Outdoor Retailer to Debut Retailer Conference at 2026 Show

December 9, 2025

A new half-day conference at Outdoor Retailer, featuring hands-on workshops on AI, e-commerce and operational best practices, is designed for retail owners, buyers and managers.

Outdoor Retailer is launching the “Retail Playbook Lab,” a new half-day conference designed exclusively for outdoor specialty retail owners, buyers and managers.

Taking place on Aug. 19 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Minneapolis Convention Center, the program aims to provide retailers with practical tools and hands-on expertise in areas such as artificial intelligence, customer growth strategies and paying employees a living wage.

Attendance is free for retailers who register before arriving at the conference.

The conference will conclude with a lunch keynote from Eoin Comerford, founder of Outside Consulting and former CEO of Moosejaw. His talk, titled “The Importance of New Brand Discovery” will explore how emerging brands can strengthen the entire outdoor ecosystem, which is a key theme of the 2026 show. SESO