Slide & OTS Winter, Telford, UK, Jan 7-9 2025 Preview
Slide now in its 18th year is still the one opportunity for UK retailers to see all winter brands under one roof, making it the key event in the UK snow industry calendar and a must visit decision for all UK winter sports retailers.
Last year saw over 200 brands exhibit on 5,800 sq meter floor space, with an 8% growth in visitors. Opening times for the 2025 edition are 9am-6pm Tuesday and Wednesday and 9am-4pm Thursday.
Brands get to meet up with snowsports and outdoor buyers from the major multiple and leading independent retailers and network with colleagues and the rest of the winter sports business community.
At time of going to press over 100 companies have signed up for stands and there is still limited space available for any last-minute interest from brands. Slide remains very much an order writing show, with brands and retailers holding back to back meetings. With such a good balance of brands and suppliers across both snow and outdoor the show continues to be a very efficient use of buyer’s time.
The Slide and OTS Winter 2025 Awards are now open for entries exclusively from show exhibitors. These awards recognise the most talked about products at the show, with the winners in each of the 6 categories: Outdoor Hardware, Softwear, Snowsport Hardware, Accessories, Fresh Brand and Eco all on display with the other finalists in a dedicated area for the duration of the show. The Awards voting has been revamped this year, giving products that enter more exposure to not only attending retailers and journalists, but those who pre-register to attend the show will receive in advance the list of products in each category and given the opportunity to also vote. Pre-registered and attending retailers, a selection of media (editorial only) and industry opinion-leaders will vote on the winners of the awards until lunchtime on the 8th January 2025, except for The Eco entries which will be evaluated and the winner selected by POW UK.
Complimentary networking drinks in association with the National Outdoor Expo will take place at the end of the first day of the show, from 6 – 8 pm at the central café. On Wednesday morning from 7.30am – 9am the Sustainability Breakfast will be held in the Newport Suite with three presentations. The first from 8.00am – 8.20am by Jade Gerrard, Head of Sports Development at Snowsport England on Working together to build a sustainable future for Snowsports in England and beyond. The second from 8.20am – 8.35am by Zoë Phenix McCandless of the United Repair Centre on Making Repairs Work and how to Build a Business That Thrives while Fixing Things and the third from 8.35 -8.50am by Mark Edridge, Product Manager, bluesign technologies on how bluesign helps brands, and their supply-chain, meet the new EU Regulations. In the evening from 6pm – 7.30pm the SIGB AGM and Show Awards Winners will be Announced and presented in the Newport Suite.
New this year is the complimentary Garment Repair Station where all garment repairs are carried out by United Repair Centre free of charge. To support the work of the United Repair Centre donations should be directed to the Makers Unite Foundation. And by special request a Costa Coffee Pod at the entrance will be opene for the duration of the show, in addition to the main cafe, serving coffee and paninis.
With visitor registration having opened on 16th October, visitors are reminded that everyone will need to register to gain entry to the show which is free to attend for all visitors and for interested brands a variety of sponsorship packages are still available at the show.
Telford is well served by the road and rail network. A free shuttle from the train station to the exhibition centre helps make the trip a seamless one and car drivers are offered free parking. On-site hotels offer reduced rates for visitors and you can easily walk from hotel to show and back. So book your tickets to Telford to meet up with the UK’s winter sports business community.
www.slideotswinter.co.uk
