Well-known domestic and international brands such as Kailas, MobiGarden, Norrona, Skogstad, Toread, BEMIS, Black Diamond, Deuter, Lowa, Outdoor Research, OSPREY, Sea To Summit, Smartwool, and Vaude continued to participate, with many increasing their booth sizes by over 30%. At the same time, leading brands such as Gregory, KEEN, LI-NING ADVENTURE, The North Face, and Zamberlan made their first appearances, actively joining the outdoor exhibition family.
Traditional accompanying activities of the Asia Outdoor Exhibition, such as the Asia Outdoor Industry Awards, fashion shows, the Asia Outdoor Industry Development Forum, tent display and experience zones, slacklining areas, and climbing areas, were all on stage again. A major highlight of this edition was the first-ever Asia Outdoor China Bouldering Open, held on the first two days of the exhibition—July 24–25. Jointly organized by the Climbing Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Mountaineering Association, and The North Face, and fully supported by the leading outdoor brand Kailas, the event was hosted by Nanjing Ningfei Exhibition Co., Ltd. Rock climbing athletes from the United States, China, and other countries were invited to participate and share bouldering experiences. The event showcased the unity and harmony of the outdoor community and helped promote the development of bouldering in China. The organizers specially set up a bouldering and climbing zone in Hall C of the Nanjing Expo Center.
In addition to the bouldering competition, the event also featured mountain rescue demonstrations and training, mountaineering lectures, celebrity interviews, and other related activities. Rock climbers who attend each year say, “The Asia Outdoor Exhibition provides a great opportunity to learn about climbing and exchange information.” Furthermore, the 2013 Asia Outdoor Exhibition introduced an e-commerce negotiation zone. Through collaborations with online platforms such as JD.com, Dangdang, and LightInTheBox, the Asia Outdoor Exhibition provided a professional platform for brands and e-commerce sales channels to negotiate and cooperate, boosting the growth of online sales channels in China’s outdoor industry.
In previous years, the Asia Bicycle Exhibition was held concurrently with the Asia Outdoor Exhibition, but starting this year, the two shows will be held separately. The 2013 Asia Bicycle Exhibition has been postponed to early October. Li Hao, Project Director of both the Asia Outdoor Exhibition and Asia Bicycle Exhibition, explained: “This year, the Asia Bicycle Exhibition will take place from October 10 to 13. October is the best time for bicycle brands to unveil their latest models for the coming year; the scenery in Nanjing during October is beautiful with crisp autumn air, making it perfect for cycling. We will also hold an experience day on October 9.”
Nanjing is set to host the Asian Youth Games in August and the Youth Olympic Games in August 2014. With an increasing emphasis on sports, this historic city surrounded by mountains and rivers is offering more athletic enjoyment and surprises.
As a participant in the Asia Outdoor Exhibition, HowToTrip also engaged attendees through a variety of activities, ensuring that visitors could fully enjoy and immerse themselves in this “feast.”
For this event, HowToTrip partnered with several well-known outdoor brands to organize the “HowToTrip Takes You to the Asia Outdoor Exhibition” activity. Visitors could pick up activity flyers at the main entrance of the venue and the HowToTrip booth; visit participating brand booths and get stamps for check-ins; and after accumulating a certain number of stamps, they could claim souvenirs at the HowToTrip booth (M0100). Souvenirs were categorized based on completion levels, including Commemorative Awards, Outdoor Enthusiast Awards, and Outdoor Expert Awards.
Meanwhile, HowToTrip also provided real-time updates on the exhibition for outdoor gear enthusiasts who couldn’t attend. The latest developments from various well-known outdoor brands during the event were featured on HowToTrip’s dedicated Asia Outdoor Exhibition webpage (http://topic.lvye.cn/d/nanjing2013/ 2013 Asia Outdoor Exhibition Special Topic) and through live updates on Weibo. In addition, the HowToTrip homepage included a variety of other special topics, such as the Qianmi Peak Activity, HowToTrip Leader Training, the Endless Fun at the Beach Summer Special, Shan Ye China Outdoor, and Lonely Planet. These allowed netizens to explore HowToTrip’s diverse activities and rich information platform while staying informed about the exhibition.
HowToTrip eagerly looks forward to reuniting with old and new friends in Nanjing once again.