SALT LAKE CITY (July 1, 2025) — Outside Retailer 2025 was held on the Salt Palace Conference Heart, drawing practically 1,700 attendees and greater than 350 exhibiting manufacturers from over 40 states throughout the three-day present. The present mirrored a rising focus throughout the trade: constructing purposeful relationships, spotlighting innovation, and aligning with evolving client values round wellness, sustainability, and efficiency.
“Outside Retailer served as a vibrant hub for significant commerce and collaboration—bringing collectively a whole bunch of manufacturers and consumers on a bustling, full-scale present ground designed to mirror the trade’s evolution,” mentioned Sean Smith, Present Director, Outside Retailer.
From nationwide park advocates and adaptive sports activities organizations to first-time exhibitors and established leaders, this 12 months’s occasion was pushed by high quality engagement, actual conversations, product discovery, and shared dedication to transferring the trade ahead. Exhibitors cited sturdy leads, precious conferences, and sudden partnership alternatives.
“The outside runs on connections, and final week, we skilled that at Outside Retailer,” mentioned Ted Ayliffe, chief government officer, Coulee Espresso. “From product collabs to potential retail companions and sustainability champions, we’re leaving Salt Lake Metropolis energized by what’s forward.”
“We’ve proven at Outside Retailer because the mid-90’s,” mentioned Travis McMaster, normal supervisor at Cocoon. “A model needs to satisfy retailers and open doorways. We’re right here to promote stuff. We need to open new doorways and revisit these relationships that we’ve had previously. In the end that’s the aim. This 12 months I wished to work on issues in between the aisles – make connections to assist us with our direct-to-consumer enterprise and join with content material creators and social media influencers and this present hit the spot for us for the peripheral stuff past exhibiting the model to retailers.”
Trade Day Units the Stage with Compelling Conversations on Tariffs, Sustainability and AI
The present launched with Trade Day, a brand new platform targeted on exploring the laborious subjects dealing with at this time’s enterprise leaders together with tariffs, AI, the evolving client and the realities of attaining sustainability targets. C-Suite and Senior-Degree Executives from Cascale, Christy Sports activities, Cotopaxi, Google, Orvis, Salomon, and Skullcandy, amongst different established manufacturers, shared insights and engaged with the viewers of retailers, consumers, exhibitors and outside fans.
“Trade Day at Outside Retailer was an energizing and impactful expertise,” mentioned moderator, Sunny Stroeer, proprietor, Dreamland Safari Excursions & Founding father of AWExpeditions. The half-day pre-show convention was designed to encourage collaboration and dialog by bringing collectively essentially the most considerate voices in our house to share concepts, problem assumptions, and supply actionable methods that may remodel companies, enhance buyer interactions and assist manufacturers and retailers alike function extra effectively. Occasions like this are important to the well being of the outside neighborhood, as a result of once we come collectively to study from one another, we transfer your complete trade ahead.”
Along with the inaugural Trade Day at Outside Retailer half-day convention, the present featured high-end instructional content material in The Camp on the present ground with 14 session and 37 extra audio system.
The New Product Showcase and Ascent Space, For Subsequent Era of Manufacturers
The New Product Showcase and the Ascent space, devoted to rising outside manufacturers, highlighted dozens of corporations introducing purposeful options and merchandise merging environmental duty with elevated efficiency, all with out compromising on type or performance. These areas sparked significant conversations and helped place new and established manufacturers on the forefront of the outside market’s subsequent chapter.
Supporting this momentum, the Utah Outside Recreation State Pavilion Program highlighted regional innovation, showcasing homegrown manufacturers and reinforcing the important position of native outside recreation economies throughout the U.S.
A Preview of What’s Forward for 2026
As the primary main U.S. market previewing subsequent 12 months’s outside merchandise, Outside Retailer gives a worldwide lens on rising client developments and product innovation. Patrons, media, and trade professionals explored a various vary of choices reflecting the evolving calls for of at this time’s outside client, from sustainable supplies to minimalist aesthetics and multifunctional design.”
Because the journey trade has modified and grown and gone in several instructions, it’s necessary for all of us to begin discovering completely different avenues for enterprise,” mentioned Cynthia Mitchell, senior gross sales supervisor at Go Journey, a part of the Journey Items Affiliation (TGA). “I believe that crucial factor right here at this time, this week, is to make new contacts in several industries.”
The Journey Items Affiliation debuted its Journey Gear Pavilion highlighting the rising convergence between journey and outside existence. It featured a curated mixture of established and rising manufacturers together with Bellroy, Jansport, Matador, Osprey, and Topo Designs, amongst others showcasing merchandise designed for the trendy, adventure-focused traveler. The activation constructed on TGA’s renewed momentum and positioned journey gear on the middle of the broader outside dialog.
“Solar Bum has an ideal partnership with Outside Retailer,” mentioned Phil Demangone, senior gross sales supervisor at SunBum. “We proceed our essential mission on simply solar training and solar security, and simply educating folks on the model, after which clearly gaining these retail partnerships which might be long-lasting and connecting with the suitable retailers that may assist us with that mission. This 12 months, we simply met with Zion Nationwide Park, which is the second largest nationwide park within the nation. Inside a couple of moments, we had been all shaking arms and already turning into family and friends. We had been welcoming them into our program.”
“There’s been wins from all throughout the nation,” mentioned Dustin Smith, director of world wholesale gross sales at FAHLO. “It’s positively been high quality over amount. We’re seeing excessive finish consumers from respected shops and sources that we need to work with.”
“The outside trade is evolving quickly, formed by shifting client expectations, financial forces, and cultural developments,” mentioned Lindsay Hubley, senior vice chairman of sports activities and outside group at Emerald X, LLC. “We acknowledge the necessity to evolve alongside it. We’re taking a considerate have a look at each side of the present to make sure we proceed to satisfy the wants of the trade now and into the long run.”
“Our aim stays to foster a dynamic, inclusive house the place concepts are exchanged, relationships are constructed, and your complete outside neighborhood can thrive. As plans for future reveals take form, we’ll proceed to share updates,” added Hubley.
About Outside Retailer
Outside Retailer, the main U.S. enterprise occasions for the outside and winter sports activities trade, brings collectively retailers, producers, designers, distributors, trade advocates, journalists, and extra to conduct the enterprise of out of doors recreation via commerce, distinctive product experiences, devoted media occasions, content material, and web-based enterprise options. Outside Retailer gives important platforms for face-to-face commerce, product launches, networking, and targeted trade training to reinforce enterprise and assist the outside recreation financial system. Go to outdoorretailer.com for extra info.
About Emerald
Emerald’s proficient and skilled crew grows our clients’ companies 12 months a 12 months via connections, content material, and commerce. We increase connections that drive new enterprise alternatives, product discovery, and relationships with over 140 annual occasions, matchmaking, and lead-gen providers. We create content material to make sure that our clients are on the reducing fringe of their industries and are frequently creating their abilities. And we energy commerce via environment friendly year-round shopping for and promoting. We do all this by seamlessly integrating in-person and digital platforms and channels. Emerald is immersed within the industries we serve and dedicated to supporting the communities wherein we function. As true companions, we create experiences that encourage, amaze, and ship breakthrough outcomes. For extra info, please go to www.emeraldx.com
