I have been attending the Outdoor Retailer and Snowsports Shows for a long time. OR or ORWM (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market) is held in Salt Lake City. The Snowsports Industries of America Show is held in Denver…moved recently from Vegas in a moved that has been brilliant.

I have not seen more upbeat shows in a decade; no, over a decade. OR was first. I attended the Thought Leaders Dinner the evening before the show, and the mood from the industry leaders was positive to the point of being giddy. Numbers, customers and momentum all swinging to the right and up. The first day of the Show was the same. Very positive. Much conversation.

Then a funny thing happened. The Show got quieter, and I don’t think this was a bad thing. I believe people were doing business. Retailers busy with their “open to buys” and brands busy showing the product lines. Mind you, still loud and positive…but a little more business like and subdued.

The SIA Show was not the same. It was loud, positive, and not subdued…until the end. During the Show it was announced that the snow industry sold over a billion dollars in December, a record. I overheard the President of Rossignol, Tim Petric, asking a retailer how business was. The retailer replied that it was just excellent. Just excellent. And that vibe kept up throughout the show.

My congratulations to the OR team led by Kenji Haroutunian. Great show and well worth it for the brands, retailers and the other attendees.

And to David Ingemie and his team at SIA. The move to a ski town, Denver, combined with a well run show, the great winter and good business cycle made for an industry rapidly gaining its health.

There have been a few lean years. However, those who kept their heads down, stuck to the business basics, and forged ahead with a smile are now reaping the rewards.

It couldn’t happen to better industries or the people in them.