization in the digital world. Join Tom Flierl of Amla Commerce to explore the trend of ecommerce product customization to better understand consumer desires, operational considerations, and technology options.

What Facebook Advertising Taught Us about Growing a Brand via Social 2 p.m.

MR 302

In the new era of micro brands and digitally native brands that grow rapidly through sophisticated audience targeting, Facebook has become the main avenue for hypergrowth and a highly investable advertising channel because of its ability to address all parts of the ecommerce conversion funnel, from brand awareness to loyalty. This session profiles one activewear brand, and how their approach to Facebook has evolved. You’ll learn

how they selected their audiences, which offers they decided to promote and when, and why they ultimately decided to stick with Facebook as a scalable marketing channel. Attendees will learn: where retailers and brands should prioritize time/invest their resources on Facebook, the building blocks of a successful paid social strategy, and real-world examples of brands utilizing paid social.

Trends in Climbing: Assisted Braking Devices 2 p.m.

High Altitude Den (Booth 38087-UL)

Accidents involving incapacitated belayers have been a steady annual phenomenon, and assisted braking devices offer an informed belayer a definitive margin of error. See how a stationary brake hand can add efficiency to your lead belaying. Discuss the role and options for manual braking devices in the era of ABD.

Good insurance shouldn’t blindside you Partner with the industry experts to protect your business, your product, your passion.

www.outdoorsportsins.com • osi@horizonagency.com • 1-800-491-2858

Let’s talk! Visit us at booth

44002-UL

EDUCATION Fast-Track Leadership: Lessons From the Trenches 2:30 p.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL)

Leadership sometimes seems like a mythical, out-there skill. Join Camber Outdoors for ignite-style presentations of lessons learned from past mentees.

Whether you’re a CEO or just getting your start, you will leave inspired.

The Key to Successful In-House Scalable Prototyping

2:30 p.m.

Trend + Design Center (Booth 53103-UL) Most brands struggle to justify in-house prototyping with the ease of sending a spec or CAD to a factory for their interpretation and development. However, many know the disconnect in a factory’s concept translation often leads to time and budget inefficiencies. Commonly, costs are cited as the inaccessibility to in-house prototyping programs. But

what if we could find a solution that was amicable for small start-ups all the way to preexisting larger brands and their business models? Zac West will reveal pragmatic ways to achieve scalable approaches for faster to-market timeframes, greater innovation leading to higher profits, and higher yield of ideas.

Imitation: Flattery or Infringement?

How to Protect Your Innovations and Pitfalls to Avoid in Taking Inspiration From Competitors 3:30 p.m.

MR 301

Come join our panel discussion to learn the different types of intellectual property protection, and considerations of what product and promotion imitation crosses the line and what is fair competition. Intended audience: anyone who has questions about the different types of intellectual property available to protect your ideas and creations, how to know

where your rights begin and end, and how to compete without crossing the line. Takeaways: the difference between trademarks, patents, design protections, and trade secrets; guidance on creating a brand protection strategy for new products; and guidelines on figuring out what you can lawfully borrow from your competition.

Driving Your Sustainability Strategy: How the Higg Index Can Help 3:30 p.m.

MR 302

A strategic, holistic approach to sustainability is necessary in today’s marketplace.

It inspires better business decisions and can result in cost savings, increased production and operational efficiency, improved brand perception, and proactive engagement on emerging issues. But where do you start with developing your sustainability strategy? Join us to learn how the Higg Index suite of tools can

help guide your organization’s internal sustainability conversations and enable brands, retailers, and facilities of all sizes to accurately measure and score a company or product’s sustainability performance. We’ll be sharing exactly how outdoor industry companies are using the tool to assess their performance, inform their sustainability strategy, and share their sustainability score with business partners. Join us to get a jumpstart on your sustainability strategy.

Afternoon Buzz— Fireside Chat: AAC Grief Fund 3:30 p.m.

High Altitude Den (Booth 38087-UL)

As climbers, we know climbing is an inherently dangerous undertaking.

Climb enough and you can risk a life-threatening physical injury severe enough to change your life. Climb enough and you can lose someone in a fall. Climb enough and you can witness terrible events in the mountains when hostile weather

moves in. Come grab a cup of joe from Goodhart Coffee and join panelists that include pro climbers, grief specialists, and AAC staff to talk about how we’re making efforts to confront this topic.

Growing Your Business by Growing the Good 3:30 p.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL)

Bert and John Jacobs launched the Life is Good Company in 1994 with $78 in their pockets, selling T-shirts on the streets of Boston. Today, Life is Good is a $100 million positive lifestyle brand sold by more than 2,000 retailers across the U.S. and Canada, donating 10 percent of its annual net profits to helping kids in need. You’ll hear from Bert about the perfectly imperfect ups and downs of the brand’s last 25 years, discover how concentrating on the outdoor community can fuel growth, and unearth some never-before-told tales from life on the road. Bert’s business story and lessons on

optimism and corporate social responsibility will demonstrate how focusing on the good can transform your mind-set and business and take you anywhere. Stay for happy hour with the crew at 4:30 p.m.

adidas x Woolmark Performance Challenge 2018 Showcase

4:30 p.m.

Trend + Design Center (Booth 53103-UL) The Woolmark Company and adidas invite you to discover 10 pioneering creatives whose innovative ideas harness the natural potential of merino wool to create product solutions for the sports and outdoor market. The announcement of the inaugural winner of the Woolmark Performance Challenge will be made at 5 p.m.

DAY 3 / NOVEMBER 10 The Power of Livestreaming: Innovating Your Brand

10 a.m.

EDUCATION High Altitude Den (Booth 38087-UL) Brandlive Co-founder and COO Fritz Brumder will highlight how major outdoor brands such as GoPro, Yakima, Cabela’s, and Osprey are leveraging live video to innovate their communication strategies. He will give a voice to this medium and share with attendees how they can easily pursue this innovation for their own brands.

Accessibility and Adaptive Climbing: Making People with Disabilities Welcome in Outdoor Venues 10 a.m.

MR 302

In this talk, Craig DeMartino will address how people with disabilities can be welcomed into the adaptive climbing world. From creating a welcoming space within the setting of a climbing gym, to choosing the correct space for an outdoor area, Craig will speak from the perspective of the adaptive climber that he is.

Wild in Wellness 10 a.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL)

A profound shift in the way people incorporate wellness and self-care into their daily routine is underway. From the food they consume to the products they purchase, holistic health is no longer considered to be an “add-on”—it’s a necessity. How can we take a page from this booming market, which is valued at $3.72 trillion? Join us for a panel discussion with experts bridging the gap between both worlds.

OIA Industry Lunch: Just What ARE these State Offices of Outdoor Recreation?

12 p.m.

MR 301

There are now 12 state offices or commissions of outdoor recreation around the country, and more in the works. But what are these offices?

How do they differ from other state agencies?

And what do they seek to

accomplish? Join OIA’s State and Local Policy Director David Weinstein; current directors of these offices; and the industry experts who helped create them in a discussion about this emerging trend at the state level, why these offices help their states, and where the next office might be created. Box lunches will be first come, first served.

Anchors

1 p.m.

High Altitude Den (Booth 38087-UL) Climbing manufacturers have an array of products designed to anchor a climbing team to sets of permanent fixtures (bolts), removable protection points (cams, stoppers, etc.), and natural features (trees, boulders, horns). Come see the latest and greatest products to make sure your application adheres to fundamental principles.

Develop Rewarding Partnerships with Your Brands (for Retailers)

1:30 p.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL) A hybrid session of a workshop + best practices volunteered from the audience, we’ll unveil the building blocks to a more steadfast and rewarding vendor/ retailer relationship that will translate into healthier sales for both parties.

Join us for an ongoing conversation with the industry’s women leaders on contemporary topics that drive business success, including merging profit and purpose in business, diversifying the marketing/ ad images of women in the industry, how smaller brands can compete against the heritage Goliath, and more.

Trends in Climbing: Helmets on Every Head

Prototyping: Examples of Lessons Learned the Hard Way

Helmet use is becoming more and more of a status quo for outdoor climbing, and helmets are being designed to protect the climber skull from objects falling from above, and the climber falling and impacting things. Come discuss the increasingly ubiquitous use of helmets.

This presentation will review a dozen or so examples of how prototyping was used to speed the process of getting from an idea to a successful product.

Examples draw from different industries, product types, materials, prototyping approaches, and iterations to succeed.

When Women Lead: An Evolving Conversation

Afternoon Buzz— Innovations

2 p.m.

High Altitude Den (Booth 38087-UL)

2:30 p.m.

The Camp (Booth 32005-UL)

2:30 p.m.

Trend + Design Center (Booth 53103-UL)

3:30 p.m.

High Altitude Den (Booth 38087-UL)

Come have a cup of joe from Goodhart Coffee and check out the newest and most innovative products available for climbers this year.

DAY 4 / NOVEMBER 11 Trends in Climbing: Small Teams Rescue is Changing

1 p.m.

High Altitude Den (Booth 38087-UL)

The AAC has been reformulating the nature of small teams and improvised rescue training.

For decades, the topdown curriculum has emphasized the leastcommon scenarios in climbing.Those skills are still valuable, but they might not be commonly deployed. Instead, stuck ropes, getting off-route, and dropped hardware routinely happed to all climbers.

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Performance Leather Footwear Gloves Tech www.pittards.com

Booth 52030-UL

Featuring the freshest gear on the market today.

Here is a sneak peek at what’s new and what’s coming from leading industry companies

MASTHEAD

snewsnet.com EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN- CHIEF

Kristin Hostetter

khostetter@aimmedia.com DEPUTY EDITOR

Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R

Amelia Arvesen

aarvesen@aimmedia.com CONTRIBUTORS

outdoorretailer.com S H O W S TA F F V I C E P R E S I D E N T, G R O U P S H O W D I R E C T O R

Marisa Nicholson

marisa.nicholson@outdoorretailer.com SALES DIRECTOR

Krista Dill

krista.dill@outdoorretailer.com SE NIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Paul Dillman

paul.dillman@outdoorretailer.com

Kristin Carpenter-Ogden, Jeremy Jones, Eric Larsen, Morgan McFall-Johnsen, Elizabeth Miller, Jill Sanford, Drew Simmons, Evelyn Spence, Rick Spicer, Morgan Tilton, Carolyn Webber Alder, Ryan Wichelns

P U B L I S H E R , O U T D O O R R E TA I L E R M A G A Z I N E / T H E D A I LY S E N I O R A C C O U N T E X E C U T I V E , O U T D O O R R E TA I L E R

DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY

adam.kingston@outdoorretailer.com

ART DIRECTOR

Ryan Johnson

ryan.johnson@outdoorretailer.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Adam Kingston

Mike Leister

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

A S S O C I AT E A R T D I R E C T O R

dave.nielson@outdoorretailer.com

Kenneth Doory LEAD PHOTOGR APHER

Louisa Albanese PRODUCTION PRE PRE S S MANAGE R

Joy Kelley A D C O O R D I N AT O R

Dave Nielson

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Robert O’Quinn

robert.oquinn@outdoorretailer.com SENIOR MARKETING DIRECTOR

Jennifer Holcomb

jennifer.holcomb@outdoorretailer.com MARKETING DIRECTOR

Sarah Langston

Caitlin O’Connor

sarah.langston@outdoorretailer.com

PREPRESS SPECIALIST

M A R K E T I N G C O M M U N I C AT I O N S S P E C I A L I S T

Idania Mentana SALES SNEWS SALE S MANAGE R

Susie von Mettenheim

303-253-6441 svonmettenheim@aimmedia.com

Natalie Generalovich

natalie.generalovich@outdoorretailer.com MARKETING MANAGE R

Maxwell Frost

maxwell.frost@outdoorretailer.com M A R K E T I N G C O M M U N I C AT I O N S S P E C I A L I S T

Mason Tobias

mason.tobias@outdoorretailer.com P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S /C O M M U N I C AT I O N S M A N A G E R

Lisa Ramsperger

Copyright 2018 © Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc.

Lisa.ramsperger@outdoorretailer.com C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R

PRESIDENT & CEO

Andrew W. Clurman S E N I O R V I C E P R E S I D E N T, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER & TREASURER

Raymond Kang

raymond.kang@outdoorretailer.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Marisa Lowey-Ball

Michael Henry

marisa.lowey-ball@outdoorretailer.com

C H I E F I N N OVAT I O N O F F I C E R

PRODUCTION/ TR AFFIC MANAGE R

Jonathan Dorn MANAGING DIRECTOR

Laurie Stiglitz

laurie.stiglitz@outdoorretailer.com

Sharon Houghton

BRAND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

V I C E P R E S I D E N T, A U D I E N C E D E V E L O P M E N T

larry.harrison@outdoorretailer.com

Thomas Masterson V I C E P R E S I D E N T, P R O D U C T I O N A N D M A N U FA C T U R I N G

Barb Van Sickle V I C E P R E S I D E N T, P E O P L E A N D P L A C E S

Larry Harrison

R E TA I L R E L AT I O N S M A N A G E R

Joe Bustos

joe.bustos@outdoorretailer.com R E TA I L R E L AT I O N S M A N A G E R

Chris Sears

JoAnn Thomas

chris.sears@outdoorretailer.com

AIM BOARD CHAIR

S E N I O R O P E R AT I O N S D I R E C T O R

Efrem Zimbalist III

Cathy Griffith

cathy.griffith@emeraldexpo.com O P E R AT I O N S D I R E C T O R

Julie Freedman

julie.freedman@outdoorretailer.com O P E R AT I O N S M A N A G E R /O P E N A I R D E M O

Kirsten Khoury

kirsten.khoury@outdoorretailer.com R E G I S T R AT I O N O P E R AT I O N S M A N A G E R

Kristen Novick

kristen.novick@emeraldexpo.com R E G I S T R AT I O N O P E R AT I O N S C O O R D I N AT O R

Kylie Sanders

kylie.sanders@emeraldexpo.com E V E N T S O P E R AT I O N S C O O R D I N AT O R

Nicole Cho

nicole.cho@outdoorretailer.com

THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

61

BEHIND THE STORIES

Brain Trust Chad Altbaier, p. 44

Ashlee Anderson, p. 36

Leslie Barrett, p. 50

Hope Buttitta, p. 34

Kristin CarpenterOgden, p. 29

Heath Christensen, p. 32

Lisa Cooper, p. 14

Ethan Cotton, p. 28

Bruce Dotterer, p. 32

Sarah Dreyfuss, p. 14

Vanessa Downey, p. 15

Robin Enright, p. 33

Keith Eshelmen, p. 32

Bennett Fisher, p. 42

Tom Flierl, p. 30

Claire Gibson, p. 38

Marissa Guyduy, p. 30

Topher Gaylord, p. 52

Travis Hammond, p. 42

Ned Hutchinson, p. 39

Rich Harper, p. 44

Derwyn Harris, p. 32

Dana Howe, p. 34

Michael Johnson, p. 48

Jeremy Jones, p. 47

Rod Johnson, p. 36

Sevag Kazanci, p. 32

Ashley Korenblat, p. 45

Brian Linton, p. 32

Jonathan Lantz, p. 45

Eric Larsen, p. 41

Charlie Lieu, p. 46

Mike Massey, p. 36

Brendan Madigan, p. 33

Caroline MacMillan, p. 16

Gabe Maier, p. 34

John Mead, p. 14

Kevin Myette, p. 40

Sam Moulton, p. 50

Devaki Murch, p. 34

Kelly Neel, p. 27

Dave Petri, p. 50

Matt Powell, p. 26

Callie Rennison, p. 46

Harriet Riley, p. 51

Will Rochfort, p. 27

Nick Sargent, p. 44

Doug Schnitzspahn, p. 17

Drew Simmons, p. 53

Kurt Smith, p. 15

Rick Spicer, p. 35

Casey Sumnicht, p. 16

Debby Thomas, p. 36

Brad Werntz, p. 30

Not pictured: Caressa Binion, p. 42; Dave Blazer, p. 36; Rachel Bodily, p. 42; Ethel Branch, p. 48; Mike Foley, p. 42; Stuart McCullough, p.42; Philip Siwek, p. 42; Tillmann Studrucker, p. 42; Veronica Villhard, p. 42; Connor Young, p. 42 Kris Versteegen, p. 15

62

THE DAILY PRE-SHOW EDITION

PHOTOS BY COURTESY

Don’t just take our word for it: These 66 industry sages delivered the insights behind this issue.

GO EVERYWHERE

BOOTH 42031-UL

GO EVERYWHERE

BOOTH 42031-UL