February 2, 2012
By: SIA Staff
The snow sports industry community lost a long time member and friend yesterday, Bill Nicoll. Bill was most recently serving as Vice President of Hardgoods for Salomon and a member of SIA’s Trade Show Committee, one of the many SIA Committees he served. He will be remembered for his 25 years of passion, knowledge and commitment to the industry he lived and breathed; he left us too soon. Thank you Bill, our thoughts are with you, your family and friends.
McLean, VA (July 7, 2011) – While mountain resorts and retail shops across the country have transitioned into summer, SnowSports Industries America (SIA) is thinking SNOW and looking ahead to next year’s Snow Show in Denver. Last week, the Show officially reached “sold out” status for exhibitor booth space, although a waiting list will be maintained in the months leading up to the Show.
“Having the SIA Snow Show sell out in June is fantastic news and solidifies the importance of the Show for every company in our industry — even when many of us are focusing on warmer weather activities, winter is always in the back of our minds,” commented SIA’s Trade Show Committee President and Quiksilver’s VP of Sales Dave Rosenberger.
The 2012 SIA Snow Show is scheduled for January 26-29 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver and expects to draw over 19,000 attendees including suppliers, retailers, reps, athletes and professionals from the snow sports industry. The sold-out Snow Show will feature nearly 900 snow sports brands throughout 310,000 square feet of exhibit space including 25 new exhibitors, which are brand new to the Show or returning after taking a hiatus.
“As G3 continues to expand into the more descent-focused ski-touring market, and offer skis that are at home within the ski-area boundary, SIA offers us great exposure to broader ski market retailers. Basically, it gives us great reach within the larger ski industry, and that makes it worth our time to attend,” said Oliver Steffen, founder and owner of G3.
Some new features on tap for the 2012 Snow Show include an additional food court area as well as daily happy hours in the Central Food Court. For updates and Snow Show information visit siasnowshow.com.
The annual SIA Snow Show consistently draws the attention of journalists from across the globe to cover the latest in snow sports trends. At last year’s Show over 950 television, radio, magazine, newspapers and online journalists could be found roaming the aisles resulting in 70 television placements, 5,590 blog hits and 949 online/print pieces reaching over 290 million consumers.
“It’s exciting to see such great buzz around the SIA Snow Show for 2012. For Salomon, the SIA Show is one of the highlights of our winter season. It’s one time a year that we have an opportunity to launch our latest and greatest product and reconnect with retailers. It’s no surprise to us that SIA 2012 has already sold out this early in the year,” commented Jenny Naftulin, Alpine Brand Manager at Salomon USA.
No other trade show brings the snow sports community together to get down, and get down to business, like the SIA Snow Show. The annual Snow Show has been happening for more than 50 years and showcases brands from every snow sports category – ski, snowboard, cross country, telemark, AT backcountry and snowshoe. For anyone connected to the business of snow sports, the Snow Show is the place to be from January 26-29, 2012.
“At SIA we get to meet face to face with the shops that are selling our products and get feedback on the brand as well as share some good times. We are a small niche’ brand and a lot of shops have not had the chance to see our products in person. The Snow Show is the single biggest gathering of the whole industry under one roof and a great place to see old friends and meet new ones,” said Jeremy Jones, Owner of Jones Snowboards.
SIA’s On-Snow Demo/Ski-Ride Fest from January 30-31 at Winter Park Resort and Devil’s Thumb Ranch gets the industry out doing what they live for – skiing and riding. During the two-day Ski-Ride Fest, snow sports retailers and media test out gear and accessories they just previewed at the Show including ski, snowboard, Nordic, AT, telemark and backcountry products while other attendees get time on the slopes/trails and hang with industry friends. The Demo is hosted in-conjunction with the Western Winter Sports Reps Association’s (WWSRA) Rocky Mountain Demo and in partnership with Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA).
“Snowboarding changed my life. That’s a fact.”
We recently caught up with Rian Rhoe, a.k.a Bonfire’s resident media magician and one-woman Public Relations ripper, who fell in love with snowboarding on her 15th birthday and hasn’t looked back. She got started in the industry as a contributing writer for Transworld and Future Snowboarding Magazine and later got hired by Bonfire in 2007. We caught up with Rian to learn how she got started in the industry, what she loves most about her job and to find out what Salomon/Bonfire does to stay green.
SIA: How did you get involved in the snowboard industry? What about Salomon/Bonfire?
Rian: I started snowboarding at 15 and by 17 was working at my local shop. A move to the mountains followed, along with being poor, snowboarding all the time, working at the resort, at shops, teaching, riding for local reps in my area, digging to ride for HCSC and getting hired as a digger & then coach, while pursuing a degree in journalism and communications. After graduation I started freelance writing and worked as a contributing writer for Transworld Snowboarding. I met the Bonfire crew through a local shop in Portland. I was always a fan of the brand and its deep roots in the Northwest shred scene.
SIA: What’s the best thing about your job?
Rian: Travel and the awesome people I work with.
SIA: It’s been 4 years since you joined the Salomon and Bonfire team, what have been the biggest lessons for you both personally and professionally?
Rian: The importance of teamwork is something I learn every day. We have a diverse crew with different perspectives and strengths– everyone brings a unique talent to the table. I am constantly learning from my coworkers, which is sweet.
I’ve also had to learn how to take mistakes in stride. I tend to want to do everything right the first time, which is pretty unrealistic. It’s how you react and respond that matters the most. I think being solution-oriented goes a long way.
SIA: What are a few communications/marketing lessons that you can give out?
Rian: First and foremost, stay curious. I’m not naturally a tech savvy person, but I like people, which lead to a curiosity about Friendster, MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. The social media sphere is changing and developing so rapidly, a sense of curiosity is crucial to learning and moving forward. This is true in PR too. The people who I see making progress in marketing and communications are people who ask questions rather than jumping to conclusions.
SIA: How do you fit in riding with all of your responsibilities?
Rian: We make sure to take “Pow Days” when it’s dumping, so we remember why we work in the industry in the first place.
SIA: Where’s your favorite place to ride?
Rian: Mt. Hood Meadows and Courmayeur, Italy.
SIA: Overall feelings about the 2010.11 Season (industry/company)? Lows and highs? What’s up for next year?
Rian: It’s been amazing to see the recent transformation of Salomon as a brand in the US, with the team momentum, buzz at the summer camps and honors like winning the Transworld Team Shoot Out. I have more product requests from media and industry insiders each season and spend 1/3 of my time on Twitter responding to requests from riders looking to buy our products. The tide is slowly turning and the future is looking bright. For 11-12 we will put more resources and actions into engaging kids on the floor and on the Internet. Half of our marketing team comes from a retail background and we recognize the crucial role kids on the floor play in selling our products. 
SIA: What do you think is the biggest challenge for women in the industry?
Rian: Balancing work and family life is probably one of the biggest challenges that women in the industry face, but I think that is true in most industries. Bonfire has always been very family-oriented and supportive and I think that is crucial for success in the modern workplace.
Women are also a minority in terms of participation numbers and products purchased. This impacts many aspects of the way the industry functions. It’s an evolution. There is more diversity among women in snowboarding now than ever before and I see that as a good thing.
SIA: Spring/Summer plans?
Rian: Spring plans: Ride pow at Hood, it’s still snowing! Summer Plans: Bonfire Pipe to Pipe July 10th and shredding at HCSC & Windell’s, biking around Portland, BBQ’s… the good life.
SIA: In honor of Earth Day, Tell me about some of Salomon/Bonfire green efforts/products?
Rian: For Salomon we focus our efforts in our GIFT (Green Initiative for Tomorrow) project as part of our product line and through reducing packaging, recycling in our offices, and significantly reducing our Eco Impact at Trade Shows through partnering with Greenspace, who builds our booth out of reclaimed or recycled materials and goes to great pains to reduce waste and make sure we’re reducing our impact on the environment we appreciate, all winter long. They are awesome!
Even in my PR efforts, if I can send a journalist a product to test that is already in their local area, I’ll try to make that happen before shipping something from a different part of the country. This isn’t marketing; it’s just a sensible way to do things if you can. Our Portland office is usually full of bikes as many of us commute to work that way.
As far as product goes, the Eco Award winning Sick Stick, Grip, Answer and Ivy are part of our GIFT Project, along with next season’s Man’s Board and Idol.
As part of Salomon Snowboards Green Initiative For Tomorrow (GIFT) project, the new Mans’ Board takes a step forward in environmentally conscious construction methods. The Green Ghost wood core is harvested from FTC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood.
Fiberglass and resin are significantly reduced through the use of Bamboo Laminates, paired with Ghost XY Basalt Stringers for added pop and long lasting flex. Sidewalls are a combination of Bamboo and Cork, rather than ABS plastic, further reducing the use of rubber and plastic.
SIA: Anything else to add?
Rian: Snowboarding changed my life. That’s a fact.
