Outdoor Retailer 2026 Curates New Minneapolis Show Around Changing Outdoor Industry, Ushering in Next Generation of Brands
August 19–21 event brings together more than 275+ brands, 550+ retail buyers and 15 million followers
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (August 13, 2026) — Outdoor Retailer is changing the way it brings the industry together, responding to shifts in how brands build businesses, how retailers discover products and how consumers engage with the outdoors. The August 19–21 show at the Minneapolis Convention Center ushers in the next generation of outdoor brands, featuring more than 275 exhibitors, surpassing its original goal of 200, along with more than 550 retail buyers and access to 15 million followers through the inaugural Wild Reach Program. Education Day on August 19 gives specialty retailers hands-on workshops through the Retailer Playbook Lab, in addition to Industry Day, an afternoon with programs presenting key business data and trends on topics including AI, new buying behaviors, and wearable tech.
“We’ve added a number of initiatives giving exhibitors and attendees increased ROI,” said Matthew Mathiasen, group show director for Outdoor Retailer. “Wild Reach brings creators directly onto the show floor to connect with brands, a program that would otherwise require significant investment. Through our partnership with Explore Minnesota and Meet Minneapolis, we’re providing attendees opportunities to experience our new backyard every morning in close proximity to the convention center. We’re proud to connect our community through intentional moments, because that moves the industry forward.”
A Marketplace Built Around Discovery
The 2026 show floor brings established brands including Backcountry, Body Glove, Red Wing Shoe Co., and Wenonah Canoe together with emerging companies such as ALPAKA, Bowl & Kettle, NAVEE and Wolfpack.
More than 70 young brands will participate through the Ascent Program, connecting new brands with retailers and media, while Garage Grown Gear and Founded Outdoors bring additional independent, retail-ready brands to the show floor. REI’s Path Ahead Ventures (PAV) is collaborating with Outdoor Retailer to showcase products from more than 25 founder-led brands near the registration area. Attendees can vote for one brand to receive a complimentary booth at OR 2027 to share their founder story and products.
“Having a prominent presence on the show floor signals the key role these young brands are playing in the outdoor community,” said Lloyd Vogel, founder of Garage Grown Gear. “Small and independent brands built this industry. Centering them in the middle of the show, instead of a back corner, is exactly where they belong. We’ve seen firsthand how a single conversation on the floor can change the trajectory of a brand’s entire year.”
“REI Co-op Path Ahead Ventures exists to accelerate the success of founders of color in the outdoor industry,” said Keenan Corrigan, managing director, Path Ahead Ventures. “By showcasing products from founder-led brands in our community, we’re helping increase visibility for emerging businesses, creating opportunities for retail buyers to discover innovative products, and highlighting the entrepreneurs helping strengthen and expand our industry.”
Wild Reach Brings Creators Directly into the Show
Wild Reach, Outdoor Retailer’s creator program powered by Popfly, embeds more than 150 curated photographers, filmmakers, athletes and digital storytellers directly into the show floor, surpassing 15 million in combined audience reach, well above its original goal of 10 million. The program is a fundamental shift in how consumers discover and trust new products: they don’t respond to banner ads or brand-written copy the way they respond to creators that share their interests, buy gear like they do and provide honest, unfiltered reactions.
Outdoor Retailer built Wild Reach as launch infrastructure, giving exhibiting brands a structured, show-floor system demonstrating real consumer demand to the retailers writing orders and to tell their story in an amplified, authentic voice. Rather than leaving brands to navigate the creator economy alone, Wild Reach connects them with credentialed outdoor creators, generates documented engagement through Popfly’s tracking tools and delivers a content library brands can deploy long after the show closes.
More Value for Independent Specialty Retailers
More than 550 retail buyers and retail organizations are expected, representing specialty retailers, regional chains, international retailers and ecommerce businesses. Retailers include: Academy Sports, Alpenglow, Appalachian Outfitters, Camping World, Cape Union Mart, Gearhead Outfitters, MEC, REI, River Sports Outfitters, Runnings, Sunlight Sports, The Sportsman’s Guide, The Trail Head, and Westerlind Outdoors, among others. Outdoor Retailer’s Outdoor Specialty Scholarship and Hosted Buyer Program are providing travel support for qualifying retailers.
Keynote sessions will address retail strategy, technology and the future of outdoor participation, featuring speakers including Eoin Comerford, former CEO of Moosejaw and host of the Outdoor Unfiltered podcast, and endurance athlete, author and advocate Mirna Valerio.
Taking the Show Outside
Outdoor Retailer is expanding the experience beyond the convention center, giving attendees opportunities to discover Minneapolis’ vibrant outdoor culture through hiking, trail running and paddling. On Friday, August 21 a special orienteering adventure race is being hosted by 57hours, with $10,000 in prizes with the grand prize being a trip to Greenland. Activities are all hosted at Theodore Wirth Park, minutes from the Minneapolis Convention Center.
“Outdoor Retailer 2026 is about meaningful change,” says Lindsay Hubley, senior vice president, Sports and Outdoor Division. “We’re meeting the industry where it is today, investing in real launch infrastructure for new and discovery brands, strengthening the independent specialty community that has always been the backbone of this industry, and doing it in a timeframe where buyers arrive with clarity and a real need to find the outdoor industry’s next top seller. We are fueling the future.”
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About Outdoor Retailer
Outdoor Retailer is where the outdoor industry comes together to move the business of the outdoors forward. Designed in collaboration with brands, retailers, and industry leaders, the event creates space for connection, practical education, and the discovery of innovative products shaping the future of outdoor recreation. Outdoor Retailer is where the outdoor industry gathers to connect, collaborate, and take ownership of what comes next – #MakeItYours. Learn more about and #MakeItYours at outdoorretailer.com
Media Contact
Chris Goddard, CGPR, [email protected] (781) 640-8387 or [email protected]