The ninth annual The Running Event (TRE) conference and trade show, held in Austin on Dec. 2 to 5, played host to 872 retailer buyers from 24 countries, representing 368 unique ownership groups. That’s up 12 percent from 2013, according to show organizers Formula4 Media, Great Neck, N.Y.
In all, the show was attended by 2,676 running industry professionals, and was covered by 70 media (up 40 percent over the year before), representing both running and mainstream print, electronic, and social media outlets. Retail buyers and sales associates traveled to the Austin Convention Center for educational seminars and previews by 310 exhibiting manufacturers of new products – from footwear, apparel and recovery rollers, to wearable fitness trackers, reflective garments, and blinking lights to enhance roadside safety.
“The retail attendance numbers were particularly gratifying because it was a challenging year for run specialty. The fact that the stores turned out in such great numbers speaks to the vitality, resiliency and strength of the channel,”said Mark Sullivan, president of Formula4 Media.
The Running Event is one of the top 10 fastest growing trade shows in the country according to a 2013 analysis by Trade Show Executive magazine. This was the third consecutive year (2011, 2012, 2013) TRE made the list.
Show director Troy Leonard adds, “As we approach our 10th anniversary show in Austin, Dec. 1 to 4, 2015, we’re already discussing ideas to do it even better next time.”
Some of the more unusual products on display were: reflectivity spray you can apply directly to skin or clothing from Albedo 100 (albedo100us.com); Nathan launched a running-specific “hand torch” with an alarm (nathansports.com); Night Runner displayed LED lights for shoes (nightrunnergear.com); Spree has a fitness tracker that fits inside a SmartCap (spreewearables.com); X Racewear launched athletic apparel with race bib protective pockets (xracewear.com); Sensoria introduced Smart Socks which measure heel strikes (sensoriainc.com); Rogue River Sports displayed sweatproof car seat covers (seatshield.com); and Epic provided protein bar snacks made with bison (epicbar.com).
