Once a year, insiders converge on the Colorado Convention Center to see what’s new and different in apparel, equipment, and technology relating to the snow sports industry. This year, the Outdoor Retailer winter trade show, historically held in Park City, combined with SIA’s SnowShow. The result created the 2018 SnowShow, the largest winter-sports oriented trade show to ever hit downtown Denver. The 2018 SnowShow featured over 1000 brands, 11,000 retail buyers, and thousands of individuals representing media and non-profit organizations. The Denver economy benefited greatly from the 2018 SnowShow. The show brought an estimated impact of millions of dollars of spending on Denver hotel, restaurant, and entertainment providers.
Kindness
Not only did the 2018 SnowShow fill the Denver convention center with attendees and boost the economy, it also showcased some cool products and services. I learned about several companies who incorporate kindness and ecological awareness into their products and practices. For instance, Allied Feather & Down, a supplier of down feathers used in products like this Helly Hansen down jacket, uses a new scanner technology to allow its clients to more easily track responsibly sourced materials through the supply chain. Adidas’ Parley line features fabrics made of recycled nylon collected from the plastic found in the ocean. I was introduced to Aventura, which uses lower impact or sustainable materials in 75% of their apparel line. I love how these companies make an effort to protect the environment.
Lightweight Crescent Moon snowshoes
Look cool/stay warm
Cute “Apres, anyone?” ski tops from Krimson Klover
While enjoying and protecting our natural environment, we should of course have fun, look great, and stay warm! Some fun items that stood out at the 2018 SnowShow included the brightly colored and super-affordable Dare2B line; Nils’ sleek and sophisticated looks; the happy bright colors from Kari Traa; and the comfy, affordable Avalanche Outdoors linehinting at their New England heritage. Other highlights included an innovative base layer from Brynje (think Madonna meets Norwegian fisherman); fun skier-print sweaters and a tote bag from Krimson Klover; super-lightweight snowshoes from Crescent Moon; fun socks from Feetures; and an innovative boot (or pizza/or glove) warming bag from Sportube.
In short, the 2018 SnowShow was busy, fun, and featured a lot of interesting products and services. Look for reviews of several of these items in upcoming posts!