Well, we survived our first day at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, 2013. Unlike the first day of the winter show, there was no horrific weather turning the freeway into a giant icy slide, so we got there in 30 minutes instead of two hours and thirty minutes. Careful planning of appointments close to one another allowed us to maximize our time, yet we still made sure to leave room for browsing.
This year’s plan was to meet certain core brands that always have something new and exciting for us, while also making more time to see the latest innovations from companies you might not have heard of. That meant winding our way through the Salt Palace so that our last appointment left us time to run across the street to the growing Pavilion area. These temporary structures remind me a bit of circus tents from the outside, and once inside, that’s still a good description. So many cool products were on display, it’s hard not to just stand there in awe. Luckily, we had enough Honey Stingers and Clif Shot Bloks to power us through the afternoon without letting up. From our 9 AM start time, until we left at 4:15 to pick up family at the airport, we only took one short break. The rest of the time was spent going from one booth to the next, and trying to remember to snap a few pics.
We’re not going to give away too much of what we saw, but you can get a sneak peek via some photos that Heather has been busy uploading to our new Instagram account. Just search for Industry_Outsider, or click here!
– Brian & Tricia