IASC Skateboarding Industry Summit 2009

rob campbell

• April 07 2009
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Woodward West in Tehachapi, Calif., hosted the IASC (International Association of Skateboard Companies) Industry Summit from April 1-3, 2009. This was the event’s second year at Woodward and keynote speakers included Vans’ Steve Van Doren, Warped Tour creator Kevin Lyman, and Tom Shay from Profits Plus. Shay is a retail expert from “outside the industry,” but having a company named “Profits Plus” is enough to command some respect these days. About 65 people attended the three-day gathering including representatives from manufacturers like Black Box, Blitz, DC, Element, NHZ, Nike, Skate One, Sole Tech, Tum Yeto, and Vans.

In addition to the key speakers, there were a series of panel discussions like “How to Sell or Finance Your Business in a Down Economy,” with respected experts like our own Market Watch columnist and business consultant Jeff Harbaugh, Orion Barca from Moss Adams, Greg Wiseman from Silver & Freedman, and Michael Orlando from Sheppard Mullen.

Important retialers also came out in force. Ryan Clements from Skatepark of Tampa, Bruce Cromartie from BC Surf & Sport, Bob Culbertson from Calavera Board Supply, Donny Damron from Pharmacy Boardshop, and George Leichweiss from Modern Skate in Michigan headlined a discussion called “Working together to Survive and Thrive.” Highlights included some of the panelists sharing what has surprised them most in the skate industry over the last ten years:

“The strong, sustained growth of skating through most of this decade.” - George

“The strength of the longboard market, especially Sector 9.” - Bruce

“The fact that skateboarding is so accepted and cool” - SPOT’s Ryan Clements.

“Pac Sun and Tilly’s. I never thought those guys would be my competitors.” - Donnie

When it came time to talk about hot brands, Ryan called out Girl for boards and most of the panel seemed to agree. Which is right in line with the research we published in our April issue. For apparel, The Hundreds received lots of praise, with Altamont also getting mentioned.

Over at Pharmacy, where shoes make up 60% of total sales, Vans is king, followed by Nike. emerica and Fallen were mentioned as top brands among “actual skaters,” referring to the larger “non-core” customer base that Nike and Vans bring into the shop.

In what’s hopefully a sign of a turning point, I actually heard the phrase, “my business is up,” from a retailer for the first time in a while. That’s definitely not any kind of scientific study, but at this point any good news is welcome, even if it’s just an off-hand remark.

Round table discussions focused on government initiatives (like pad laws and lead laws), private skateparks, and finance. Other panel topics addressed the future of skateboarding contests (including a focus on the future of amateur competition), specific business strategies, maximizing PR opportunities, and the state of trade shows in the skate industry.

Check back for more folow-up coverage over the next week or two. Jeff Harbaugh is going to summarize some of the specific strategies he and fellow panelist Cary Allington from Action Watch laid out in their “Prepare, Survive, and Thrive” panel.