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ASR San Diego 2000

-The Show
The show happens every September - the Action Sports Retailer. The ASR actually has other shows, but the San Diego trade show is the Big One. The main purpose of these shows is to provide an interface between retailers and product suppliers in the surf, skate, beachwear, and urban wear industries. The small retailers usually come themselves and bring some people to help make buying decisions at appointments and possibly while walking the floor. The exhibitors (product suppliers and manufacturers) pay handsomely to put up their flashy booth with go-go models in a prime location trying to attract attention from the very distracted buyers.
Branding
There are branding opportunities that are not overlooked by the marketing departments of some of the big players. This year O'Neill and Reef put on a large concert by Common Sense, Long Beach Allstars, and Ice-T for all attendees of drinking age.
Networking
The networking and gossip is intense as people are switching employers instead of moving up at an ever-increasing rate. The dot-com brain drain is also a big trend these days.
Dot-Com Affect
There are new dot-com ventures with millions of hot money that are trying to imitate BOARDZ.COM. We are flattered. Here is a fearless prediction: Most of these new businesses will not make enough money quick enough to make it. Investors will likely want to a return on their investment now or real soon. There have already been layoffs and out right ceasing operation at some of these once flush with money dot-coms. More to come.
E-tail Shake Out
The flash in the pan e-retailers of last year have shot themselves in the foot and are not really in the picture in the action sports industries now (as predicted). There are some low key success stories where brick and mortar retailers have prudently ventured into cyberspace and have seen rapid growth in on-line sales on top of steady growth in off-line sales. Check Santa Cruz Surf Shop.
Other Boards -
Board sports are ever evolving and getting new ways to ride (or old ideas reworked). There were soft short surfboards, kite-boards, snow-skates, mountain-boards, and those razor cruiser things.
Best Booth

The best booth would have to got to OP, for their edgy retro-modern design complete with fem-bots.
- Models

When you walk the floor of this trade show, one can not help but see the models and generally beautiful people walking around and at the booths. Boarding lifestyle is good, but most of those pretty blonde shinny things have unnatural implants and other unhealthy traits in the long term. Not say that there are not good ones in the bunch too, but they are usually taken. There is still good hunting for the single male as the intense beauty competition makes the average small town 10 feel like a 7 and so she is more likely to give you a smile or hello. I am not single, but a smile and friendly glance is a healthy way to recognize another person. Here is a tip: Don't turn your head to check the chick that just walked by because there is probably a prettier one coming that will not like seeing you rubber necking.
Skating

The skateboarding industry is booming and is more inter-mixed with other board sports. According to a recent TW Surf Business article, skaters out number surfers 9-1 and you can expect all surfers 12-24 to skateboard too (most snowboard also).
Small Surf
The surf was small this year so there was little excuse to miss the mornings at the show for an am surf.
Surf Industry

The surf industry is maturing and has a bunch of older guys in charge that can be a bit intense. They have seen the day-glow days of the 80s and the slump in the early 90s. Times are good again as indicated by the very thick surf publications and the growth in grand promotional activities like contest sponsorships and big trade show concerts. There are even new players like - Evolution - that is making a name for it's self by signing Wayne Lynch to shape and generally be a guru.
Movie Premiers
Of course there were movie premiers, Our Turn by XX Productions premiered in Carlsbad on Thursday and TB9 by Standard Film and Mack Dawgs latest video Amp premiered Friday the 8th. Those girls are good in Our Turn and the snow flicks just make me yearn for winter.

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BOARDZ was created: 06/20/96