Outdoor Retailer Show

I returned from the San Francisco Gift Show to go right to the Salt Lake Gift Show. The Salt Lake Gift Show is usually the worst show I do and the most painful 3 days of my summer. I was so surprised by the way it turned out. I had such a great show. I wrote lots of orders and most of those were with new customers and the exhibitors near my booth were so much fun. So I was optimistic going into the Outdoor Retailer Show. I was so sure this was going to be a great, fun show........oh how wrong I was....

I spent four long days looking at this sign and I just kept thinking....no hell is not the total absence of water it is being at the outdor retailer show for 4 long, long days.
We were totally out of place at this show and it was my fault. I thought the buyers would be more like Cabelas and Sportsmans Warehouse but no it was REI type of buyers. No, someone does not usually take a bag of cherry sours with them when they climb Mt. Everest. It was fun, however, to watch people walk around with their backpacks with built in hydration packs drinking water out of the attached plastic tube......dude your in downtown SLC and there is a water fountain at the end of the isle I don't think you need to bring all of the hiking, mountain climbing, kayaking, canoeing, and ice climbing equipment with you.


I did really like that most of the manufactures were so commit ed to making their industry more "green" They are making clothes out of all types of materials...bamboo, soy, coconut and recycled plastic bottles.
I really liked the stuff in the Keen booth. They have great shoes and cool recycled handbags.

There was a big pool where you could test out all of the items you would need to participate in the "paddling sports" ---New word I learned at the Outdoor Retailer Show. There was also a climbing wall.

I was also inspired to read the book Into The Wild. I loved it. Sean Penn is making it into a movie and I can't wait to see it.
Lesson learned at the Outdoor Retailer Show......Always walk a show before you sign up and I made a goal to spend more time in the outdoors......not doing anything that requires an ice pick but maybe going for walks and picnic more then maybe I can move into the paddling sports.