Trailheads

After more than two decades shaping how the outdoor and action sports industries gather, Switchback’s new Event Director Sean Smith has a clear point of view on what works. A lifelong surfer and cyclist, Smith brings deep experience across trade shows, associations, and media to his new role as Event Director of Switchback. 

Smith spent 20 years with the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA), working alongside brands, retailers, founders, and creatives through periods of both explosive growth and hard resets. Across all of it, one theme has remained constant: industries thrive when people feel connected, heard, and excited to show up together. 

In a candid conversation with Trailheads, Smith talked about his deep love of the outdoor industry, why Switchback stood out to him, and why success for Switchback will be measured by relevance, not size.  

Trailheads: When did you know you wanted to work in the outdoor industry? 

Smith: When I was young, I was deathly afraid of public speaking. If you asked me to get up in front of people when I was younger, there was no chance. It terrified me. I had a speech class in college that stuck with me. The teacher said, “If you speak about something you love and are passionate about, it becomes easier.” That idea changed everything for me. 

I did every speech on surfing and mountain biking. Every single one. I still struggled, and I was still nervous, but it came out of me easily because it was real. It mattered to me. 

That lesson applies to everything I’ve done since. If there’s no passion in some part of your job, you’re in the wrong place. When you’re talking about something you truly love, whether that’s surfing, riding bikes, or this industry, it stops feeling like a performance and starts feeling like you’re just being honest. 

Trailheads: You’ve spent your entire career working in outdoor and action sports. Why does this industry continue to matter so much to you? 

Smith: For me, this industry has always been about doing something I genuinely love every day. We’re incredibly lucky. We get paid to work around gear, to get outside, to hike, surf, ride, explore, and test new equipment. We’re selling lifestyle. We’re selling purpose. We’re selling what makes people happy. The minute we start treating this like we’re just selling nuts and bolts or tin cans, we’ve missed the point, and we’re in trouble. That’s what’s always kept me here. I’ve never taken that for granted. 

Trailheads: When you first encountered Switchback, what stood out, and what ultimately drew you into this role? 

Smith: I was familiar with Switchback through its connection with The Running Event (TRE). And every time I went to TRE, what impressed me most was just how good that show is – it reminded me what the modern trade event should look like in a post-pandemic, digital world. 

You could feel the energy on the floor. Retailers love being there. They’re excited to be there. The team that manages the show is passionate. You see them helping each other, talking with exhibitors, and laughing with attendees. They’ve done a phenomenal job capturing business, community, and education all in one place. 

So when Switchback had the opportunity to break off and say, “We want to serve the outdoor community in that same way, but as a full, pure outdoor show,” it felt like something you don’t pass up. 

Trailheads: You spent two decades working in surf and action sports associations. What lessons from that time still apply today? 

Smith: Those 20 years were basically my own MBA. I worked with presidents, founders, VPs, marketing people, creatives in every angle of the business. An industry needs a strong association, a strong event, and strong media. Those three things are the glue that hold an industry together, and that create the ideal conditions for brands and retailers to come to the table together. That’s why Switchback’s partnership with Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is so important. With Switchback, we get to support specialty retailers who are also passionate about these things and driving that passion in their communities. When brands and retailers can take off their individual hats for a few days and talk about what’s best for the common good of the industry, things really start to take off. I can feel that starting to happen again.  

Trailheads: How does your background across trade shows, associations, and media shape how you approach Switchback? 

Smith: It really comes down to fostering a common perspective. That’s what events, associations, and media should do. They bring people together, so we’re not just talking at each other, but actually talking with each other. 

Education matters. We’re creating a place for retailers, brands and other industry members to come together to do business as well as to address real issues and find solutions. That’s the north star for me: how Switchback helps unite the industry and move it forward in a way that’s responsible and authentic. 

Trailheads: How would you describe Switchback’s role in the outdoor industry ecosystem right now? 

Smith: Switchback is here to provide the outdoor industry with an outdoor show, plain and simple. And with Diversified as our parent company, there’s a real commitment to listening, not just driving decisions. This is gear that gets you outside for wherever your adventures take you, whether that’s on a trail, on the water, in the mountains, or in a park. We have to really, thoughtfully, listen to all of the players in all of these spaces. It’s the true outdoors. Our role is to serve that full community in a way that feels intentional and real. 

Trailheads: When you think about growth, what does success actually look like? 

Smith: Growth starts with relevance. It starts with importance to the industry. Square footage will come if we’re doing the right things, but that can’t be the goal. 

If people get to a point where they say, “How do you not go to Switchback?” – that’s success. Growth should come from authenticity, from purpose, and from actually hearing what retailers and brands need and putting that into action. 

Trailheads: What do you think about the effort that Switchback puts into education? 

Smith: Day one being the conference day for our retailers, followed by days of discovery, learning and connection on the show floor, that is the modern B2B event. You come together first, you talk, you learn and share ideas, and then you carry those conversations straight onto the show floor, into your purchasing decisions and how you engage with the broader industry. 

We’re not just a trade show. We’re an event. The conference sets the stage for productive conversations and strengthens the brand-retailer relationships. 

Trailheads: Outdoor specialty retail is under real pressure right now. How can Switchback support retailers? 

Smith: It’s no secret that specialty retailers are the heart and soul of our industry. They’re the builders of local community, and the holders of local knowledge. And because they’re on the front line, talking to their local customers every single day, they know exactly what people in their town want and need to get outside. 

Our goal for specialty retailers is to use our gathering to elevate their importance, amplify their voice to the broader industry, and most importantly help them with their day-to-day business by providing them with a fantastic place for discovery as well as a focused environment for meaningful brand meetings. A big element of our support for retailer discovery is our education program, which is designed specifically for them. I’ve always felt that one of the coolest things about the outdoor industry is how willing and eager retailers are to learn. They embrace how new ideas and new perspectives bring the industry together, and they appreciate how it also brings all of us new customers. 

Trailheads: Switchback has been intentional about balancing large brands and emerging ones. Why is that important? 

Smith: Emerging brands, whether you’re talking about a retail-ready startup or a 10-year-old company just hitting their stride, are what keep us from that death spiral of sameness. Retailers need freshness. They need discovery. And the industry needs innovation to stay vibrant. What I love about Switchback is the balance on the show floor. With a 400-square-foot booth cap, nobody’s hidden. You’re not squeezed between two massive booths. 

The retailer gets to decide what’s exciting based on their customer, not based on who spent the most money on a booth. That’s healthy for retailers, brands, and the industry as a whole. 

Trailheads: You’ve talked a lot about relevance and intentional growth—but you also mentioned something more intangible: the feel of a show. How do you know when an event is really working? 

Smith: I always judge a show by the sound and the energy on the floor. You can feel it when you walk in. Even in the lobby, there’s just this buzz. People talking, laughing, and moving from place to place. 

It might look smaller on paper, but when you’re actually in it, it feels big. It feels electric. Conversations are happening everywhere. When an attendee walks in this June and says, “Oh yeah, this is it,” that energy is what tells you the event is doing what it’s supposed to do. That’s the goal for Switchback. 

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That vision will take tangible shape this June when the outdoor industry gathers for Switchback Spring. Register here to see Smith’s passion and truly contagious enthusiasm come to life in New Orleans.