Following the triumph of the Outdoor Trade Show 2019, Francesca Guest, Events Manager, shares her thoughts on the show; what went right and how cohesive working relationships between OTS and EventCity staff translated to success.

The only large scale event of its kind in the UK, the Outdoor Trade Show is an outdoor sport and leisure focused trade show where retailers have the unique opportunity of viewing clothing, footwear and accessory products all under one roof. The annual show, hosted by EventCity, the largest and most versatile exhibition, conference and multi-purpose venue in the North of England, saw it return for its second consecutive year.

The Outdoor Trade Show, now in its 14th year managed to attract 990 unique visitors over a three day period. Attendees were able to explore offerings from 131 exhibitors, its highest ever, from a wide range of brands by newcomers and established key players to the outdoor market.
When comparing the attendance from 2018, there was an increase of 4% for overall unique visitors, which added to last year’s 7.5% increase, indicating a 12% overall rise on visitor numbers since the Outdoor Trade Show moved to EventCity.

In the wake of the Outdoor Trade Show’s strongest visiting numbers at EventCity, Francesca Guest shares her insights from the show.
“Here at EventCity we have such a great relationship with the organisers. Their offices are local to us, just near the airport so it is great if they want to pop in and see the space or have a meeting to discuss the event. They lovely to work with and extremely organised, all of this combined with the proximity of both our venues makes the whole planning procedure a smooth affair.

“The show takes place over three days in two of the event halls which has many exhibitors showcasing their products to retailers. There is always a friendly atmosphere as the exhibitors often know each other, and the quality of the show is represented in how well built and presented all the stands are as well as features around the show.
With the Outdoor Trade Show 2019 now concluded and proving to be a success, Guest added: “In terms of challenges, there were none. This is the second year the Outdoor Trade Show has been hosted at EventCity with the show witnessing an increase of 27% from retail buyers and owners when compared to 2018. Whilst we are about quality and not quantity, we are delighted to be advancing on last year’s show and eagerly look forward to potentially bringing in even greater numbers of attendees to the next show in 2021.”