Action Sports Trade Shows Kick It Up a Notch
In January, action sports retailers and vendors will notice some changes at the Action Sports Retailer (ASR) and Agenda trade shows, as the shows attempt to court both independent startups and industry heavy hitters.
ASR, the industry’s biggest and most established show, celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2006. To commemorate the event, ASR will produce a retrospective show guide for the Jan. 20–22 show in San Diego. The guide will chronicle ASR’s adventures since its inception in 1981. It will also include “forward-looking trend pieces,” said Kevin Flanagan, ASR’s show director.
An anniversary bash, scheduled for Jan. 20 at the House of Blues in San Diego, will be accompanied by a fashion show of the season’s trends and styles.
On the show floor, retailers will see a shift in product offerings, Flanagan said: “Last year only about a dozen exhibitors showed their Fall lines at the January show; this time a lot of brands will be showing Fall.” The shift is due to the importance of the Fall season.
“Fall is the No. 1 season for action sports brands,” he said. “Getting the product out there earlier lets them get early reads from retailers and helps them produce more affordably.”
The show, which attracts top action sports brands, is making more room for the little guys. Launched in September, the show’s new-line showcase, Goldbox Mission, is set to grow in January. “Goldbox Mission will nearly double in size,” Flanagan said. “The showcase isn’t a complete representation of new brands but is a selection of some of the more unique up-and-coming brands.” The showcase, with its edgy and independent lines, was inspired by retailers who wanted to shop new brands. So far, 19 brands are set to show, up from 10 in September.
While ASR makes moves to cater to the industry’s rising stars, action sports’ renegade show, Agenda, is putting down some roots to help lure big exhibitors and entice buyers.
“We’ve become known for our guerrilla-style shows,” said Aaron Levant, president of Agenda LLC. Since Agenda launched in 2003, “we’ve always changed venues, and for the last couple of years we’ve been in parking garages,” he said. That devilmay- care approach may have been fine for the show’s early exhibitors, which generally consisted of fledgling streetwear and action sports brands, but it won’t fly with the more established brands the show hopes to attract.
For its Jan. 20–21 edition, Agenda will break in its permanent venue, the San Diego Concourse. “It’s a big step up,” Levant conceded. “We’ll have indoor bathrooms.” And room to spare.
The 35,000-square-foot venue will provide more than enough room to house the 140 exhibitors and 2,000 buyers Levant hopes to draw. Although the venue is farther from ASR, a limo service will be provided to shuttle buyers between the shows.
“Having a permanent home changes everything,” he said. “Now we can focus on the show itself— not spend most of our time worrying about where it will be. It has changed our business model.”
The new space will not only satisfy potential bigname exhibitors, it will also allow Agenda to continue with its edgy aspirations. In collaboration with Sneaker Pimps, a traveling sneaker show that features more than 700 pairs of limited-edition, vintage and artist-collaborated sneakers as well as sneakerinspired fashion, photography and art, Agenda will use the extra space to create a “cultural museum.”
Another first for Agenda will come in the formof a fashion show Jan. 20 on the show floor. The show will be produced in collaboration with Costa Mesa, Calif.–based streetwear label RVCA. “We’ll keep the doors open late so buyers can come after ASR closes and watch the show and see the installation,” Levant said. “Our booths will stay open until 8 p.m.” Adding the appropriate soundtrack for the night’s festivities will be two live bands. —Erin Barajas
