“Buyer attendance was up fourteen percent compared to last September’s show and even eclipsed our record-breaking January 2013 show by four percent,” says Show Director Roy Turner. "More buyers than ever before put their trust in Surf Expo to offer the most diverse array of product categories and brands under one roof.”
Surf Expo continues to be a can’t-miss destination for buyers and exhibitors alike. The overall attendance of the September show topped 27,000, an eleven-percent increase compared to the 2012 September show. This is particularly noteworthy since the September 2011 and 2012 shows were both named among the “25 Fastest-Growing” tradeshows in the United States by Trade Show News Network.
New brands exhibiting at the show increased by more than ten percent, and overall more exhibitors, brands and lines than the previous September show, offering buyers a strong selection of fresh new product options.
Freewaters President John Vance echoed a common theme when he says, "This show has been the single best tradeshow we've ever had. It was a combination of the quality of the buyers that we saw and the consistency of our booth being busy."
According to Bruce Cromartie, owner of BC Surf and Sport, “This was another great show. Surf Expo is running such a well-oiled machine.”
Beyond offering an indispensible marketplace where buyers and retailers can meet face to face, Surf Expo offers unique educational opportunities to help buyers and exhibitors stay at the top of their game. The show’s inaugural IR Focus e-commerce seminars were well received and the show’s assortment of seminars hosted by the Board Retailers Association, drew packed audiences.
Part of Surf Expo's appeal also comes from the variety of special events at the show. More than 800 retailers were able to try the latest wakeboard and SUP lines during the Surf Expo Board Demo Day presented by Alliance Multimedia held at the Orlando Watersports Complex. Buyers filled the Peabody Fashion Show presented by TransWorld Business to see the latest in swim fashion. More than 3,000 showgoers got to unwind at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon during the Surf Expo Industry Party presented by Sanuk.
New to Surf Expo this September was the addition of The Boardroom, an open-to-the-public celebration of surfboards and the craftsmen who make them.
The event attracted more than 40 master surfboard shapers from up and down the East Coast and nearly 3,000 attendees.
For the Wake and Wind categories of the boardsports market, Surf Expo was also proud to host the Tenth Annual TransWorld Wake Awards and the Third Annual AWSI Industry Party and Awards Show. The Alliance Multimedia Wake Lounge drew large crowds daily for fresh video premieres and camaraderie.
“We’re thrilled by the results of our September show,” says Turner, “and we encourage both retailers and manufacturers to make plans now to attend Surf Expo January, when once again the boardsports and beach lifestyle markets will convene for three indispensible business-focused days wrapped in a whole bunch of fun, networking, and educational opportunities. See you January 9th through the 11th.”
Quotes From the Show Floor
"It’s been a great show. Our goal is to have full, packed days—and that’s definitely been the case. We debuted Summer here at the show and it was very well received. The East Coast is starting to lean more towards the Summer lines. Oftentimes East Coast retailers are being asked to take orders on boardshorts and it’s still freezing outside. So they’re pushing out orders and focusing more on April and May deliveries—and that’s summer. It makes sense. They sell all their stuff in the summer."
— Charlie Setzler, VP Sales, Rusty
"Surf Expo is the key strategy we use to market to the masses. I don’t know if there are a lot of industries who can count on one event that can get so many of their targeted market together in one place at one time."
— Lisa Shinham, Wave Zone Skimboards
"This is the event for the wakeboarding market. Period. And from what I’ve seen people have had great traffic and great orders. The boat companies, in particular, seem ready to really turn it up. Surf Expo is a great gauge of where the industry is headed and it seems headed in the right direction."
— Bill McCaffray, Publisher, Alliance Multimedia
"We had incredible turnout at the booth. We do three sports categories—kiteboarding, wakeboarding, and stand-up paddleboarding—and being in the heart of Surf Expo allowed us to see a ton of buyers. This year we also encouraged our international partners from France, Latin America, Spain, and Japan to attend as well. Next year we’ll also invite our partners from Germany, Holland, and Italy. Surf Expo is the place to do it all at once, all in one place, and get business done."
— Greg Kish, Sales and Marketing Director of Slingshot
"Surf Expo is a perfect venue to show new product, support our rep team, and work with accounts to create the summer season with them. We met a ton of new accounts, many from the Sunbelt which is a huge market for us. It’s also a great chance speak to our partners from the Caribbean and Latin America. It’s a great show for us. We can’t wait to come back in January."
— Brian Garofalow, Global Marketing Director, IVI
"The people make Surf Expo unique. With some of our other shows people tend to be stuffy, but they are very open to new things here at Surf Expo. We see a ton of our existing GoPro accounts at Surf Expo, but we’ve definitely opened a lot of new accounts at the show as well. We’re stoked to see all these new retailers excited about the product."
— Hunter Clark, GoPro
"One of the biggest retailers in the country came by and told me something very interesting. He said at Surf Expo he can not only see the apparel he can see at other shows, but he can also see everything else that’s in his store. I’ve known him for 30 years. He’s a California guy and he was saying how important it was for Ergo to be here. That was huge. He told us we had a great booth, great product, and a great attitude. Most importantly, he said this is where he gets to really see the lines. As an East Coast guy, I’m proud of Surf Expo. We’ve dealt with retailers from across the country and internationally here at the show. To be able to do that all in one place. That’s huge."
— Jimbo Gaskin, VP of Sales, Ergo
"The show was a big success for us. We connected with old friends, had dinner with some execs, viewed a bunch of the smaller brands we carry, and picked up a couple of great new lines. You guys do an amazing job, and even after 20+ years I'm still loving Surf Expo."
— Pretlow Majette, President, Big Planet
"Surf Expo has a great history and as a new brand and first-time exhibitor, we’ve had a great experience here. We’ve opened a ton of new doors. We’re seeing all sorts of buyers, which is great for us. We’ve had people come seek us out from Rhode Island, from Maine—territories we don’t even have reps in. It’s also great when we have Miami boutiques walking up to check us out."
— Brandy Faber, Roark
About Surf Expo
Surf Expo is produced in January and September and draws buyers from specialty stores across the U.S., the Caribbean, Central and South America and around the world. Surf Expo features approximately 2,000 booths of apparel and hardgoods and a full line-up of special events, including fashion shows, annual awards ceremonies, and demos. The next Surf Expo is January 9-11, 2014 in the West Hall of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando Florida. For more information visit www.surfexpo.com.
By press release
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