Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2018 Features Nearly 300 New Exhibitors And First Demo In Downtown Denver

July 16, 2018

New experiences include: Night of Stoke film festival, bluesign® workshops, a climbing boulder, and interactive lobby activations

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CALIF. – (July 16, 2018) – Outdoor Retailer, the premier trade event and community gathering for the outdoor industry, today announced a lineup of new experiences for Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, July 22-26 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. The week opens with the Demo Experience – an “Urban Adventure” – and the first demo to take place in downtown Denver, on Sunday, July 22. New features and events throughout the week include: sustainability workshops hosted by bluesign®; a freestanding climbing boulder; a Social Media Zone staffed by industry experts; and the Night of Stoke presented by 5Point Film Festival; in addition to nearly 300 new exhibitors.

“These new components at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market enhance the experiences for retailers and brands, reinforcing the fact that the show is the place to learn about trends, technology and best practices throughout the industry – all under one roof,” said Marisa Nicholson, vice president and show director for all Outdoor Retailer events. “We work hard to provide a comprehensive platform for all attendees that will make a real difference in driving growth for their businesses.”

The nearly 300 new exhibitors at this year’s Outdoor Retailer Summer Market cover a wide range of categories, from the growing overland trend to specialty surf to beverage brands and more. New exhibitors will be part of the Demo Experience and Media Preview, as well as on the show floor and at Tent City, located in the Sculpture Park adjacent to the convention center’s west entrance.

Among the new features and events at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market:

• Demo Experience: The Demo Experience, an “Urban Adventure,” will be held Sunday, July 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Confluence and Commons Park in downtown Denver. Attendees test next year’s equipment for camping, canoeing, climbing, fly fishing, stand-up paddleboarding, trail running, whitewater, and more, as well as explore next-generation technology. The event will stage along the banks of the Platte River, at Commons Park, and take over the sandy beach at Confluence Park as a launch point for paddle demos up and down the Cherry Creek and Platte Rivers. Participants will also have access to the whitewater features of Confluence Park itself.
• Night of Stoke: Taking place Tuesday, July 24, this event is open to the public and showcases a selection of the outdoor industry’s most inspirational and impactful adventure films curated by 5Point Film, along with industry experts and personalities, including filmmakers and film subjects. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the program set to begin at 7:15 p.m. A portion of the proceeds from the night benefit the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Tickets are now available for purchase online at 5pointfilm.org.
• bluesign® Sustainability Workshops: Over the first three days of the show, July 23-25, bluesign® will host a series of workshops focused on sustainability and best practices. The bluesign® system is the solution for a sustainable textile production, uniting the entire textile supply chain to jointly reduce its impact on people and the environment. The complete schedule of bluesign® and other education sessions can be found at outdoorretailer.com and on the mobile app.
• Freestanding Climbing Boulder: A new freestanding climbing boulder will highlight the High Altitude Den, the climbing zone, located on the upper level. The American Alpine Club will provide climbing-focused workshops and belay certifications in the High Altitude Den.
• Google “Earth Wall” highlighting stories from the Access Fund and Leave No Trace: A Google Earth activation will bring the magic of the planet to attendees with the “Earth Wall” – a unique open-source kiosk. Two new nature stories will be featured in the display via Voyager, Google’s interactive storytelling platform. In one story, Access Fund invites people to explore the history and landscape of Bears Ears, Utah. In the second story, Leave No Trace educates attendees about what drives people to keep national parks clean and what they can do to encourage more environmentally friendly behavior.
• Social Media Zone: A new Social Media Zone, a lounge-style workspace, will offer attendees a venue to understand how best to utilize social media for their business, to learn new tactics and to collaborate.

In addition to the new elements, Outdoor Retailer Summer Market’s popular events include: the Outsiders Ball presented by Outdoor Foundation on Sunday, July 22, 2018 at 6 p.m. at the McNichols Building in Denver; the Outdoor Industry Association Industry Breakfast on Monday, July 23 at 7 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency, across the street from the Colorado Convention Center; numerous happy hours on the show floor and a full agenda of educational panels. For more information, visit: www.outdoorretailer.com.

About Outdoor Retailer

Outdoor Retailer brings together retailers, manufacturers, industry advocates and media to conduct the business of outdoor recreation through trade shows, Outdoor Retailer Magazine, product demo events, media events and web-based business solutions. The Outdoor Retailer trade shows are the premier outdoor industry events for North America, providing platforms for critical face-to-face business initiatives, line previews, innovations, launches, networking and retailer education. Visit outdoorretailer.com for more information.

Outdoor Retailer is owned by Emerald Expositions, a leading operator of business-to-business trade shows in the United States. The company currently operates more than 55 trade shows, as well as numerous other face-to-face events. In 2017, Emerald’s events connected over 500,000 global attendees and exhibitors and occupied more than 6.9 million NSF of exhibition space.

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