Too Many Shows? Taking the Outdoor Industry’s Trade Show Temperature

About this episode

The episode discusses the current state of the outdoor industry's trade shows, addressing fragmentation and the need for a central gathering.

Today on The Rock Fight , the crew runs a temperature check on the outdoor industry national trade show scene! From fragmentation to event fatigue, Colin, Eoin Comerford, and Producer Dave break down whether outdoor still needs a single “north star” gathering; and who should be responsible for making it happen. But first they hit a rapid-fire six-pack of industry stories, including: ANTA’s push into the U.S. market Arc’teryx living between performance and luxury L.L. Bean’s retail expansion strategy Why outdoor still plays it safe with color TNF x Skims (you know, for kids!) Kappa’s Olympic kits Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight , LLC. Please follow and subscribe to The Rock Fight and give us a 5 star rating and a written review wherever you get your podcasts. Want to pick a fight with The Rock Fight? Send your feedback, questions, and comments to myrockfight@gmail.com .

People in this episode

Hosts: Colin, Producer Dave

Guest: Eoin Comerford

Topics covered

• outdoor industry
• trade shows
• event fatigue
• market expansion
• industry stories

Keywords

• trade show
• outdoor industry
• event fatigue
• market expansion
• industry stories

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ANTA, Arc'teryx, L.L. Bean, TNF, Skims, Kappa

More episodes of The Rock Fight: Outdoor Industry & Adventure Sports Commentary

• Profitability vs. People: REI Cuts Pay & Benefits - Outdoor Unfiltered · March 16, 2026 · 36 min
• Welcome to Outdoor Unfiltered! - Outdoor Unfiltered · February 26, 2026 · 1 min
• The Rock Fight Signs Off With a Final Look at the Outdoor Industry · January 26, 2026 · 49 min
• All Rock Fights Must Come To An End · January 23, 2026 · 14 min
• What Does Stoke Footwear Mean For The Outdoor Industry? · January 19, 2026 · 53 min
• The Bottle Bubble & the Brick-and-Mortar Pivot · January 12, 2026 · 56 min