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Surf Expo Sees 9.2% Gain at Buyer Attendance The Surf =
Expo, the=20
action sports trade show held Jan. 6-8 at the Orange County =
Convention=20
Center, saw a 9.2% increase in buyer attendance compared to last =
January's=20
event. Organizers said 6,276 retailers attended the show, along =
with 4,887=20
exhibitor attendees, 219 media guests and 128 industry =
guests.Surf=20 Expo became the largest trade show serving the action sports world = following the demise of ASR (Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo.) = The=20 Agenda trade show, which debuted a larger format with dates = directly=20 coinciding with Surf Expo, also services the channel. Surf = Expo=20 organizers said retail representation included 47 states and 46=20 countries--with strong growth from both the international and = Western=20 states markets. Encompassing more than 220,000 net square = feet in=20 the Orange County Convention Center, the sold out Surf Expo = January 2011=20 trade show has been roundly praised as the most successful in=20 years. "We've been pleased with the growth Surf Expo has = enjoyed=20 over the past several years," says Show Director Roy Turner. = "We're=20 particularly satisfied with this past show. It's a testament to = both the=20 trust the beach-related industries have placed in Surf Expo and = the=20 strength of our industry's rebound after the recession of 2008 and = 2009." "I was grateful for the opportunity to touch base = with my=20 vendors and find some new ones." - Jodi Tobman said, from = Salamander=20 Holdings in Aruba. "I had another great show! It looked as = though=20 the venue was even more packed with vendors than last year. The = seminars=20 were very informative! I look forward to making it back in = September." -=20 Jill Kudro of Kalarhari Resorts Southern California's ZJ's = Boarding=20 House's Mikke Piersson dropped a Facebook comment right after the = show.=20 "Great show guys," he said. "Thanks for everything. I got more = done at=20 this show then any in recent memory. You rule!" Surf Expo's retail shop contest = returned for=20 its second year, this time with teams qualifying at the Top Shop = contests=20 all over the country, and two fan favorites voted in from = surfexpo.com.=20 The course, set to look like an outdoor plaza and decked out in = florescent=20 graffiti, was arguably Team Pain's best ever at Surf Expo. And so = were the=20 shop teams, who were skating for $15,000 in cash, prizes and shop = credit=20 from Vans, Skullcandy and Eastern Skateboard Supply. Midtown edged = out=20 Third Lair to take the top spot in an exciting final that = thousands=20 watched from the perimeter of the park. The Resort = category=20 continues to be one of the strongest categories at Surf Expo. This = January, Resort showed a 10% increase in exhibitors over last = year. More=20 than 70 new exhibitors in Resort, Swim and Boutique included Green = Label=20 Organics, Sara England Designs and Mountain Sweets Candy. The Swim = category added a Brazilian contingent with ABIT (Brazilian Textile = and=20 Apparel Industry Association) representing five of the top = Brazilian swim=20 brands. Long-time exhibitor Joshua Glickman with Exist was = especially=20 pleased with the presence of international buyers at the show: "I = saw more=20 traffic than the year before. There were a lot of new retailers = from all=20 over the country." Quiksilver All=20 '80s All Day Vert Challenge Quiksilver brought its All 80s All = Day Vert=20 Challenge to the East Coast via Surf Expo. This much anticipated = event=20 went off, with both Surf Expo and public attendees rushing in to = get a=20 prime spot to watch in awe as their legends like Tony Hawk, = Christian=20 Hosoi and Kevin Staab in their '80s best, skated their '80s decks = for, you=20 guessed it, $1980. Hawk took the prize and gave it to long-time = skate=20 medic Barry Z. And if the night couldn't be more sublime, the = Smithsonian=20 was on hand to take Tony's board from the event as its first piece = for its=20 new Skate exhibit. On top of this highly successful event,=20 Quiksilver VP of Sales Young Men's and Quiksilver/Roxy = Wintersports Dave=20 Rosenberger reported a solid show. "We were busy the whole time," = he said.=20 "The quality of the appointments and meetings are always great at = Surf and=20 this show was no exception." The January 2011 show also saw the = introduction of the new Parasail product category. Sponsored by = the WSIA,=20 the section featured parasail boats, chutes, lines and = accessories. A=20 five-hour symposium on parasailing featured speakers from USCG, = NOAA,=20 Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, the FAA, insurance providers = and the=20 WSIA, and was met with standing room only crowds. Standup Paddle continued its = explosive=20 growth at the show with 85 companies exhibiting boards, paddles, = fins and=20 accessories- a 70% increase over the January 2010 show. Industry=20 professionals from across the SUP and outdoor/recreation industry=20 spectrums gathered Thursday evening for the three-hour SUP = Business=20 Industry Summit to discuss issues and trends influencing the SUP=20 marketplace. The standing room only crowd participated in an open = forum=20 discussion with an industry panel that featured Royce Cansler, = Billabong=20 director of Retail Relations, Scott Ruble, owner of Covewater = Paddle Surf,=20 Mark Johnson, sales manager and designer/shaper for Hobie, Ty = Zullim,=20 national sales manager for Surftech, Dave Chun, owner for Kialoa, = and=20 Andre Niemeyer, executive director of My Local Lineup Media = Corporation.=20 Robert "Wingnut" Weaver, now established host of SUP at Surf Expo = was on=20 hand to showcase this resurging category at the indoor demo=20 pool. Florida Shapeoff: A = Tribute=20 to Joe Shriver The 4th = Annual=20 Florida Shape Off went down on the floor of Surf Expo in a newly = designed=20 shaping bay that highlighted the skills of six well-known shapers = for all=20 to see. The contest that promotes the art of surfboard shaping and = the=20 "true heroes" of surfing: the shapers. This exhibition takes place = once a=20 year at the Surf Expo in Orlando, Florida. Six outstanding shapers = showed=20 off their skills by replicating the last board the late great Joe = Shriver=20 shaped. While Richie Buehn, Stu Sharpe, Shawn Vecchione, Adam = Warden, and=20 Bruce Ragan all did masterful jobs, in the end it was Mike = Whistnant who=20 got the nod as winner of this years event, with Warden the runner=20 up. |