Switchback Spring, June 16-18, 2026 in New Orleans, LA
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Switchback at TRE, December 1-3, 2026 in San Antonio, TX
Switchback Spring officially kicks off with a Welcome Party at Generations Hall, celebrating our second edition in New Orleans. Following the Afternoon Featured Presentation, attendees can take a 5-minute walk from the convention center to the venue and enjoy complimentary food, drinks, and music while connecting with attendees, exhibitors, media, and partners. Join us alongside Merrell and Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) in raising a toast to the outdoor industry as we come together for an evening of connection and fun.
The Details:
Join us at the Trailheads Theater for Switchback Spring’s first-ever Partner Social: a celebration dedicated to our partner organizations driving meaningful change across the outdoor industry.
You’ll meet the people behind the mission-driven work that makes our industry better: the advocates, educators, conservationists, entrepreneurs, and community builders who are expanding “who” belongs in the outdoors and how we can show up for the places we love, together. From protecting public lands to breaking barriers for underrepresented communities, our partners represent a more inclusive, equitable, and resilient outdoor industry.
Whether you’re a longtime supporter of these organizations or want to learn about the work they do, we invite you to join us at the Partner Social. Participants will walk away with fresh connections and new perspectives to move the outdoors — and the industry— forward.
We’re closing out the first day of the show floor being open with our Exhibit Hall Happy Hour! Expect a lively atmosphere with interactive activations, delicious New Orleans snacks (like Beignets), and a variety of drinks to keep the celebrations going.
Explore the growing list of brands hosting a happy hour: Merrell, The North Face, Snow Peak
Start the day with fresh air and a guided walk or run throughout Audubon Park in New Orleans. Attendees will board a shuttle to the park, home to the Audubon Park Loop and some of the city’s most iconic Live Oak trees. Upon arrival, guests may walk or run as a group or independently. Once finished, participants will enjoy a light breakfast and coffee while connecting with Morning Walk sponsors to learn more about their products.
The Details:
From Paris to Port-au-Prince—explore 1,000+ eateries serving gumbo, blackened redfish, smoked pork, and more.
History, art, music, and culture—divide your time by passion and save room for the spontaneous joy the city is famous for.
Walk the French Quarter, ride the historic streetcar, rent bikes, take a ferry, or call a cab—the city is yours to roam.
The Switchback exhibit hall is open Wednesday, June 17 from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM and Thursday, June 18 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Between product discovery and meetings, attendees can explore curated areas designed to spark conversation, spotlight innovation, and create space for meaningful connection.
The Trailheads Theater is an open and engaging space on the exhibit hall floor, featuring educational presentations and panels led by brands, partner organizations, and industry experts. Click here to preview the 2026 Trailheads Theater education lineup.
Trailheads Theater Schedule:
The Product Spotlight is just that – a showcase of the latest products from a mix of outdoor industry brands. Stop by to check out what’s new and then swing by the brands’ booths to learn more about their offerings. So far, participating brands include:
* Switchback Spring 2026 Summit Sponsor
New to Switchback, the Pathfinders zone is a special section of the show floor dedicated to a curated collection of retail-ready young brands. The growing list of Pathfinders participants includes:
Pathfinders is created in partnership with Founded Outdoors and Garage Grown Gear.
Connection drove innovation and strengthened the outdoor industry at Switchback Spring 2025, with intentional and engaging opportunities for networking and relationship building throughout the event.
From the Welcome Party to exhibit hall happy hours and a morning hike, below is a look back at the special events and features that took place in June 2025 in Nashville.
Welcome Party, located at Water’s Edge | 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Hosted by Merrell and Outdoor Industry Association
Switchback Spring officially kicked off with a Welcome Party celebrating the debut of the event in Nashville. Attendees enjoyed food, drinks, live music, outdoor industry bingo, and plenty of opportunities to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. Delta riverboats were also available for tours, taking guests around the river flowing through the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.
The party was open to all: retailers, exhibitors, media, non-profit partners, and other industry members.
Tuesday, June 17: Day Two
Speaker Office Hours, located in the Networking Room (Ryman Studio AB, Level 0) and the Exhibit Hall
Attendees continued the learning by connecting directly with Switchback speakers during Office Hours, receiving candid advice and actionable insights tailored to their businesses.
Tuesday, June 17 | 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Networking Room
Tuesday, June 17 | 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM | Networking Room
Tuesday, June 17 from 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Wednesday, June 18 from 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Exhibit Hall
Holly Wiese, retail merchandising expert and Founder of 3 Dots Design, led Retail Refresh Sessions focused on improving store layout, visual merchandising, and customer experience.
These quick, high-impact consultations were limited to 10–15 minutes and designed to deliver focused, actionable takeaways.
Exhibit Hall Happy Hour brought attendees together on the trade show floor for drinks, snacks, and connections. Participating brands included:
“The Rock Fight” Live Podcast Recording, located in the Trailheads Theater | 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Attendees gathered for a live recording of The Rock Fight, featuring host Colin True, co-hosts Eoin Comerford and Shawnté Salabert, and Producer Dave, alongside special guests discussing key moments and themes from Switchback. Click here to listen to the episode: The Rock Fight Live At Switchback Spring 2025!
Morning Hike, located at Shelby Bottoms Greenway | 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Hosted by Merrell
Participants started the day with fresh air and a guided hike through one of Nashville’s local parks. After grabbing complimentary breakfast and coffee at the hotel, attendees took a shuttle to Shelby Bottoms Greenway, home to five miles of trails featuring river views, wildflowers, and wildlife. Guests were able to hike as a group or explore independently, with QR codes available for trail maps and park information.
Last Call in the Hall, located on the show floor | 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
The event wrapped up with Last Call in the Hall, a closing happy hour on the trade show floor celebrating the successful debut of Switchback Spring with snacks, drinks, and good vibes.
The Trailheads Theater served as an open, engaging space on the exhibit hall floor (Booth 455), featuring educational presentations and panels led by brands, partner organizations, and industry experts. Preview a few sessions:
Tuesday, June 17
Wednesday, June 18
Stay tuned as the Conference Team curates the 2026 Trailhead Theater education lineup.
Designed in partnership with 3 Dots Design, the Retail Innovation Lab showcased versatile merchandising displays that inspired retailers to present products in creative, engaging ways. Participating brands included:
The Campground featured a hands-on tent display in the exhibit hall, allowing retailers to explore tent functionality, size, and materials in a real-world context. Participating brands included:
The Campground is a hands-on tent display in the exhibit hall that will allow retailers to explore the latest tents from various brands. Participations can check out the full functionality, size, and materials of the tents, mirroring real-life usage. The growing list of participating brands include:
Located near the exhibit hall entrance, the Product Showcase highlighted new products from outdoor brands, encouraging attendees to explore innovations and connect directly with exhibiting companies. Participating brands included:
The Outdoor Recreation Archive joined Switchback Spring 2025, offering attendees the opportunity to engage with historical outdoor industry materials throughout the event. Guests explored catalogs, photographs, periodicals, and documents chronicling the people, products, and brands that shaped the outdoor industry.
Learn more about Outdoor Recreation Archive: In 2017, Utah State University Special Collections and Archives partnered with the College of Agriculture and applies Science’s Outdoor Product Design and Development program to create a historical collection of books, catalogs, periodicals, photographs, and manuscripts documenting the history of outdoor gear. Known as the Outdoor Recreation Archive, its mission is to document the history of the people, products, and brands of the outdoor industry through unpublished documents, published materials, and audio/visual materials. The organization strives to make those materials widely accessible to the public, including students, academics, enthusiasts, industry professionals (including marketing and design), and others with interest in the history of outdoor gear.
The Outdoor Recreation Archive includes:
Switchback Official Event Partner
