Outdoor Retailer Winter 2023 Recap
Outdoor Retailer Winter 2023 offered a look to the future as the show moved into its new timeframe, introduced the industry to new brands and products, and previewed a new format to debut 2024. More than 2,200 attendees connected with over 210 global brands, of which more than half were new exhibitors, providing valuable opportunities to build new relationships and find new gear to engage customers.
During the show, Outdoor Retailer presented the changes rolling out in 2024, including an expanded Hosted Buyer program, the new co-located Outdoor Design + Innovation show, and simplified booth space plans – read about the future plans at outdoorretailer.com. The Winter 2023 show opened the new show cycle where both shows now sit at the start of the buying seasons – Summer in June and Winter in November. And through education sessions, an industry party, happy hours, and networking, it was a place for the outdoor community to learn and grow together.
Winter 2023 Registered Lists
The stores, designers, and media that attended Outdoor Retailer Winter 2023. Please note only one entry is listed even if multiple individuals may have attended per store or company.
Show Coverage
Take a look at the highlights and stories from Outdoor Retailer Winter 2023.
Exhibitor + Attendee Quotes
“The U.S. is our biggest market for online sales, and we’re really trying to break into the U.S. market. So, the goal for us was to connect with local retailers and try and get more of our product in stores and in hands. We didn’t really have a minute to stop the entire show! We’ve had conversations with retailers from small independent stores to big box stores, so it’s been fantastic.” – Kaihl Fransen, Marketing Manager, ALPAKA
“I am a brand-new retail store owner and didn’t know where to start with the buying process or which retailers to feature in my store. The winter Outdoor Retailer show exposed me to a whole new world of both established brands as well as new start-up businesses. It was a manageable amount of booths to talk to and start relationships with.” – Jessica Tok, Owner/Buyer, Lake and Company (Stillwater, MN)
“It was great to find some hidden gems that I wouldn’t have seen at a regional show. I enjoyed speaking with show organizers, educational speakers, and industry reps about several topics. Between industry trends, the direction of the show, up-and-coming brands, open to buy trends, and much more I gained a lot of insight going into the current buying season. As an apparel buyer the timing of this show was fantastic!” – Adrienne Michel, Buyer, Prospector Outfitters (Anchorage, AK)
“We love to support the show, and for us attending is easy as we’re a locally based brand. The momentum that we build with the show makes sense for us year-round and helps us stand out at a winter show. We had good conversations with retailers and pushed some holiday specials. And our goal at trade shows also involves building relationships with media and other brands and finding partnerships or developing collaborations. Overall, a great show for us and we will come away with good wins.” – Paul Asay, Chief Marketing Officer, Grand Trunk
“It was great to be a part of Outdoor Retailer Winter. Although smaller, it allowed ample time with new vendors and their teams, and we discovered several new brands. In addition, the education sessions were informative.” – Ed McAlister, President, River Sports Outfitters, Inc
“We are a Utah-based brand, so Outdoor Retailer is right in our backyard and there’s always a lot of excitement at the show. And it was really good for us. We have brand recognition with Backcountry and a lot of people asked what we were doing. This was the first time we are offering our Backcountry brand and product to wholesale, and we got great feedback. We had a lot of people at the booth, a lot of traffic, and we got some really interesting leads and good international connections.” – Jenn Hirsch, Senior Design Lead, Backcountry
“It was a great show, lots of new independent brands that I had never seen before. The lifestyle clothing selection was very good, and I think we found a few new vendors to open up for our shop. … The education sessions were quite informative and helped me to understand what has been going on in the outdoor industry this past year. Specifically, the state of the outdoor industry, and the understanding Gen Z presentations were very good.” – Will Rack, Retail Buyer, Teton Mountaineering (Jackson, WY)
“We love coming to Outdoor Retailer. We always seem to find new things, new vendors, new products that we’ve never seen before that we can pick up and bring back to the Midwest. And I love the seminars – they’ve been super helpful. We’ve been in business for 30 years, but it’s an ever-changing industry. It’s good to keep up to speed on what’s new and up-and-coming. And, it’s great to have the face-to-face communication. Nowadays with everything done on computer screens, it’s great to have that one-on-one time, more casual conversations. Coming to the shows, you can see new people, and continue to build those long relationships.” – Elaine Newbold, Owner, Crystal Lake Adventure Sports (Beulah, MI)
“We’re really supportive of the outdoor industry, and we’ve been coming to Outdoor Retailer for 30 years. We came to support the industry, and being part of Outdoor Retailer helps us connect to the community, to advocacy and inclusion work, as well as to the overall business environment. We are already well known with many customers and consumers, so having a presence in the lobby helped us meet more people, reengage with the outdoor industry, and keep the community piece going, which is important to CLIF Bar. It’s a great way to stay connected.” – Patrick Bush, CLIF Bar
