Outdoor Retailer brings brands together in Denver

DENVER — January 25 is a day of firsts for The Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show: the first day of the weekend-long event, the first day the event has been combined with the Snowsports Industries America (SIA) Snow Show and the first day the event is held in Colorado.

This weekend marks the first of three outdoor trade shows to take place this year and which are expected to create a $100 million economic impact for the region. The event was previously held in Utah.

For Front Range companies, the latter two facts have given both an advantage of convenience and the opportunity to meet with fresh brands they otherwise might not see.

“We attended the event in Utah, but we’re excited to have it in Colorado,” said Cory Lowe, a spokesperson for Boulder-based outdoor brand La Sportiva N.A. Inc. “It feels like a home game, in a way.”

Lowe said that there’s a convenience factor with having the event so close to Boulder.

“Everyone can go home and sleep in their own beds each night,” Lowe said.

The outdoor industry is worth $800 billion. For the first time, Outdoor Retailer is combined with the competing Snow Show, which means brands will get to connect possible partnering brands for the first time.

“I’m psyched they’re combined,” Lowe said. “For the first time, all these brands are under one roof. Traffic has been strong. We’ve always had a good presence at OR, but it feels like we have really good momentum and traction with everyone here.”

Stephanie Bunker, a sales and marketing coordinator for Louisville-based Fjallraven, an outdoor clothing and accessories company, also said that having the two events combined has created opportunities.

“It’s breathing new life into both shows,” Bunker said. “OR was so separate from SIA. This is fresh, and everyone is excited to have different brands come out. It’s good to branch out and get new reach.”

Bunker also said that having the event in Denver allows Fjallraven to be more flexible.

“We’re gathering in our own backyard,” she said.

But having the event nearby hasn’t been completely smooth sailing for local companies.

While it’s been nice not having to get on a plane to travel, getting to OR from Broomfield took about two hours for Steven Sashen, co-founder and CEO of minimalist shoe brand Xero Shoes.

Sashen also said he had to ship his products to the event rather than drive his goods on a truck, because it might not be unloaded in time for the event. But the benefit has been that he’s been able to make more sales than when the event was in Salt Lake City: Now, he can get people’s orders, and if he doesn’t have it in stock at the show, he can have it picked up in Broomfield and get it delivered later that day or the next day.

Sashen said that much of the challenges stem from this being the first time the event is held in Denver and the first time the events are combined.

“It’s massive,” he said. “There are more people per space this year. They’re figuring it out.”

While many companies have been attending the OR show for years — Bunker said Fjallraven started attending five years ago in a 10-foot-by-10-foot space, but now have a display that included a coffee bar, private meeting spaces and replica log cabin — others are first-timers.

Cusa Tea is a Boulder-based instant tea company that has been in operation only for seven months. The tea is made using new technology that founder Jim Lamancusa  invented to turn the tea into crystals without damaging the flavor.

The instant tea was actually inspired by a backpacking trip he took with friends.

“All my friends had instant coffee, but I don’t drink coffee,” he told BizWest. “So I would bring tea bags, but they’re the only thing you bring with you that gets heavier hiking back than it is hiking out. They get wet and soggy but you can’t leave them out there.”

His product is ideal for the outdoors, which is why he’s meeting with people today.

“Our product completely lends itself for the outdoors,” he said. “Which is why we’re here. Outdoor Retailer brings together the whole industry.”

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