Travel
July 29, 2010
July 16, 2010
the OR 40+ Legacy Partner ... what does it mean?
At the upcoming Summer Market show, you are going to see something new.... well, actually a lot of things new, so don't let that 'same airport, same cab, same hotel, same street walk, same restaurant' thing fool you. But ONE of the cool things you'll see is a new program rollout called '40+ Legacy Partners'. Is that a Subaru ad, or what?
No, not Subaru.
At this OR Summer we are honoring those brands who have been with us for 40 shows or more, a landmark that only 54 companies can claim rights to. The highest possible number of OR shows is 42. Sorry if you're at 39 shows, but we had to make the cutoff somewhere and you can look forward to next year. If your brand is in the 40+, that means you have been exhibiting at OR since a time when feathered hair and parachute pants were de rigeur.
You'll see floor graphics in front of their booths, and highlights in the listings in the show directory and floorplan. We'll be honoring this group that represents today less than 5% of the 1030 brands on the show floor of OR Summer... but represents the core business that, according to the most recent OIA market research, is surging in Q1 2010 sales and participation among consumers.
These companies represent the origins of OR from the Reno days and further back, and all still serve the core active outdoor recreation market as we know it today. Please feel free to Hoist something frosty in honor of the following brands:
3M
| 5.10 Five Ten Footwear |
| Adventure 16 |
| Adventure Medical Kits Inc |
| Alpenbooks |
| Alpineaire & Richmoor/TyRy |
| Aventura Clothing/Sportif USA |
| Backpacker Magazine Active Interest Medi |
| Black Diamond Equipment |
| Cascade Designs Mountain Safety Research |
| Chums/Beyond Coastal |
| Columbia Sportswear Co |
| Crazy Creek Products Inc |
| Eagle Creek |
| EK EKcessories |
| Ellington Handbags |
| Fox River Mills Inc |
| Grabber Performance |
| Gramicci |
| Granite Gear |
| Gregory Mountain Products/Bianchi Intl |
| Heat Factory Inc |
| Hi-Tec Sports Usa, Inc |
| Jansport |
| Kelty |
|
Kenyon Consumer Products Leki |
|
Liberty Mountain Lowa Boots |
| Mammut Sports Group / Climb High |
| Marmot Mountain LLC |
| Merrell |
| Metolius Mountain Products |
| Montrail Inc |
| Mountaineers Books, The |
| Mountainsmith |
| Ojai Intl |
| Osprey Packs |
| Patagonia |
| Petzl |
| Pigeon Mountain Ind Inc |
| Polartec, LLC |
| Royal Robbins Phoenix Footwear Groupinc |
| Sierra Designs |
| Suunto |
|
Tecnica |
| Terramar Sports Inc |
| Teva |
| The North Face |
| Thorlo |
| Timberland Company |
| Vasque |
| Western Mountaineering |
| Wigwam Mills |
| WL Gore & Associates |
| Woolrich |
Considering our collective obsession with shiny and new, it's worth taking pause to consider the tried and true. The concept of character gained through age and experience ('Sabi ga tsuiteru' in Japanese) comes to life when you visit with some of the above original brands of OR. They are the survivors, the original gangsters of outdoor gear.
KH
June 03, 2010
OR Culture .... where Art inspires Activity, or vice versa
Here is a recent update from the industry on this topic, from SNEWS. American Illustration, a nationally renowned organization centered on creative illustration, featured a great 'slideshow' type presentation that speaks to the different ways art is used, including to inspire 'new methods in retail branding'. As brands work to resonate beyond the functional into the emotional with customers, they are moving into this art/commerce interface.
The blending of art and commerce is a place I'm interested in, now that my East Culver City humdrum/ghetto-adjacent neighborhood has transformed (through the magic of urban redevelopment funding) into the 'Arts District'. This Saturday June 5 is, in fact, the annual 'Artwalk' event where all 37 galleries in my old 'hood are open to the public.
Action Sports (surf & skate) is particularly hot in this direction, and Outdoor is just coming around (unless you think the splotch-painted lycra tights of the early '90's constitutes 'art').
Some cool considerations - See below for great examples of art/music/film inspired by Outdoor.
http://www.dezeen.com/2007/08/02/illoiha-omotesando-climbing-wall-by-nendo/
http://www.jercollins.com/ (who may be performing at OR Rocks this Summer Market! Stay tuned)
http://www.prana.com/blog/?p=4223
From the River City Canoe & Kayak(Louisville, KY) shop facebook page...
This is also worthy in the art-meets-climbing scene, this time in the musical sense...
http://www.mistymurphy.com/home.html
What have you got going to show off the CULTURE of OUTDOOR? Share it here... and open your doors to let in the creative forces in your neighborhood. It's good for business!
KH
May 19, 2010
Virtual Events of the Future
“How will publishers and event professionals navigate the digital transformation occurring in today’s media landscape?” That was the question posed by John Failla, CEO of Tesoro Events, to the physical and virtual audience gathered for the American Business Media Events Summit on March 24. He likened the crossroads the industry is at with one that big box retailers faced many years ago, with the advent of online retailing. Successful retailers embraced technology to build their brands, drive more traffic to their physical locations and increase sales and profitability. Savvy event managers, he argues, will do the same.
Many in the trade show world have been wringing their hands and racking their brains on the future wave of virtual or online events, and how the business will be impacted.
Have you attended a virtual event? Do you have any thoughts on the value of events online, or whether they fit into your business game plan?
KH
April 26, 2010
Are You Listening? ROI for Social Media
Ever feel like you are sending out the messages via your facebook or twitter accounts, but aren't getting a clear response? Reminds one of print ads and other hard to measure promotional media (er, say Trade Shows, for instance).
Success in Social Media means emphasizing the S.... SOCIAL. How many of you step into a party and jump on a table to start shouting your brand story to the (astonished) crowd? How many of you enter that same party and sit down interviewing people and taking notes feverishly? Two wildly different approaches to the party... and equally different results from it. Social and Listening are almost synonymous, or at least the trend positively together ("that guy is antisocial!" = "that guy didn't hear a word I said!").
As you implement or contemplate your Social Media strategy, how you process the information coming back to you will determine how hard you are listening to customers.
Interested to hear more? Check out this podcast I discovered... good reminder for those of you that do, and definite spur to action for those that want to.
http://www.closingbigger.net/2009/10/social-media-listening-strategy/
What's that you say?
KH
January 28, 2010
OR Winter 2010; a retrospective PLUS HAITI HELP
Well the 21st annual Outdoor Retailer Winter Market is now a wrap. I'm afraid I will never get around to thanking all the dozens, no HUNDREDS of people who contributed to the success of the little show that could... btw there are great links below for HAITI help and to video and stories on OR Winter 2010 if you want to skip over my nostalgic storytelling...
My first visit to a Winter show was when I made store manager for Adventure 16; I had just gotten my ears wet for a few months running a little backpacking shop in the San Fernando Valley when I was whisked off to Las Vegas for the SIA show, where there was a small representation, in a back, dank ballroom, of outdoor brands we needed to see. The ski show was a glam-fest, which wasn't that odd to me given my L.A. roots (my dad attended Hollywood High School, even). It was clear, even then, that our little market was an afterthought to the burgeoning fur-lined high heel fashion show going on in the main hall.
So fast forward to last week, and the Winter Market born in 1989 has grown up into an electric, thriving beehive of commerce on it's own, celebrating and gathering brands and dealers selling outdoor gear for real use in the natural environment, both on and off the resort. At the 2010 version of OR Winter, Jeremy Jones' POW (Protect Our Winters), Transworld Business, Trew and Venture Snowboards presence on the show floor for the first time showed a new inclusive atmosphere that joins resort and backcountry focused businesses together, really for the first time.
More images, stories and video from the show will be posted up as the show shrinks in the rear view mirror, so feel free to chime in under 'comments' to guide fellow readers of this blog to other legit content... beware spammers and flamers, got my finger on the delete button just for you.
Check out the following links to see video spots and hear about the show from different viewpoints...
http://www.outdoorretailer.com/winter_market/show/livefromor (featuring Timmy O'Neill MC!)
http://www.outdoorretailer.com/winter_market/events_seminars/projector
http://business.transworld.net/30522/features/outdoor-retailer-2010-photo-and-video-gallery/
http://www.apparelnews.net/news/tradeshows/012910-Mood-Upbeat-at-Outdoor-Retailer/page2
HAITI SUPPORT UPDATE - see below for several different industry initiatives to choose from to support efforts on the ground in Haiti
1-
Exhibitors are invited to donate show products - logistics will be provided by Terramar, Sierra Trading Post & Eric Larsen (THANKS for your strong efforts at show to pull this together!)
Logistics will work like this:
1. At the end of the show, participating vendors will package and ship their relevant show product they are donating to:
Sierra Trading Post
5121 Campstool Road
Cheyenne,
Wyoming
82007
ALL PACKAGES MUST BE MARKED: ROBIN JAHNKE /
HAITI
RELIEF
2. Product must arrive at Sierra Trading Post's warehouse within 10 days following the show
(that would be by FEBRUARY 8, 2010)
3. All products must be labeled HAITI RELIEF.
4. Sierra Trading Post will ship to
Haiti
via the Red Cross or another reputable relief agency.
2-
Doctors United For Haiti - option for gear donations not flowing through Port-Au-Prince
Paul Fish, of Mountain Gear, has recommended this outfit to get critical gear on the ground going around the main squeeze zone of Port au Prince, using private transport delivering straight to doctors on the ground in Haiti. There is a detailed list of gear needs evident on the following sites:
Coordinate gear for this approach via;
Paul Fish
Mountain Gear, Inc
6021 E Mansfield Ave
Spokane Valley,
WA
99212
Phone 509.242.4545
3-
Outdoor Industry Association
Working with AmeriCares (http://www.americares.org/), the OIA is calling on members to dig deep to support those areas devastated by earthquake in Haiti.
AmeriCares has disaster workers on scene and is planning immediate relief flights and sea shipments from their headquarters in
Connecticut.
. Their immediate product needs are:
Medical Supplies First Aid Kits Bandages and Soaps
Face Masks – Medical Water Purification Headlamps
Tarps Work Gloves Hydration Containers
To donate this urgently needed product/equipment contact: Randy Weiss at AmeriCares at (203) 658-9527 or [email protected]. All donations will be delivered by air and sea directly to the region by AmeriCares.
If you are a gearhead and want to see the latest posts on gear reviews from the show, check these links out... more to come.
http://gearjunkie.com/outdoor-retailer-show-products-2010
http://www.sltrib.com/outdoors/ci_14238681
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-gear25-2010jan25,0,1668279.story
KH
January 05, 2010
Update for Haiti and OR Winter 2010
Well like most of you we have been busy little beavers here at OR central lining up the hundreds of little details that make a great show go off. With the end of year, planning for next, holidays and oh by the way a pretty big show approaching, it's been a whirlwind, for sure. Sounds good, you say, but where's the beef? What is happening this month in SLC?
Plenty, to put it mildly. Where do I start?
UPDATE- Haiti needs our help. OIA is recommending working through http://www.americares.org to funnel contributions, especially of gear that will be necessary in urban rescue and portable living arrangements. This is the time to shine as an industry for outdoor recreation. Other groups with people and programs on the ground or very soon will... http://www.medicinesglobal.org , or super easy text the word 'Haiti' to 90999 to put $10 to the American Red Cross.
The All Mountain Demo would be a proper place to start. Get to Snowbasin on Wednesday the 20th of Jan and treat yourself to an all-mountain cornucopia of latest gear to test on both lift-served, groomed nordic and off-piste terrain. All the major brands will be there and two new events will highlight the expanded scope of OR Winter; the Transworld Business Retailer Rumble (pitting dealers against their vendors in a fun downhill run, whether sliding sideways or two-plankin'), and the Nordic Challenge, which will be more treasure hunt/orienteering fun on the x-country gear that will be available. Fantastic prizes (including hotel rooms at next winter show!) abound... so step on up.
At the show in town, I'll only bore you with the nitty gritty details, some of which can be plucked from the online event schedule. so suffice to say there will be new features to partake of, new intelligence to absorb, new technology to understand and implement, new best practices to fold into your already strong business acumen. There are some key avenues to explore as you enter the SPCC and Salt Lake in a few weeks... all at your fingertips at the show and in the weeks that follow...
The COMMUNITY - This Winter Market opens the season with not just a peek at the products and innovation that the brands bring to OR each January, but a never before seen gathering of powerful brands alongside the athletes, advocacy groups and media players that round out the entire winter outdoor rec business. New media players like Transworld, New brands like Venture Snowboards (+150 others), and senior brands like Columbia Sportswear returning to the show floor are just a few community highlights you'll see later this month in SLC.
The EDUCATION - a timely and powerful lineup of seminars, panel discussions and presentations will manifest at OR Winter, powered by the Outdoor Industry Association as well as the OR special event team. Social Media is a big topic these days, specifically how successful businesses are using it to fuel sales and contact with customers. Late breaking, a panel of journalists and media experts from the industry will vet the 'death of media... long live (new)Media!' on day 3 in the morning. The full lineup of presentations can be seen here.
The NETWORKING - Starting with the AMD Bash at Snowbasin (where the PRIZES are awarded!) and running continuously through the show are opportunities to network with peers from around the world, as well as with leaders of brands that will make your registers ring next year and beyond. Athletes and advocacy groups can bring depth and purpose to any events you are currently hosting, and bring fresh ideas and influence to your community. Your customers need to know who and why, not just where and what they need to recreate with! Focus your networking intent on the ZONES at show, including the Climbing Zone, the Endurance Zone, the Design Center, the Backcountry Village... all of these areas are owned by the community of orgs and businesses who consider it their home, offering a great meetup (or tweetup) spot to kick off new relationships or solidify current partnerships... or just cool your heels or get a little stretch in on a rock wall or treadmill (while testing something cool and new).
The CULTURE - SEE NOTE FOR HAITI ABOVE! This industry is all about facing adversity with confidence and clear thinking... let's show the other industries what we can make happen on the ground, and do our part.
From the TNF Masters of Snowboarding Comp to the Transworld Shop Challenge at AMD to the Backcountry Village events and the OR All Star Industry Jam, the OR Winter show reveals the soul of the marketplace... we do business, we do it well, but we know how to bring a city to life and play as hard as we work. That ethic rests at the center of our lives, personal and professional. It comes to life in the creativity that is flowing all around the OR show, day and night, for nearly a full week. This Winter show will unveil new partnerships and creative treatments on and off the show floor in the booths, in the Zones as well as in the bars, restaurants and clubs.
UPDATE- Haiti needs our help. OIA is recommending working through http://www.americares.org to funnel contributions, especially of gear that will be necessary in urban rescue and portable living arrangements. This is the time to shine as an industry for outdoor recreation.
It's a great place to feel our culture, but it's a great place to expand on that culture, and be more inclusive as we enter 2010. Let's invite everyone to play as we do, to simply start. No attitude to contend with, no judgement, just have fun on the snow, ice, trails that are flat or vert or watery... just get out there, and get some gear to make it even more fun.
This should be the theme of Outdoor in 2010; Inclusivity. And this is what you'll get an eyeful of at OR Winter.
December 01, 2009
Fly Fishing invited to OR in lieu of stand-alone show
Here is my missive to the FF industry inviting them to come play in the OR sandbox for Summer Market 2010. Bottom line; small niche markets are no longer served by stand-alone events. In this digital age, the primary purpose of attending a show is to get out of the box and see new methods, techniques, gather new intelligence in a rapidly changing market... oh, and to see new product too. Linking arms with the like-minded active outdoor world can only be good for the fly fishing industry, IMHO. Read on...
KH
November 03, 2009
Tech meets Outdoor on the trail, and at the show
The OIA Rendezvous happened earlier this month in San Diego, and featured a suite of presentations that focused on the application and importance to businesses of Social Media. The day before the 'vous, an impromptu ad-hoc event surreptitiously called the 'Un-conference' happened as a live gathering of less than two dozen who were discussing similar issues in an open source format with more than two dozen who followed on skype and streaming webcast. These are not the days of road miles and phone tag... these are the days of many options for up-to-the-minute updates, conversations, sharing of information and decision-making. Well except for that pesky pre-season ordering scenario that remains. This too shall change, though, if the pundits have any wisdom at all.
The OIA Rendezvous review is here
http://www.outdoorindustry.org/pdf/SmartPhonesWN102109.pdf
So what? Well, your profitability absolutely relies on it, that's what. Not only if you are a specialty shop, but whether you are a big brand, small or startup brand, athlete, advocacy group or any other part of the community of outdoor professionals, it's your job to know your stuff when it comes to ordinary tools applied to outdoor adventure. Yes, even you journalists out there! (I politely recuse myself from this grouping for now).
One impactful session at the Rendezvous was led by Paul Kirwin of Kirwin Communications fame and now Channel Signal. Like the Nielsen Online group I share offices with, Paul's group focuses in on the 'conversations' being had about a brand, and how that 'buzz' is moving the needle (literally) up or down to drive positive or negative brand impressions, nearly in real-time. He used examples from Mountain Hardwear and SIGG to illustrate how paying attention to internet chatter or buzz in chat rooms, blog comments, twitter posts and the dreaded 'mommy bloggers' can take a brand to its knees or elevate it beyond any paid advertising.
Other key factors in tech-meets-outdoor are the electronic and visual cues that cellphones and other modern handheld devices transmit to rescuers or nearby ordinary citizens http://news.cnet.com/Turning-cell-phones-into-lifelines/2100-1039_3-6140794.html(just one of 6400 results from a google search of 'mountain rescue cellphone visibility', not even counting water rescues). Soon the very lack of communication will be an early warning sign that someone's adventure has gone awry.
How does tech affect the show? I follow a few folks who consider this their sole mission in life, to report on events with cutting edge technology... interactive registration services all the way to RFID for real-time traffic analysis (ooohhh....expensive). In a nutshell, digital technology is going to absolutely transform the events industry to match the real needs of specialty markets. At OR, you've already seen some evidence of this with twitter feeds from the show you can follow (or post to via hashtag), modernized floorplan/exhibitor list/schedule planning tools online, and streaming live video from the gear testing demo and main event. Like I was saying in a previous post, the show isn't over when it's over anymore.
More on this topic will be coming at you as we reach into 2010 (!) and beyond, so stay tuned.
October 05, 2009
the OI and Indonesia
UPDATED Tues Night Oct. 6 -
Surprisingly I have not seen anything from the industry on providing assistance for the Quake/Tsunami victims in Indonesia. Maybe the OI press isn't covering it, or maybe it's too soon (?), or maybe we were all busy crafting the future of our market at Rendezvous.... but there is an opportunity in front of us to do good, maybe clear some older inventory, show the greater watersports businesses how we roll and join the world community of advocates and businesses pitching in to save lives in Indo.
The area hardest hit (Padang City, up to Malaysia and even Samoa) is a haven for surfers and adventure travelers. This is not at all a peripheral event to our interests. The fastest way to help is to donate funds to support efforts on the ground there.
Also to that end, here are a few ways to get involved (spread the word, you captains of social networking):
Jason Murray, famous surf photographer, is heading to Padang next week. He's willing to carry whatever he can in his and crew luggage/bag check. [email protected]
Andrew Judge, COO SurfAid International, wrote this over the weekend
Hi All,
Just getting some internet here in Padang,
This is a great offer; tents and medical supplies are exactly what we need.
Our Program Director David Lange is coordinating the supplies. He has specific needs for medical supplies and would really like to talk to you.
Ideally, if you could send anything you have down now, we can send to Ments and Telos. If you are still in Medan, could you please get in touch and we will tell you what is most needed.
and these contacts also interested in getting support for a ground effort in Indo.
Great talking with you this morning.
I think your idea of rallying the outdoor industry makes perfect sense. If the various companies can pull together tents, water purifiers and various outdoor camping supplies that would be insane!
The major issue will be logistics and shipping these products out. As of right now, Surfaid is going through their Australia offices and contacts to send supplies and receive info and status updates.
Look to http://www.surfaidinternational.org or http://www.redcross.org for directing donations of human-powered flashlights, shelters, tarps, tents, waterproof bags/backpacks, and medical gear. If you know of other avenues that can assure gear will get to the right people, then chime in here and let the outdoor world know.
So reach out and touch someone!
KH
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