Friday, February 8, 2013

The Outdoor Retailer Jack of all Trades

By Sarah Niklas

It's been a week and a half, and I think I've finally recovered from my second Outdoor Retailer experience. For Winter Market, one of my favorite brands- SmartWool- hired REM to plan a winter party of fire and ice.

Being in the event planning industry, my Outdoor Retailer experiences are a bit different than the average show attendee. As most of you spend each day holed up in the convention center, I actually only spend about two or three hours at the show the entire week I am there. Instead most of my days are spent at off-site locations prepping for whatever festivities we are working on for that night. So, while you get to check out the latest and greatest gear, I am most likely- moving boxes (lots and lots of boxes), climbing a ladder, posing as a lighting, audio or IT expert, or making the scenic drive south of town to rent whatever item we need last minute from Al's Party Rent-a-Center.

At the end of the day it's always a fun and crazy experience and I ALWAYS end up at the best party in town.

This year's party could not have gone off more smoothly. We were at our favorite Salt Lake eatery- Caffe Molise where party-goers got to enjoy amazing food, specialty cocktails from the custom ice bars, and fire pits with s'mores to keep everyone warm and toasty! All to the sounds of our favorite hometown band, Mandatory Air.

Here are a couple of photos to highlight our night.

Cheers!

Sarah