Outdoor Retailer
One of the country’s biggest outdoor retail shows is going on in Denver right now, the Outdoor Retailer Show. This is a show that connects brands with the newest of style, technology, and products with retail stores hoping to fill their shelves with the hottest items. Your favorite blogger (The Fatman) was able to score a media credential so I will be talking to some of these brands and passing on the information to you over the next few days.
Small Business, Big Dreams
Today was the second day of the show and I decided to focus on small businesses and companies that were focused on environmentally friendly products. There were so many! The show is a nice mix of big and small companies. Today, I met what I think was about 60 brands.
This blog space has always had a special place for the little guys. After each hike I try to find a locally owned restaurant to eat at. I want to help support the small mountain towns that I spend so much time in recreation in. I want to hear the stories and meet the people. Each of their stories are the same as the people in the convention center today.
Before I talk about the individual brands I just wanted to talk a bit in generalities. Meeting the small businesses today was an amazing experience. These are the dreamers. The entrepreneurs. The inventors. There was such passion in their eyes. Behind the required masks I could sense the smiles when I asked them about their products. Watching their eyes go wide with excitement in telling the same story for the hundredth time.
Each of these small businesses is just waiting to reap the rewards of all the sweat, the all-night sessions and the weekends spent over a sewing machine or on a shop table. The passion is undeniable. I cherished the day talking with these folks about their passions. Each booth I went to was like walking into a new world. Every story raised goose bumps on my skin.
Dreams to Reality
I truly hope that each of these dreams turn into a reality at this show with a large order. Or a promise for another meeting next week. I hope everyone of these companies turns their years of hard work into an “overnight” success.
More from the Fatman from Outdoor Retailer
I will be doing posts about these small businesses and all of the businesses I talk to at Outdoor Retailer coming up in the next few days. Make sure to check back for more content about the newest gear coming soon from the Outdoor Retail Show at Fatmanlittletrail.com. If you are interested in product reviews you can find those here. If you are looking for a light-hearted look at hiking, you can check my Fatman’s Ramblings page. And as always you can keep the conversation going by following me on the below social media pages. Happy Hiking!