Podcast Summary: The Rock Fight – "Outdoor Retailer’s Big Shake-Up: Instant Reaction!"

Date: October 3, 2025
Host: Colin True (B), with guests Owen Comerford (C), Lindsey Hubley from Emerald Expositions (E), and athlete/adventurer Sunny Stroher (D)
Theme: Honest, immediate reactions to the sweeping changes announced for the Outdoor Retailer (OR) trade show, including a new city, new timing, new leadership model, and an evolving strategy to stay relevant in the outdoor industry.

Episode Overview

This episode of The Rock Fight delivers a real-time breakdown of the dramatic transformations taking place at Outdoor Retailer (OR), the flagship outdoor industry trade show. Host Colin True and consigliere Owen Comerford are joined by Lindsey Hubley (Emerald Expositions) and Sonny Stroher (newly appointed head of OR’s Leadership Village) to discuss:

• The move of OR to Minneapolis and back to August
• Introduction of the Leadership Village as a new guiding body
• Renewed focus on new and emerging brands
• Efforts to rekindle the “tribal gathering” spirit and address the show’s place in a fragmented event landscape

The tone is frank, energetic, and occasionally wry, blending skepticism about industry clichés with an underlying love for the outdoor community.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The "Big Shake-Up": Relocating and Rescheduling OR

• Location Shift: Outdoor Retailer is moving to Minneapolis for 2026, repositioning itself in the Midwest after controversies moving between Salt Lake City and Denver ([03:24], [33:47]).

  • Rationale: Minneapolis is “kind of Switzerland…that Midwestern not going to piss anybody off kind of a choice. But it’s also outdoorsy and certainly more outdoorsy than New Orleans, which is where Switchback is going.” – Owen ([05:30])

• Timing Change: The show date returns to August, reversing recent (and unpopular) moves to June ([03:24], [25:01]).

  • Buying Cycle Advantage: August gives retailers breathing room post-June events, allowing “more of a strategic view of their buy and maybe where they could add in new brands.” – Owen ([05:30])
  • Historical Precedent: OR “used to be in August and it used to be very successful in August.” – Sunny ([25:01])

2. Leadership Overhaul: Launch of the Leadership Village

• Leadership Village Concept: A new advisory/leadership cohort has been installed to drive strategy, led by Sonny Stroher and Paul Gagner, with diverse representation from retailers, brands, athletes, and agencies ([19:16], [20:25]).
  • Intent: “We want the outdoor industry to really develop and have their voices heard here.” – Lindsey ([19:16])
  • Broader Representation: Members include Peter Sachs (Lowa), Dana Carraway (independent rep), Mike Massey (Locally, specialty retail focus), Sasha de Julian (climbing athlete and founder, SendBars) ([20:25])
  • Driving Philosophy: “To understand and acknowledge and build on that change so that the show can truly be a show for the outdoor industry, by the outdoor industry.” – Sunny ([36:01])

3. Core Purpose: Refocusing on Brand Discovery and National Gathering

• Heart of the Show: Renewed emphasis on commerce and top-to-top meetings, but also discovery of new/emerging brands ([08:15], [23:18])

  • “We want buyers and brands to show up without a question. We want the right people in the room, right people at the table…new and discovery is a big, big focus for us.” – Sunny ([23:18])
  • “If these sort of emerging brand, new brand, small cottage industry brands, the Garage Growing Gear style brand can lead the charge here, that makes a really interesting proposition for buyers and even other brands to show up…” – Colin ([06:52])

• National vs. Regional Dynamics: The hosts stress that for OR to remain “the national gathering,” it must stand apart from regional and state-level shows, especially as competitors like Switchback and event series like OREC and Outdoor Economy conferences attract similar audiences ([11:00])

4. Action Items: New Show Features and Stakeholder Engagement

• Programming Innovations:

  • Ascent: Innovation district for new/discovery brands ([28:27])
  • Camp Forward: Startup pitches and futurist conversations ([28:27])
  • Campfire: Return of storytelling and video sessions ([28:27])
  • Outdoor Lab: Forward-thinking product design ([28:27])
  • Industry Day: Retailer-focused thought leadership and tactical workshops for specialty retailers ([28:27])
    • “How can we develop programming that really speaks to those questions…how do we get ahead of that? How do we help our constituents stay ahead of that?” – Sunny ([29:57])

• Retailer Support: Launch of GOA scholarship program to subsidize retailer travel and participation ([23:56])

  • “We really want to invest in those outdoor specialty retailers…” – Lindsey ([23:57])

• OIA and Conservation Alliance Partnerships: Dialogue is ongoing to bring back these central organizations for greater impact ([26:34])

  • “We have open discussions currently with Conservation Alliance and the OIA… we are active in those conversations.” – Lindsey ([26:34])

5. Challenges and Blind Spots

• Fragmented Event Ecosystem: Multiple competing shows and conferences, many focused on niche or regional audiences, threaten attendance and relevance ([09:17], [31:25])

• Category Focus: The leadership skews toward traditional “core” outdoor activities; question raised whether this risks missing momentum in booming segments like run and casual lifestyle ([35:23])

  • “Do we have a potential blind spot on the run field?...That is my work…to try and understand those and suss those out and get ahead of them.” – Sunny ([36:01])

• Wait-and-See Mood: Even with promising changes, there’s cautious optimism among the hosts: “I'm kind of in wait and see camp is where I'm at, probably.” – Colin ([12:10])

6. Defining Success

• Vision for 2026: “Attendance, engagement, enthusiasm, buzz. Right? All of those things, to me are absolutely key, and that’s what we’re going for.” – Sunny ([37:46])
• Community Atmosphere: “I would say a solid community vibe at the event is really important…The show has launched so many very successful brands and has been the hub for a very long time. And I’d like to see that happen again.” – Lindsey ([37:59])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the move to Minneapolis:
  “Minneapolis is kind of Switzerland a little bit. It’s that Midwestern not going to piss anybody off kind of a choice. But it’s also outdoorsy…” – Owen ([05:30])

• Refocusing the show:
  “We want buyers and brands to show up without a question. We want the right people in the room…But I think when it comes down to it, yeah, we got to have a national convening ground that has all of the right players at the table.” – Sunny ([23:18])

• On supporting small brands:
  “If these sort of emerging brand, new brand, small cottage industry brands…the Garage Growing Gear style brand can lead the charge here, that makes a really interesting proposition for buyers and even other brands to show up…” – Colin ([06:52])

• Facing change:
  “That is my work, and that is part of the leadership Village’s work to try and understand those [blind spots] and suss those out and get ahead of them…” – Sunny ([36:38])

• What success looks like:
  “Attendance, engagement, enthusiasm, buzz. Right? All of those things, to me are absolutely key, and that’s what we’re going for.” – Sunny ([37:46])

Important Timestamps

• 00:01 – Satirical cold open and tongue-in-cheek industry rumor: Jungle Crocs
• 03:24 – News of Outdoor Retailer moving to Minneapolis and August, plus summary of show’s wandering history
• 05:30 – Owen analyzes the benefits and risks of Minneapolis and August for OR
• 08:15 – Discovery and small brand focus; role of Garage Grown Gear (Lloyd Vogel)
• 19:16 – Lindsey and Sunny join; outline factors behind the big changes and leadership overhaul
• 20:25 – Sunny introduces the Leadership Village and its diverse industry representation
• 23:18 – Refocusing on commerce, national gathering, and buyer/brand core value
• 23:56 – Details on the new GOA retailer scholarship/program
• 25:01 – Rationale for timing change back to August
• 26:34 – Open dialogue with OIA and Conservation Alliance to rebuild industry partnerships
• 28:27 – Deep-dive into new show features: Ascent, Camp Forward, Campfire, Outdoor Lab, Industry Day
• 33:47 – Why Minneapolis? Discussion of site selection process and Midwest appeal
• 35:23 – Addressing the trend shift toward run/casual segments; blind spot question
• 37:46 – What will success look like for the revamped OR?
• 40:00 – Timeline for sharing more details about the new concept

Conclusion

This episode provides a thorough, bracingly honest analysis of a pivotal juncture for Outdoor Retailer. The Rock Fight’s hosts and guests dissect not just the logistics of the shake-up, but the underlying strategic intentions, risks, and cultural imperatives. Listeners come away with a sense of guarded optimism and a sharp understanding of why this moment matters for the industry – all delivered with the camaraderie and candor that define the show.

For deeper engagement and ongoing updates, listeners are encouraged to follow The Rock Fight Podcast and its network, and to keep an eye out for continuing announcements on the Leadership Village and the new face of Outdoor Retailer heading toward 2026.