Outdoor Trade Show 2024 Liverpool UK report
With exhibitors ranged across 8100 square metres of floor space and a huge variety of new and innovative product ranges to see, buyers from the major multiples and leading independents were there to seek out the new products, place forward orders and network with friends and colleagues from the trade.
The 2024 Outdoor Trade Show saw the industry coming together and enjoying three days of buying and selling, product and industry updates, and social events. 130 exhibitors promoted their brands and products at the show, and a similar number of visitors attended when compared to 2023, in what is currently a relatively difficult trading environment for many companies in the outdoor market, 910 unique visitors attended OTS 2024 across the three days.
It is particularly encouraging to note a 3% increase in repeat visitors – those attending more than one day of the show – over 2023, as retail buyers take more time to see more of the exhibitors on show and to attend the various networking events on offer. Indeed, buyers attending OTS also increased, by 2%, from 2023, reflecting exhibitor feedback on the quality of the visitors attending OTS 2024.
Awards and networking opportunities featured strongly at OTS 2024. At the OTS Social on the Wednesday evening, finalists in the ten categories of the 2025 UK Outdoor Industry Awards were announced and the Awards Display area attracted a great deal of interest from visitors throughout the show, with 98 products on display. 2024 also featured the inaugural presentation of the OTS Awards 2024 – Outdoor Retailer of the Year. These new awards celebrate the best outdoor retailers in five different categories, as nominated by OTS exhibitors, and a full list of winners can be viewed on the OTS website.
Wednesday morning’s OTS Sustainability Breakfast, once again sponsored by Rab, was very well attended and supported by brands, retailers and the media, all keen to hear and learn more about sustainability, circularity and the journey towards carbon neutrality. This ever popular event saw a record of almost 80 attendees, for presentations on sustainability data from Ronnie Legg of Alpkit and Debbie Read of Equip, circular business practices in the outdoor industries from Paul Kerssens of United Repair Centre and Richard Pyne of Páramo, and biodiversity and balancing our carbon footprint from Michael Cunningham of 9Trees.
Exhibitors and visitors enjoyed a range of other networking opportunities at OTS 2024, including after-hours on-stand entertainment in the exhibition hall on Tuesday evening, morning runs on the first two days with the chance to try out footwear from run sponsors Topo and Ronhill, and the United Repair Centre stand, where attendees brought along damaged garments for a free repair on-site.
Marta Williams, Director of MCS PR & Marketing, OTS organisers, commented: “After organising OTS for 18 years, the 2024 event has been a very special one, the feedback from exhibitors and visitors has been very positive and supportive, retailers have mentioned the quality and variety of brands and products on offer and exhibitors the quality of visitors from all the spectrum of the outdoor retail landscape and beyond. We have had great conversations for 2025 with our current exhibitors as well as brands that are interested of being part of the event for 2025. The venue plays a great part and Liverpool has lots to offer to ensure the show is a pleasant, cost effective and straightforward experience. The new initiatives that we have launched this year, make OTS a great proposition for visitors who not only take time of their busy schedules to research and buy their Spring/Summer 2025 stock but participate in the networking and social aspect of OTS. We look forward to start planning the 2025 event which will take place at Exhibition Centre Liverpool, from Tuesday 10th to Thursday 12th June 2025, continuing our strategy of carefully positioning the show’s timing to match brand order book deadlines.”
