Choosing the right trade show as an emerging brand is critical, it’s a significant investment, and where you show up matters.

The channel you’re targeting should guide your decision. Different shows serve different purposes, and the options can feel overwhelming: national shows, regional shows, hotel-based formats, and even in-store retailer line shows all play a role.

How your product shows up on the retail shelf can make or break your brand. Before pitching to a buyer, take a step back and think through how it will actually live in-store. Where will it sit? How will it tell its story once it’s there? Will it be at the cash wrap, in the men’s or women’s section, does it require a fitting room? Every detail shapes the customer’s experience. You want your product to be easy to find, clearly understood, and consistent across locations.

What Buyers Actually Care about…. A common misconception is that line sheets need to be perfect before a buyer ever sees them. The reality is, a lot of decisions happen after the buying show or once the trade show wraps. Many buyers place future orders right at the show, which is actually one of the best indicators of what in your assortment is worth putting into production, and what isn’t…

I’m Allison Deschaine—founder and consultant behind AD Outdoor Consulting, and I’m genuinely glad you’re here. Not in a “marketing voice” kind of way. Truly. You made it, and that counts for something.

Here’s the long and short of it: I started this business because I’ve spent years collecting a frankly unreasonable amount of outdoor industry knowledge, and at some point it occurred to me that letting it sit quietly in my head was a bit of a waste. So…here we are…