Most consumers aren’t privy to the many steps involved in bringing a new piece of equipment to market and, ultimately, landing it on the shelves of your local ski shop. Product engineers, brand marketers and athletes work on concepts and designs years in advance, doing their best to predict where the market is trending and how skiers like you will be looking to spend their hard-earned money. Then, after all the research, development and testing of prototypes, those brands still need to convince retail buyers that the products they’ve worked so hard on are worthy to take on as inventory in their stores. This is where national and regional trade shows come in.
Before COVID, it was common for retail buyers to attend massive trade shows where brands would showcase the newest gear. Then, suddenly, nobody was allowed to build or attend these huge gatherings, and everybody was forced to get creative—real fast. What once was deemed a necessary part of the annual song and dance fell quickly to the wayside as brands and buyers gathered online to hash out deals and move products to shops. While this was effective during the COVID lockdown, there is certainly something to be said for conducting business in person. All parties are able to communicate more efficiently, and more importantly, buyers can actually get their hands on the gear they’re considering purchasing.
While Snow Show and Outdoor Retailer (OR) trade shows were still in their prime, there were a lot of folks who couldn’t afford the time or money to attend them. For this reason, brand reps would host smaller regional events around the country so that everybody had a chance to see the latest gear and make purchasing decisions for their retail operations. These regional rep shows have become somewhat of the new norm as everybody looks for a happy medium between large, expensive tradeshows and cheap, dull Zoom meetings. The Winter Sports Market (WSM), held in Salt Lake City, is one of these regional shows which has somewhat unintentionally risen to the occasion and become one of the primary venues for the hardgoods industry.
For those unfamiliar with the trade show world, a buying group is a way for your favorite mom-and-pop ski shops and other independent retailers to get the best deals on inventory to sell to consumers like you. Retailers become members of groups like Snowsports Merchandising Corporation (SMC) and Sports Specialists (SSL) as a way to pool merchandise orders to obtain lower pricing, sort of like buying bulk at Costco, but in a more sophisticated format. In addition, they gain access to expert knowledge and have streamlined communication with suppliers, i.e., the ski brands we all know and love. Buying groups like SMC and SSL have been around since the early 70s, before skiing became mainstream. Nations Best Sports (NBS), which began in 1956 as the South West Buying Syndicate, has evolved into a sporting goods-focused group for retail members. NBS puts on much bigger shows for their members (hunting, fishing, athletics…), but decided to participate in WSM this year. “This is our first time at WSM, but we have a rich history of working with SMC and SSL in other ventures,” says NBS President Jim Chandley. “Consolidating shows in this market is a great opportunity for our retailers and suppliers, plus we can offer our members a broader scope of vendors.” SMC and SSL have been long-time partners in WSM and are in the process of merging into the biggest network of specialty ski shops in the country (300+ shops in 33 states). The new company is called Winter Sports Retailers.
So, what does this mean to the everyday skier? Well, thanks to shows like WSM, customers can access a broader range of gear at local retailers. When small shops and retailers come together in a buying group, they can get better deals across the board to supply customers with the hottest gear of the year. Most of these deals occur at a trade show like WSM in Salt Lake City, UT. Shops leverage their buying group to purchase product at a lower price, which lets them acquire a more diverse inventory. Sure, you can shop online for any and every ski, but being able to browse through sticks at your local shop is second to none. Believe it when we say that retail shops are really the heart of the ski industry. Ski techs and boot fitters mount bindings, tune skis, grind shells and ultimately offer customers recommendations based on their specific needs. You don’t get that experience shopping online.
WINTER SPORTS MARKET
WSM isn’t new to the industry; the trade show has been around for years, initially as an expo within Outdoor Retailer (OR), but in 2021, in response to the ever-changing environment, WSM sat down with OR and made the decision to evolve their show in a different direction. Now, WSM is “a smaller, hardgoods-focused show that better serves our retail members,” says Winter Sports Retailers President Gary Fleming. “We made an agreement with OR where we would support a new OR in November, which would be much more apparel-focused. We would continue to do our show in January with this new format.”
WSM’s more niche show has resonated with the industry, especially with more appealing participation costs and the timing of the show landing in the heart of the buying season. “It’s reminiscent of old-time ski shows,” says Fleming. “You’re less than a minute to each appointment.” In addition to the ease of show enjoyment, attendees are only a half-hour from the on-snow demos.
Fleming is an expert at serving his buying group. Notably, he has a pulse on the needs of suppliers, having worked for Elan for 10 years before switching gears to SMC. “Instead of suppliers going out to 120 separate retailers to communicate their brand’s messages and buying information, we bring that information to one place.”
Thanks to a partnership between OR and WSM, OR’s newest event, The Summit by Outdoor Retailer, will also occur in SLC the same weekend. This collaboration and consolidation of shows allows for the best possible buying experience in the winter sports market. Attendees need only block one calendar weekend to secure their hardgoods for next season. In turn, WSM can maintain its focus on hardgoods in conjunction with OR’s November show, which best aligns with the apparel seasonal cycle.
But OR and WSM aren’t the only trade shows that have shifted gears since COVID. We’ve seen a rise in regional trade shows as opposed to national ones due to the fact that it saves sales reps, gear company executives and retailers money on airfare and booth space. The caliber of these regional shows increased since the pandemic, ultimately aiding in the decline of shows like OR and SIA.
The Summit by Outdoor Retailer kicks off the week of festivities with an industry party and on-snow demos at Solitude Mountain and Brighton Resort. Brands host mountainside product presentations at the base for essential buyers and media. It’s the best opportunity to get acquainted with the gear where it thrives. After an apres ski welcome party WSM’s invite-only show will take place over three consecutive days. The three major buying groups, NBS, SMC and SSL, will attend alongside a handful of invited independent retailers for a total of 375 registered attendees. With 135 vendors on the floor, buyers can set up individual appointments or meander the show freely as they make decisions on inventory. Most product buying in the winter sports industry occurs at a physical show, making WSM a crucial and mutually beneficial event for both parties.