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OTS
It's a beautifully organised show, OTS; the simple things are done really, really well, and it's compact enough to get around in a day but big enough for you to feel you need a bit more time. Everyone knows where the restaurant is (mainly because you pass it on the way into the hall), there's generally enough car parking within a short walking distance and Stoneleigh itself is a great venue in a central England location.
So what's not to like? In a word, nothing.
The quality of exhibitors remains high, and there's something for everyone - and something else for everyone that's thinking of perhaps expanding their range, looking a bit further ahead for their customers to keep them coming back. The feeling during and after the show for me at least, was overwhelmingly positive. The product is out there, the support is there - all you have to do now is get the customers in...
According to MCS' stats, more than 71 per cent of visitors were either buyers or directors, and overall numbers were up by more than 20 per cent to 1096. That's up from 888 last year and 621 in its inaugural year.
MCS say there are 30 companies on a waiting list to exhibit, so the 2010 show could expand into Hall 1 as well as Hall 2 at Stoneleigh, giving an extra 3,100m2 of space. Then you really will need an extra day!
STAG positioned themselves nicely right inside the front entrance before visitors actually hit the main hall, so they saw everyone coming in an out. With such a great spot, I'm sure they increased their membership. With their muscle behind retailers, the next couple of years could be a lot sunnier.
Inside Hall 2, Burton McCall were pushing their Duke of Edinburgh-endorsed range, with 37 products on the stand carrying the DofE's 'Recommended Kit' status, across the brands Bridgedale, Granger's, Mag-Lite, Pacsafe, Recta, SIGG and more.
Burton McCall were also shouting about becoming distributor for 'Freeloader', a portable solar powered battery charger which uses an internal battery to store energy, which can then be transferred to electrical devices by an array of connectors.
Also on the BM stand was the repackaged Victorinox Swiss Army Knife range, given a packaging overhaul which looks modern, fresh and timeless.
From the Granger's brand came the repackaging of its Fabsil proofing treatment, a silicon-based water repellent popular with the outdoors community. It's also enjoyed by many other markets though, something the brand's owners wanted to reflect.
Buff had their usual bright, lively stand, packed with great product as their range grows. They had their Reflective Buff (perfect for runners in winter), which is like the original Buff multifunctional headwear, but with 3M Scotchlite reflective strips; High UV Protection Buff, with CoolMax Extreme fabric; Polar Buff, ideal for winter; Cyclone Buff, for harsh environments; but mainly, the push was for their new in-store POS, the excitement about their Spider-Man Buff becoming available, all being well, in adult sizes by Christmas. Sue Me, a new brand of theirs, was also on show - but you'll have to wait and read about that in a forthcoming issue.
Gelert had a few surprises on their stand. There was the usual incredible range of camping product, but also something different. They've launched the Beyond range, which is the next step-up from their traditional, family friendly lines. Beyond comprises some stunning family tents, really excellent and sturdy-looking while remaining appealing, alongside technical tents, sleeping bags, self-inflating mattresses, rucksacs and a lot more. It's well worth a look, and the lateral step honestly suits the Gelert brand after a period of expansion and change within the company. Again, more on this in a future issue.
Páramo had not attended a UK trade show in more than five years but graced OTS with their presence. There's something really nice about this company, in their down-to-earth sheer enthusiasm for what they do, and in what appears to be bloody good product. If you have space for ethically aware apparel in store, check them out; the SS09 range is excellent.
Edgar Brothers were showing off a one-of-a-kind prototype SureFire headtorch on their stand, and it received great feedback from visitors. SureFire also responded to customers with a follow-on from their Titan torch, which enjoyed a limited run in titanium last year; now, it's available again in 2010 in aluminium. Also of note is the E1B Backup, a dual output torch with rounded edges for a comfortable carry; it was originally designed for law enforcement officers in the US. Interestingly, and unusually, it generates maximum output at the first switch; the lower setting is the second switch, so police in get full beam instantly with no messing.
Turboflame were displaying their full range with a new version of their windproof fire tools; the range is now complemented by a camouflage version of their lighters, which should appeal to Turboflame users and increase their market, hopefully. The Turboflame can be used for short-term welding, the flame reaches such high temperatures. There's even a lock on them so they can be locked on rather than off, which is a nice touch. The camouflage version is arguably the most appealing of a very attractive range, though whether you'll find it after putting it down is anyone's guess. That's the danger of camouflage...
On the Anatom stand, alongside the wonderful teko socks, the irrepressible SuperFeet insoles and more, was their latest brand - Pacerpoles, With a different approach to design from these walking and trekking poles, movement is genuinely made... Well, easier. The wrist remains in alignment with the arm, so it's in its strongest position while walking. You'd have to try them to fully understand, but they come highly recommended from SGB.
With Whitby, the big story was really about Leatherman's entry into the LED torch market with the Serac series. With Leatherman behind it, you know that the design and research into the product has been exhaustive, and while the price may reflect this, no pun intended, you're getting one of the world's most trusted brand names. Whether than can translate into sales for these admittedly excellent torches remains to be seen, but they've got more than a fighting chance in our industry, which generally relies on 'tasting the pudding' to assess its worth.
Leatherman's knives also look superb, with the new Crater and Expanse series. The knives also have aspects of multi-tools, as one would expect, but are far less complex than the traditional Leatherman product.
Whitby's Wenger range of Swiss Army knives is still quite wonderful, with an extension to the tactile knife we saw last year, which has become a whole range in itself, with several models now including the soft, rubberised texture knife body.
Also of note is Whitby's own foray into LEDs with the Whitby Wild Cat line, a smartly constructed and well-designed line of torches which is also very affordable, with SRPs ranging from £14.95 for the AAA battery size to £18.95 for the CAT104, a 40-lumen torch.
The Trespass range for 09 is mind-blowingly broad, and we're going to have to look at that in greater detail in a later issue. Watch this space.
On the Dalesman stand, apart from their Inova LED range, which impressed, the main talking point was Garmin's range of product. At the core of this was Garmin's new topographic maps, seen for the first time in the UK at OTS. These maps mean that, on the Oregon and Colorado hand-held personal satellite navigation systems, the user gets increased detail like Points of Interest, navigation and more. It's like having a truly, fully interactive OS map on a touchscreen tool. In short, it's absolutely sensational, and proof that Garmin is absolutely at the top of its game. Again, we'll be focussing on their product in a forthcoming issue, along with their simply outstanding cycling product.
Inov-8 had their lightest-ever shoe on the stand, which attracted a lot of attention. The X Talon 212 is a cross-country racer for someone that doesn't want to use a spike shoe, with an aggressive outsole, more space between the cleats to aid debris dispersion and grip, plus it's also very low profile and flexible. The company's entire range looks good, with a quality line in accessories and shoes for endurance runners and trail/fell/adventure racers.
It's surprising that with so much crossover in sports and outdoor, that more trail running brands were not at OTS - but that's Inov-8's gain.
Result Performance had a large stand for their second OTS, and were promoting the new Tech Performance range. As a new brand, Result have been trying to gain the trust of the Outdoor retail industry; with product like the reversible Osaka, it won't be long before their stockist base increases rapidly, especially when retailers consider they hold all their own stock, so bulk forward ordering is unnecessary. Great stuff.
Also on the Result stand was the RuckJack innovation. It sounds bizarre, but it certainly seems to work; it's basically a good quality technical jacket that clips into a different shape to act as a reasonable-size backpack. As a jacket, it's very appealing, and the RRP is sufficiently low to tempt customers; when you add in the extra function of a backpack, it's both unusual and a potential winner. More on Result's new lines and plans in a forthcoming issue of SGB...
Vango had a host of things to shout about. Wayfarer, for example, had new packaging which is more aggressive and a lot sexier than their old style; this will leak through to the energy bars in due course, but for now is just on the packaged meals.
Exciting colourways were high on their agenda too, with sleeping bags in combos like 'fandango and raspberry', and 'treetops and tiger lily', which co-ordinate with sleeping mats and rucksacks elsewhere in the range.
Retailers know what they're going to get on the AMG Group stand - quality from top to bottom, from Wayfarer through to Trangia, Force 10 and Teva - who have some top-notch footwear for 09 - and everything else.
Also of note is Vango's Duke of Edinburgh range, which they'll be promoting heavily into 2009.
Last but certainly not least, Snugpak showed their new-for-09 range of bags for children - something they have apparently been asked for repeatedly at trade shows - and a range with women firmly in mind, narrower at the waist and for a shorter body type than the classic range.
There's also a range of Snugpak lightweight tents too, to complement the family and touring tents they launched in 08. The lighttweight models on show were two-man and three-man models, which looked the part alongside their already-available bivvys.
The Outdoor Trade Show 2008 was certainly a success - and SGB is already looking forward to 2009.
