InsideOutdoor | SPRING 2022 26 It’s becoming more and more difficult to justify the investment of a massive, mega-booth presence at major outdoor industry B2B shows. Prevalent trends during the past several years – which accelerated during the pandemic – have led to substantial fragmentation of both the retail buying process as well as brand storytelling and marketing, making it increasingly risky to put so many eggs into one trade show basket. Indeed, the disruption brought by rep and regional buying shows along with emerging digital sales and marketing channels, among other factors, is evidenced by the absence of Outdoor Retailer booths from leading outdoor brands that once drove and defined the event. One could argue that many of the legacy brands foregoing this summer’s OR show – such as Patagonia, The North Face, MSR, Outdoor Research, Kelty, Coleman, Smartwool, KEEN, Black Diamond, PETZL, Johnson Outdoor, Merrell, Mountain Hardwear, Hoka and Salomon – must take a “go-big or don’t go at all” approach to exhibiting at OR. That’s not to suggest that large trade shows are suddenly void of substantial value. Massive disruptions to the event space notwithstanding, large outdoor community gatherings still provide exhibitors and attendees with ample opportunities to collaborate, refill sales funnels, discovery new intelligence and people, gain competitive insights, energize R&D and amplify messaging. “Shows will continue to be important because relationships continue to be important,” said outdoor event veteran Kenji Haroutunian, who currently serves as outdoor show director for the Big Gear Show. While the type of soft benefits listed above may be less persuasive to CFO types than the hard prospect of a pile of written orders, the ROIs remain very real and necessary. And according to executives at the Big Gear Show, realizing those returns is less dependent on elaborate trade show booths and the corresponding big budget, and is much more about “people, product and experiencing the gear,” said Haroutunian. “Brands have finally figured out that having successful B2B shows has little to do with expensive, shiny exhibits with neon lights; it is about products and the people behind them,” added Lance Camisasca, another long-time event organizer and execuA Show for Specialty The Big Gear Show’s biggest differentiator could be its small, specialty mindset Retail education in the mountain air at BGS 2021 Big Gear Show’s inaugural 2021 event By Martin Vilaboy
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTg4Njc=