Switchback New Orleans Reaction: Did The Show Work In Year 2?
6/22/202641 min
What is the purpose of an outdoor trade show beyond sales?
Live from the floor of Switchback in New Orleans, Eoin Comerford sits down with thru-hiking expert Shawnté Salabert (Gear Abby) to break down the hits, the misses, and the future of the outdoor tradeshow.
In this episode of Outdoor Unfiltered, Eoin and Shawnté dive deep into reactions of the exhibit hall. From the highly anticipated US Participation Report presented by Kelly Davis to navigating the timing clash with regional shows like GOA, they examine what it takes to build a true national show. Plus, the duo doesn’t hold back on their unfiltered booth reviews, praising the stunning blonde-wood aesthetics of Snow Peak, Fjällräven, and Teva, while calling out the underwhelming setups from other brands.
Tune in for an inside look at the latest gear innovations shaking up the market, including Dometic’s interchangeable tumbler system, GRAYL’s Carry Project pack line, Butt Napkins’ upcoming submarine bidet wand, Date Fix’s intense food culture mission, Rumpl’s clever cape clips, and the mouth-watering backpacking meals from Lux Fly. Whether you are a specialty retail buyer, a major outdoor brand, or a gear junkie, this episode is your ultimate backstage pass to the business and culture of the great outdoors.
Then later in the show, Eoin sits down with Switchback Event Director Sean Smith to share his impressions and break some news about a time change for next year.
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!
- Connect with Eoin Comerford: LinkedIn Profile
Our Sponsors
Support the brands that make this show possible:
- ENDVR – The network that connects brands, retailers, and frontline associates to power sell-through across your wholesale channel. Visit www.endvr.io.
- Crux Retail – Creating bold retail displays for bold brands. Visit www.crux-retail.com.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsEoin Comerford· Host0:00
Welcome to Outdoor Unfiltered. Today, I sit down with Gear Abby herself, Shante Salaber, to share our impressions of Switchback 2026 in New Orleans last week. Later in the pod, I'm joined by Switchback event director, Sean Smith, to share his impressions and break some news about a time change for next year's Switchback. This special episode is also going out on the Gear Abby feed, so before we get into our conversation, I'd like to introduce any new listeners. This is Outdoor Unfiltered, where we dig beyond the PR speak to see what's really going on in the outdoor industry. Not just what happened, but why it happened and why it matters. I'm Owen Comerford, a former CEO, advisor to outdoor brands, and consigliere to the Rock Fight. Each Monday morning, a new episode drops that covers my take on key outdoor industry stories from the week, and an interview with someone interesting from outdoor retail, brands, trade shows, and organizations. Future guests include leaders from Locally, Patagonia, Rumple, Founded Outdoors, and many more. So if you wanna keep these episodes coming, search on Outdoor Unfiltered wherever you get your pods. We're the top business pod for the industry, so we pop right up. Okay. Here's my conversation with Shante. Okay, so I am sitting here with the amazing Shante Salaber- Wow ... the queen of thru-hiking, apparently.
Shawnté Salabert· Guest1:21
[laughs] Hardly.
Eoin Comerford· Host1:22
Gear Abby herself. Maybe let... We'll, we'll do this where we'll go back to the beginning of the show. So when, w- when did you get in?
Shawnté Salabert· Guest1:28
I got in late