ASR Cancels Holiday Edition
The Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo has cancelled its Holiday 2009 edition.
A much smaller edition than ASR’s January and September editions, which are held in San Diego, ASR Holiday targets surf/skate brands selling Holiday goods. Lacking the skate ramps, beer garden and antics of the larger ASR shows, ASR Holiday was billed as an intimate, order-writing show. The show, held the last two years in May in Costa Mesa, Calif., at the Orange County Fair Grounds, had proved tricky since its debut in 2006. Not all brands offer Holiday goods, and getting the timing of the show to gel with Holiday exhibitors was a delicate balancing act for organizers. In 2008, the show saw a drop in exhibitors and attendees.
In total, nearly 50 brands were scattered around the show floor—a significant drop from the 2007 ASR Holiday show, which boasted 250 buyers, 71 booths and approximately 100 brands. Buyer traffic also declined, with 175 unique stores present. Major brands dropped out of the 2008 edition. Missing from the show floor were brands such as Volcom, Nikita, RVCA, Matix, Rusty and O’Neill.
“As action sports’ leading trade event, ASR is always looking for the most efficient ways to provide manufacturers a solid platform to reach a wide buying audience,” said Andy Tompkins, group show director. “Because of a growing discrepancy in delivery dates for Holiday lines, finding the right timing for a Holiday show that works for the entire industry has become an insurmountable challenge. ASR is taking the energy and resources previously put into the ASR Holiday event to develop new initiatives and stronger buying audiences for our international showcase events in San Diego.”
ASR’s January edition will take place Jan. 22–24 at the San Diego Convention Center.
