Is it time to rethink the energy, creativity and cultural potential of B2B experiences in the outdoor, sport and lifestyle industries?

We get it. Trade shows are where relationships are built, stock is booked and future seasons take shape. They’re vital to the commercial health of the industry.

But we couldn’t help but notice something at this year’s OTS (Outdoor Trade Show) in Liverpool, now in its 19th year. While it’s a well-run and efficient platform for the UK outdoor, sport and lifestyle trade, conscious, cost-effective and conveniently located, the energy on the show floor felt… flat.

For industries rooted in movement, community and emotion, it all felt a little too familiar. A bit corporate. Lacking that spark of excitement that defines the worlds we work in.

We’re not saying trade shows should turn into festivals or gimmicks. But we do think there’s a missed opportunity here. In a time when distinctiveness is one of the few lasting competitive advantages, how can brands bring more of themselves into these spaces?

And to be clear, this isn’t about knocking what exists. Shows like OTS play a vital role in bringing the industry together and they do it well. But even the most essential platforms can evolve.

Because when people step into your world, not just your product line, that’s when belief is built. And belief is what drives brand preference, loyalty and long-term commercial value.

Trade shows serve a clear purpose. But that doesn’t mean they have to feel transactional. We believe they can inspire belief, not just business.

Let’s face it: even in B2B contexts, you’re still speaking to humans. Buyers, merchandisers, retail teams, they’re also fans of the outdoors, followers of culture, and often your most loyal customers in disguise.

So what if trade shows became living expressions of brand energy?

Places where people don’t just see products, but feel why those brands exist.

Just like physical retail has evolved into immersive, culture-led spaces, trade environments can evolve too. They can carry the mood, mission and message of a brand and become platforms for meaningful connection.

This is how we think at Excursion Studio: not just asking what a brand needs to say, but how to make people feel something that sticks.

So what if trade shows became cultural moments, not corporate boxes?

Imagine a trade show…actually set in the great outdoors.

Not just in name, but in spirit. Not in echoing halls, but on windswept ridgelines, tucked into forest clearings, beside wild swimming spots or nestled on the edge of woodland.

What if the event itself became an extension of the category, alive with energy, culture and connection?

Take First Camp, a recurring series from Outsiders Store and Snow Peak.

Instead of being confined to four walls, they take to the wild. Across multiple weekends on the Llŷn Peninsula, First Camp embodies exactly what we’re talking about: an experience that sells the brand’s ethos, commitment to outdoor, community and authentic connection, not just products.

This isn’t about displays or transactions. It’s a brand-powered gathering rooted in shared values, real landscapes and lived experience. Less shopfront, more ridgeline.

As Outsiders puts it: “As well as being in the business of selling functional, durable, versatile stuff—the good stuff, as we like to think of it, we also stand for and promote the value of being outdoors, and the exponential benefits of connecting to and being in sync with our natural world.”

First Camp sells belief in a lifestyle. It’s a living, breathing extension of the brand, where connection and culture come first and commerce follows.

Now imagine trade shows drawing from that same energy. A place where brands don’t just display products, but live the values and lifestyles those products represent.

Brands like Thule, with their Adventure Life weekends in the Lake District and Arc’teryx, through Arc’teryx Climb, are already showing what’s possible when you move from demonstration to full immersion. And events like Kendal Mountain Festival and Keswick Mountain Festival prove this works at scale, multiple brands collaborating in authentic outdoor environments where culture and community come alive naturally.

These aren’t trade shows. But they point to a different kind of energy, Immersive. Human. Joyful. Less transactional. More transformational. Now imagine a trade show that takes its cue from these ideas. Where the outdoors becomes the stage. And brands simply show up as themselves

Three Ways to Start Rethinking Trade

1. Build worlds, not booths
Design your presence like a place people want to be. Think mood, materiality, light, sound, even scent. Tell a story through space.

2. Design for participation, not just presentation
Give people something to do, not just something to see. Let them move, try, cook, climb, build, or share. Emotion comes from action.

3. Bring in more culture, not just category
Invite creatives, collaborators, or local voices into your space. Add storytelling, craft or curation that helps people feel something unexpected.

Let’s make trade more meaningful.

At Excursion Studio, we help outdoor, sport and lifestyle brands create experiences that don’t just drive business, they build belief.

Whether you’re putting on a trade event or popping up at one, we can help you turn that moment into something more, a space that reflects your values, energises your audience and sets you apart from the crowd.

Hit the big yellow button below and lets get talking.