Here in New York, we just recently had our first snowfall of the season.  But out by Denver, Colorado, ski enthusiasts and snow-sports manufacturers are already preparing for next winter.  According to the Denver Post, apparel featuring bright colors and bold patterns will continue to dominate next year.

New lines of vibrantly-colored promotional outerwear for 2013 were presented at last week's SIA Snow Show in Denver.  "The brighter the colors, the faster it sells," Colorado Ski & Sports apparel buyer, Mary Mancini, told the Denver Post. "It pops on the snow." 

According to Linda Rodney, national sales director for Sport Obermeyer, the loud looks may be in reaction to our nation's down economy. "When things are gloomy, people like to be bright. A big trend we are seeing is bright and printed bottoms to match the bright jackets that have been popular for the past couple seasons," Rodney said.

What do you think of the flashy colors presented at the SIA Snow Show in Denver?  Would you wear one of these prominent pieces?

Back in October, we got an early look at LAUNCH LA -- a new surf and sport industry trade show that's on the lookout for fresh, young labels, products and services.  The minds behind LAUNCH assembled a panel of jurors to approve brands to exhibit at the show.  And yesterday, the first batch of approved exhibitors was announced.  Who made the cut?

According to Surfline, so far 20 brands have been approved to exhibit at the exclusive July 25 - 26, 2012 show.  Let's take a look at the exhibitors:

Aether

Ambsn

Baxter Of California

Field Notes

Freedom Artists

Grover

Howe

Incipio

KissinCussin (Australia)

Krochet Kids

Lifetime Collective

Lightning Bolt

Reigning Champ

Seea Swimwear

SLVDR

Stance

Tallow

Tavik Swimwear

The Furies

Wellen

Don't recognize any of these brands?  That's because they've been hand-picked to be part as LAUNCH as an "alternative to the trade shows currently available on the West Coast."  The panel of experts is choosing exhibitors based on "quality, design and originality." This is all to ensure that LAUNCH includes the best possible products from the fashion labels, accessory and footwear brands, lifestyle and action sports promotional items, and much more.

There are 130 more spots for young, emerging labels to get a chance to exhibit.  Keep an eye out in the coming months for additional accepted brands!

The Bass & Saltwater Fishing Expo in Raleigh, Denver's Fly Fishing Show and the Nashville Fishing and Boat Expo -- what do they all have in common? For one, they all take place in the first few weeks of January.  But more importantly, these trade fairs have a common theme:  fishing and marine life.  Therefore, exhibitors could all benefit from Touch Tanks for Kids, an organization that brings open tanks of marine life for use in schools.

Yes, I realize that schools are a bit different from trade shows.  But hear me out!  In a piece by Forbes, Tom Groenfeldt said he spoke with Touch Tanks for Kids' founders "about using the tanks at trade shows."  Recently, the company's executive director, Mike Martin, told Groenfeldt that he's got new lightweight tanks that could definitely work well at trade shows.

Imagine how many people would flock to your booth at a marine-themed trade show if you had an open tank filled with lobsters!  Aside from custom fishing lures and bobbers, I imagine the touch tanks would be the best way to garner attention for your product or service.  What a great idea!

The Rose Bowl is more than one of the biggest college football games of the year. The Rose Bowl is the location of one of the most popular flea markets in the continental United States.

The Rose Bowl Flea Market takes place on the 2nd Sunday of each month. The Flea Market seems to have a little bit of everything for extremely low prices. The flea market's posting on Yelp has numerous photos and postings of deals found at the Flea Market, including a $16 leather jacket and a $5 fedora.

The best part is that the first 10,000 attendees will receive a special promotional product as a gift. If you do plan on arriving early, be sure to bring a custom imprinted water bottle - small drinks go for at least $5. 

If you're anything like me, you're desperately looking for a way out of spending 4+ months in New York during winter weather. I have annual remedies that range from hopping on a flight south to looking up .jpeg images of tropical regions.
Although I've never done it, many hop a flight with their golf bag and spend their time playing 18 holes (or more) in the warmth of the sun.
If you're looking forward to doing the same thing this year, might I suggest a change of pace: the Golf Industry Show.
Held at the Convention Center in famed Las Vegas, NV, the Golf Industry Show is one of the largest of its kind. The convention includes keynote speakers from the industry as well as exhibitors and distributors with hundreds of new and exciting promotional golf products. These might include custom imprinted golf tees, custom imprinted polo shirts and even custom imprinted golf balls. Best of all, there is exactly 129 golf courses in the Las Vegas area where you can show off your skills and new products.
The tradeshow takes place between February 29 and March 1 of 2012, leaving you plenty of time to find airfare, hotel and something to dust off your old clubs.  

It's a new idea, a different kind of show.  The minds behind Surf Expo, an Orlando-area tradeshow for everything surf and skate, are bringing LAUNCH LA to the market next July.  And not just any brand will be able to show off its products or services.

According to TransWorld Business magazine, companies looking to exhibit at next year's LAUNCH LA event will have to be approved by a "jury" who will "base their decisions to allow brands in overall design on product innovation."  Josh Hunter, LAUNCH LA's Head of Sales and Marketing, told the magazine that the new trade show "grew from a combination of listening to what the market has been asking for an dalso being aware that sometimes the wheel does indeed need to be reinvented."  So how will LAUNCH LA be different?

The main component that sets LAUNCH LA apart from other trade shows is that it's a juried event that will only include "game-changing products."  According to Hunter, "The idea is that every brand exhibiting at LAUNCH must have a compelling story to tell, and the product they’ve chosen to bring to market is the vehicle through which they are telling their story."  That's why the cost to exhibit will remain reasonable -- the minds behind LAUNCH LA do not want to set a price that will prevent fresh, young labels from presenting.

The show, according to TransWorld Business, will be an "eclectic mix of brands from streetwear and action sports." Think your brand has what it takes to get its start at LAUNCH? Applying is simple; simply visit LaunchShow.com and click "Apply to Exhibit."  You never know; the jurors might just believe your sports promotional items will be the next big thing!