Outdoor Retailer Winter Market has shifted its dates for 2017 — pulling the show into the mid-week and reducing the trade show by a day, organizer Emerald Expositions announced.
The trade show, which will now be only three days instead of four, will begin Tuesday, January 10, 2017, and wrap up Thursday, January 12, with the All Mountain Demo day scheduled for Monday, Jan. 9.
The show had previously been scheduled for January 7-10.
The move looks to address several concerns from retailers, including getting the show off the weekend and shortening the number of days. Many pointed to significant drop offs in booth traffic on Saturday and Sunday of last Winter Market. The shift also pulls Winter Market out of a date conflict with the electronics industry’s CES show (January 5-8, 2017). Some marketing managers had complained that the crossover with CES had pulled press away from Winter Market 2016.
“A significant majority of specialty retailers indicated in the post-show surveys and conversations that a midweek date pattern, rather than a schedule that includes weekend show days, is preferred as it allows them to get back to their store, or with their families enjoying the outdoors,” show officials said.
“Additionally, a clear majority feel a three day expo would best serve their needs. We also heard that the timing of this past show fell too close to many of the major order deadlines.”
Officials went onto say that they continue to conduct research that could result in further date changes for future Outdoor Retailer Winter and Summer Markets.
“As the show organizer we feel it’s our responsibility to strengthen the event to ensure that we are meeting the needs of the industry,” officials said. “We do this by listening and gathering feedback on a regular basis to identify ways to be innovative and relevant, which makes Outdoor Retailer the must attend show for our community. Order deadlines and selling cycles are potentially different for many of our segments, but we look to best represent the needs of a majority of our audience and, as well, consider solutions around sales cycles that differ from the majority.”
Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2016 tradeshow dates remain Wednesday, August 3 to Saturday, August 6 with the Open Air Demo day on Tuesday, August 2.
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