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International Sportsmen’s Expositions (ISE) produces America’s premier fishing, hunting, outdoor and travel shows. ISE sportsmen’s shows provide a profitable show tour for our nearly 1600 exhibiting companies, and an annual, unforgettable outdoors-indoors experience for 150,000 show attendees in four western states. Typical exhibitors found at ISE sportsmen’s shows are leading fishing and hunting gear manufacturers, fishing and hunting guides, adventure travel resorts and lodges from nearby the event and around the world. Outdoor sports companies participating in ISE marketing events sell their products and services to targeted, qualified and enthusiastic fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation consumers.

As we all prepare our homes and harvests for the Thanksgiving holiday, we’d like to pause for a moment to give a special and heartfelt thanks to our clients.

You are receiving this message because you have been part of our Adventure Sports/OutdoorMind family this past year. We sincerely appreciate your business and support.

As part of the Thanksgiving tradition of sharing with family and friends for what we are grateful, we invite you, as a member of our Adventure Sports/OutdoorMind family, to share with us what you are most thankful for this year.

We welcome your comments on our Facebook page or you can tag Adventure Sports or OutdoorMind in a comment on your own page.

Happy Thanksgiving,

The OutdoorMind Team

www.adventureexpo.com

Yep, that’s right. This year we are celebrating our 15th year marketing to the needs of Outdoor Industry Companies of all sizes.

Join us as we celebrate our milestones, successes, and adventures throughout this upcoming year!

We will be launching a new AdventureSports.com website this year and will be previewing some mock ups at next week’s AOA’s International Marketing and Management Revolution. OutdoorMind will be attending the show on Dec. 7-9, 2010 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

We like FANS so make sure and visit the links below to “connect” with us.

ASO Trail News Blog | OutdoorMind Blog | Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter

We had a BIG Announcement last week at the America Outdoors Association Confluence in Reno. If you missed the show or haven’t heard the buzz here is the skinny:

Marketing Medley and OutdoorMind have formed a strategic partnership making OutdoorMind the biggest and most comprehensive marketing company for the outdoor industry. This partnership will allow OutdoorMind access to all the resources of Marketing Medley to extend services to their large client base. Terri Berbena-U’Ren, co-owner and face of OutdoorMind, is excited at the prospect of teaming up with a large scale marketing firm to strengthen their dominance in the outdoor industry.

Though Marketing Medley continues to provide marketing services to all businesses current and future, they will be creating opportunities through OutdoorMind to help outfitters grow their business. OutdoorMind will focus solely on outdoor industry driven businesses as targeted marketing for the outdoor industry.

We have many exciting announcements coming as the end of the year approaches. The excitement and growth that has been experienced by Marketing Medley is a direct result of their ongoing philosophy that “great businesses aren’t created by themselves, they are made with the collaboration of great minds”.

They were introducing fresh new colors to the No Show with Tab style socks. These fashion-forward colors add a splash of excitement to one of their most popular styles. Previously only available in White, the No Show with Tab now comes in Pink, Light Blue, Gray and Black. I really liked the look and feel. They feature an ultra light cushioning, no blisters and seamless toe. The sales staff was happy to supply a pair, in pink, for me to try!

I recently had the opportunity to try them cycling and have to say they are now my favorite cycling socks! They keep my feet cool and dry and I had no ‘hot spots’ which I sometimes get with other brands.

I would highly recommend you get a pair (or several pairs) soon!

OutdoorMind will be exhibiting along with over 200 other businesses in our area. Metro Expo is the foremost business-to-business trade show in Northern California. Increase your visibility among Sacramento’s decision makers in a full range of industries during this dynamic one-day event. 

In 2008, Metro Expo assembled over 200 exhibitors and more than 1,500 regional business owners and managers.

For more information or if you’d like to attend go to: Metro Expo

First, let me just say that the week we happened to be in Knoxville was one of the coldest (me being from California!). I think one day it was something like 20 degrees…very cold!

We usually arrive on the day of the Opening Social. This is a great time to meet and greet those we have not seen or spoken to in awhile. There is usually a good turn out and this year was no different! Lots of good snacks, drinks and hellos! The conference was held in the Knoxville Convention Center which is a fairly new, modern building…it was also decked out for Christmas!

The next day is usually a very busy one with booth set up for us, seminars and meetings for the outfitters and then the opening of the Trade Show which runs till about 8 PM (keep in mind that I am on PST and have lost 3 hours!). After the show, I elected for an early bedtime and room service for dinner!

On Thursday we see many clients during the show. It’s a great time for us to review our services, talk about the upcoming year and see what our clients needs may be.

Some of our clients who attended the show are: Adirondack River Outfitters, Adventure Connection, Arizona River Runners, Arkansas River Tours, BTI Whitewater, Carolina Outfitters, Cherokee Rafting, Class IV, Glacier Raft Co., River Riders, Sheri Griffith Expeditions, The World Outdoors, Western River Expeditions, Wild River Adventures and I’m sure a few more I may have missed in the list!

Thursday night was also the celebration party for the 20^th Anniversary of Confluence. This is always a lot of fun and attendance was high! There is a Silent Auction, food, drinks and even mechanical bull riding to entertain us. Congratulations go out to Brenda Dills for the winning bid on the Adventure Sports gift certificate and a free listing for a year!

Friday was a day to wrap up business, pack up the booth and say goodbye for another year! This is also a great day to purchase that gear you have been checking out all during the show…Many vendors will sell the gear at a great price so they don’t have to pack it back up! I scored a really cool bailing bucket from Jack’s Plastic. Friday was also my 50^th birthday.

After packing up the booth, I took the opportunity to visit downtown Knoxville (a few blocks away). It is a very nice downtown with old buildings that have all been preserved and are in use. The big event that night was the annual Santa Parade….I found a place to eat and got back to the hotel before the parade started!

All in all it was a fantastic show and we will be back in Reno, Nevada for next year’s Confluence!

Melanie Flavin of the Adventure Travel Expo in Seattle had some great news to share as a follow up from the show; 

New Traveler Survey Shows over 70% will maintain vacations in 2009

“Now, more than ever, the tourism industry needs to strengthen its ties with buyers while nurturing new prospects and investing in new tourist markets.

Like most of us I am sure you’re thinking about how new economic realities will affect your ability to maintain a strong customer base. 

Just this week we surveyed consumer attendees of the 2008 Adventures in Travel Expo (ATE) and found some surprising results.

First and foremost, the ATE attendees are a hearty travel bunch.  Over 90% declared that their vacations are “Extremely Important” or “Very Important” to them, with 94% stating they will not forego their vacations in 2009 despite the economic downturn.

ATE Attendees are also very well traveled with over 63% taking 2-4 trips in the last year.

Strikingly, 70% will be taking the SAME number or MORE vacations in 2009.  

And, only 2% of our surveyed consumers have no plans to travel over the next year.

That’s good news for the travel industry and Adventures in Travel Expo’s Exhibitors!

However, the current economic climate will affect how and where these travelers will take their vacations.

76% of respondents are more likely to take less expensive vacations with 64% looking for better travel deals to help finance their vacations.

So what does this new information mean to Travel Providers?

Firstly, there will still be plenty of U.S. consumers looking to take great vacations in 2009!

But, successful travel marketers will need to stress quality and value.  Seasoned travelers will continue to spend on trips, tours and vacations, but they will increasingly examine all aspects of their itinerary and look to maximize value with economic AND emotional return.

The most important thing travel marketers can do to solidify their business in the coming economic turbulent times is to make sure they stay in front of these high value travelers.  Marketing dollars need to be selectively spent on reaching those consumers that are most likely to buy a trip.

Adventures in Travel Expos are America’s travel shows.  Over 375,000 active and adventure travelers have attended our shows over the past five years in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington DC and Seattle.  ATE attendees spend over $273 million on travel each year.  These are proven result oriented events and the largest series of shows in the USA.  In fact our Los Angeles Times Travel and Adventure Show is the largest show in the country!

As a matter of fact, Ruth Daly at Travelscene said about our shows recently:

“Adventures in Travel Expos have done it right again!  We made a booking worth over $50,000 for a family we met at the Seattle Show in September!  Another winner in our books!”           

If history is a teacher, then we can expect consumers to tighten their expenditures and increase their demands for high value.  But one thing is clear, even in economic downturns people still take their vacations!

Where will these resilient travelers go in 2009? 

That’s up to you. 

So the question is…is a $273 million dollar travel marketplace worth your time?”