From Tuesday to Thursday, retail buyers came to browse the assortments of more than 120 brands, from big players like Mammut to perennial market players like Helinox and new ventures like Dirtbags.
Over three days, the show had more visitors than when it was last staged two years ago in Manchester. When it closed on July 1, every exhibitor was glad they had made the effort because the “new normal” had to start somewhere, and this was a good opportunity for it to happen. In addition to the exhibition, Andrew Denton, CEO of the Outdoor Industries Association (OIA), had coordinated several activities to increase the industry’s focus. These ranged from the meeting of the development board to the U.K. Outdoor Industry Awards and the staging of the first Sustainability Breakfast.
Brands like Montane do not normally exhibit at the show, but as the country recovers from the disruption, it was an opportunity to have a public face, especially as the main European show (Outdoor by ISPO in Munich) is running in a different format after the summer is over. Not everybody was there, but all who came were happy as conversations rekindled relationships that future partnerships will be built on. Lockdown had seen orders continue, but the vibe here was one of creating new collaborations between brands and retailers.
It was different: People still wore face masks; the hall had no carpeting (to run with the theme of better environmental responsibility by not opting to have the single-use floor covering); there were no handshakes, no show guides (everything worked through a QR code link) and such like. However, people turned up to see their colleagues and the excuse of browsing the new product provided for this. Peter Luscombe, the publisher of Outdoori, had revealed a plimsole mark of the British industry with over 150 responses to his questionnaire. The majority of those that responded had made it clear that OTS was the only exhibition they would focus on this season; reported feeling positive at the state of their turnover; were more concerned about both supply chain disruption and price rises than Brexit.
The annual industry awards highlighted nine categories, of which the Sierra Designs’ Night Cap sleeping bag was acknowledged to be the overall winner of the whole show. Petzl’s IKO Core won the Accessories category; the Osprey Talon championed in the pack category; Vango’s Radiate DLX chair came through in camping equipment, Petzl’s Switch System came out top in climbing; the Helly Hansen Odin jacket topped the clothing category; Keela’s Puddlebug suit was placed first in the family classification; and in the tent class, the prize went to the Robens Chinook Ursa S.
The Sustainability Breakfast concept had been inspired by the EOG (European Outdoor Group) events at the Munich shows, and the places for it were oversubscribed within a day of its announcement. The OIA is keen to become Net Zero within this decade. Hence running events that can help its members to retune has long been a mantra. Even though it meant getting to the exhibition center before the trade show opened for the day, the session – sponsored by Rab – was arranged to be short, full of variety and full of advice. The interactive part wrapped up the session. Three main papers from Debbie Read (CSR at Rab), Scott Nelson (best known for leading the Single-Use Plastic project at EOG) and Dave Turnbull (British Mountaineering Council, BMC) were presented. Having attended many similar sessions over the years, this was information communication at the highest level and put a positive glow around the manufacturer who had sponsored the event. Highlights included the down repair service at Rab now switching to contrast repairs as the garment owners were proud to show off their garments had survived real action; the dyeing and finishing process being the most impactful part of the manufacturing process, yarn preparation being number two; and the biggest priority of the BMC membership is the environment. In such a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world, it was good to know that responsible action was still the focus.
The find of the show: Charles Willis with his Worzl footwear – simple done well: natural flip flops & woolen mocs.
The next gathering for the U.K. industry is the OIA AGM on Sept. 15-16 in Cheshire.
