- The Running Event 2023 started out with a bang with the traditional Running of the Retailers, all headed full- and half-speed to the Brooks booth in the back of the show floor for their sneaker giveaway. They didn’t have to risk pulling a muscle, though — the folks at Brooks told us there were plenty to go around this year!
- The show eventually went to the dogs – with Stunt Puppy and its cute pooch, Beatrice, winning Best New Product at the New Product Showcase. There was quite a bit of impressive competition in the Showcase, but its GPS dog collar made an impression on attendees with its ability to track a pet’s whereabouts – and even how many steps a dog takes every day.
- TRE also went to the sloths, as SPIbelt brought in the furry creature to liven up its booth — well, as much as a sloth could liven up anything. But it certainly did succeed in bringing attention to the exhibit.
Last year RI editors were among the intrepid few who trekked out for the inaugural Trail Cleanup, which was held on the Friday morning after the show closed (and after the late-night Brooks party on Thursday). This year the decision was made to kick off TRE with the Trail Cleanup and it proved to be a wise and successful decision, with well more than 100 attendees making it out on Tuesday morning to the Ann & Roy Butler Hike & Bike Trail to collect about 1000 pounds of trash from the trail and the waters of Lady Bird Lake. Yes, some participants even paddled out in kayaks to help clean the river as well. Much of the success was due to the participation of the Low Impact Alliance and sponsorship of ASICS. That was one clean trail by the end of that event!
- Speaking of paddles, certainly one of the highlights of TRE23 was the debut of pickleball. A full-size pickleball court – sponsored by K-Swiss, Selkirk Sport, OS1st and Currex – was the scene for two well-attended seminars on Why and How-To Sell Pickleball at run specialty retail, along with demos and a few tryouts at the fastest-growing sport in America. More to certainly come next TRE.
- As usual, after-hours events made TRE much more than just a trade show. Two of the best were the Running Industry Diversity Coalition’s inaugural Cookout – great food, good (?) dancing and a fundraiser for the group – and the traditional Thursday night Brooks Running party that was the place to be for all the cool kids. Even some of the TRE staff were seen shaking their tailfeathers, but they were smart enough to not join in on the crowd surfing.
- We didn’t realize how much of a following podcaster, content creator, humorist and runner Laura Green had until we spent time with her during the first-ever Best Running Stores panel that featured the four finalists for Store of the Year. Her unique observations of the sport and business of running made her popular around TRE (one editor even admitted he was sort of a fanboy) and she did a wonderful job moderating the panel and getting everyone up and excited after a long day of education.
- And speaking of education, run specialty retailers are obviously starved for education. You could tell because Tuesday’s all-day sessions drew SRO crowds to many of the presentations, with sessions on social media (in photo), leadership, hiring, succession planning and building communities providing plenty of fodder to bring back to their stores. The only one that scared us was by BibRave on the subject of Artificial Intelligence and how AI can revolutionize much of the run specialty business. As writers, we are concerned we aren’t going to be needed much longer. (But we promise this column was written by an actual person!)
A number of the Running Insight and TRE staff made it out to the Indie 5K on a damp morning, but the weather did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the hundreds of runners who joined in the annual race. Our takeaway: There are some really fast retailers out there … and some really slow ones, too, but they are all part of the same run specialty community and that’s what it is all about.
• And a shout-out to our own senior writer Danny Smith, whose presentation to a packed room on “Beyond Your Four Walls” brought examples from other industries to run specialty. Who knew a running store could learn from a bridal shop or bowling alley?
And while we are on the subject of Running Insight editors getting some exposure, none other than editor Michael Jacobsen had his 15 minutes of fame as part of the inaugural Livestream broadcast from the show floor. He talked running product trends, the success of TRE and his favorite new subject, pickleball. Word is he didn’t embarrass himself or the magazine, so that’s a good thing.
We also got a chance for our annual sit down with Fleet Feet CEO Joey Pointer, with the freewheeling conversation focusing on the challenges and opportunities the retailer faces and how it is still aiming to become a $1 billion business. The full interview will appear in the special Year-End Issue of Running Insight.- Had to love the Happy Hours on the show floor, which allowed for some casual networking at the end of a long Day One. Problem was that RI editors had meetings with exhibitors right up until the show closed so we missed all of the food and beverages.
- Finally, congratulations to the team at The Running Event, which seamlessly put on a show that was 20 percent larger in terms of floor space and attendees than any previous event. Since Running Insight is the official publication of The Running Event, we have sat in on a lot of those pre-show meetings and realize now what it takes to pull this off. So kudos to Christina and the entire TRE team. Job well done.
See you all again in Austin Nov. 19-21, 2024.
