TransWorld Business tracked down Mike Duncan to get his take on the recent demise of ASR. From his perspective as President of Board Retailers Association, Duncan shares his opinion on what the industry needs and why this is a golden opportunity for his organization to work with SIMA and IASC to develop a new, more effective trade event on the West Coast.
What’s your take on ASR’s announcement from your personal perspective and that of BRA President?
ASR has done a lot for BRA and they have believed in our association from the start. They’ve really helped us out and been good partners of ours. We are saddened by the closing of the show. It’s unfortunate that the industry outgrew ASR, but I personally think it’s a great opportunity for the action sports industry to develop a format that meets our current market needs.
Why do you think this happened?
The initial problems stem from the segmentation of skate, surf, and even board builders, due mostly to varying production schedules. The show further splintered into segments with the addition of Crossroads, CLASS@ASR, and Sacred Craft. ASR tried to bring the action sports industry all together into one building, but it still felt fragmented.
The demographics between the East and West Coast are also a large factor. The West Coast, being the hub of the action sports industry, is heavily populated with sales reps, while on the East Coast reps generally cover larger territories and aren’t in the stores’ backyards as they are on the West Coast. Couple that with the fact that it’s very easy for retailers to shoot over to a company’s headquarters and see the line. The West Coast also has some regional-focused tradeshows that are effective platforms for business and don’t require extensive travel for the local retail population.
Lastly, I think the third issue facing ASR was related to the cost of exhibiting, exaggerated over the past couple of years by an under-performing economy. Many retailers and manufacturers alike felt that there were some issues related to show dates as well.
What does this say about the current state of the market?
Absolutely nothing. It’s not a reflection on the action sports industry; it’s a reflection on that particular business model. The 29 year-old business model for ASR just wasn’t working for our industry.
According to press releases BRA, SIMA, and IASC have been doing research and plan on replacing ASR with another West Coast event. If ASR didn’t work, what will?
It’s an opportunity for BRA, SIMA, and IASC to get together and figure out what is best for the action sports industry. There are a number of ideas and suggestions on the table, and together we have been researching the issue and collecting feedback from our specialty retail membership. How can we structure this correctly and all work together to make a better, bigger, business-focused event? If you ask any retailer I think they would agree that the industry still has a need to get together at least on an annual basis in Southern California, the premiere epi-center for the action sports industry. What format this industry “gathering” will take, is still being determined. Most important to the process, from the retail perspective, is to keep the action sport segments together in one venue.
So are we talking about a trade show owned and operated by a trade association, something similar to SIA?
That is one business model, of the many that are being looked at. In researching this issue for 18 months, there have been a number of different options and formats presented and suggested, one of which is a trade organization show. At this stage, all possibilities are still on the table.
What about other shows coming in and taking over that role?
I can’t speculate on that at this stage. We’re at square one and it’s unclear still where are we going to go from here. I look at this as a golden opportunity to create or shape an event into exactly what we want it to be, whether that includes another show coming in or not. There needs to be buy in from the retailers and manufacturers—both skate and surf. I look at this as an opportunity.
To Read Surf Expo Show Director On ASR News & Growth Plans CLICK HERE.
To Read Andy Tompkins On ASR Closure, Future Plans & More CLICK HERE.
