Outdoor Media Summit: What Worked, What Didn't, and Why It Matters

Recorded live from the Outdoor Media Summit in Asheville, North Carolina, Eoin Comerford is joined by Colin True and Shawnté Salabert to break down everything that happened at OMS.

From an unexpected black bear sighting and zip-liners passing by at the Crowne Plaza Resort to deep dives into the brand speed dating format, the trio covers what makes OMS different from other outdoor industry get togethers.

They discuss notable brands including HEST, Zenbivy, Bedrock's new mountain shoes, Packfire, Airstream, Nemo, Eno, Grand Trunk, Hollow Socks, Patagonia, Teva, Smartwool, Altra, Nomadix, HydroFlask, Grivel, and Yeti.

Eoin recounts his bushcraft excursion with Victorinox that turned into an Army Ranger-style survival challenge, Shawnte shares her fly fishing experience with Mayfly Outdoors and Mountain Fly Anglers, and the team digs into the hunt-fish segment's growing relevance with Hollow Socks.

The conversation also covers keynotes from Matt Tucker of Circana and Earl Hunter of The Unity Folks, the value of brand excursions, category expansion trends in the outdoor industry, and why the next OMS heading to South Dakota might be worth your calendar.

Show Notes

[0:00] Intro and Aarn Packs sponsorship

[2:13] Welcome from OMS Asheville, featuring a live bear sighting and zip-liners at the Crowne Plaza Resort

[4:51] What the Outdoor Media Summit is, who attends, and how it has evolved over ten years

[6:42] The OMS business model: how destinations, brands, and media folks fund the event

[8:00] Day Zero at AutoCamp with activations from Victorinox, Packfire, Gozney, and Airstream

[9:46] Day One brand speed dating with 30-plus brands and the 12-minute rotation format

[11:41] How OMS compares to the Outdoor Market Alliance media event in Denver

[15:30] Notable brands from the speed dating floor: HEST, Zenbivy, and the camp chair obsession

[16:57] Bedrock's new mountain shoes: bold design move or risky bet beyond the Cairn 3D Pro

[19:23] Category expansion and the chair trend: Eno, Grand Trunk, Nemo, Nomadix, and the Circana data behind it

[22:30] The hunt-fish segment and how Hollow Socks built a dedicated hunt sock from consumer feedback

[24:12] Excursions overview: fly fishing with Mayfly Outdoors, bushcraft with Victorinox, cold plunge with Nomadix and HydroPak, a run with Smartwool and Altra, and a hike sponsored by Teva

[25:02] Eoin's bushcraft survival challenge with Victorinox: Army Rangers, cargo netting, tug-of-war, and a fire-starting finish

[32:51] Sessions, panels, and the format debate: what works, what does not, and how OMS could improve

[35:50] Keynotes from Matt Tucker of Circana and Earl Hunter of Unity on diversity in the outdoors

[37:18] Closing thoughts: will we be back, the value of the hang, and next year's OMS in South Dakota

[39:57] Asheville love, Sierra Nevada Brewing, and why this location was a standout

[40:17] Outro, follow request, and contact info

Our Sponsors

ISPO -- Unites the sporting and outdoor goods industry - inspiring global movement, protecting the places we play and providing a single, streamlined platform for the brands, athletes, buyers and innovators who shape the future of sport. ISPO Amsterdam relaunches November 3-5. www.ispo.com

Crux Retail -- Creating bold retail displays for bold outdoor-active brands. www.crux-retail.com/outdoor

Aarn Packs -- Aarn Packs give you a more comfortable backpacking experience by using Balance Pockets that help you spread your pack weight around your center of gravity and allow you to keep your posture natural. https://www.aarnpacks.com/

Connect With Us

We would love to hear your thoughts on the show, inside intel, guest ideas, sponsorship inquiries or whatever's on your mind.

• LinkedIn: Eoin Comerford
• Email: outdoorunfilteredpod@gmail.com

Outdoor Unfiltered is a production of Rockvite LLC.