Our team returned from this year’s international outdoor trade fair with a full notebook and a positive outlook. The fair brought together manufacturers, brands, and retailers from dozens of countries, and the atmosphere was noticeably busier than last year.

Three themes dominated conversations at the accessory stands. First, night visibility products, including reflective and glow-in-the-dark guylines, drew steady traffic. Second, buyers showed strong interest in retail-ready packaging that can hang directly on peg hooks without repacking. Third, sustainability questions appeared in almost every meeting, from material sourcing to recyclable packaging.

Our presentation of the reflective paracord kits and pre-packaged utility rope hanks generated a large number of sample requests. Many visitors remarked that bundled kits solve a real merchandising problem: they turn low-cost cordage into giftable products with a clear story on the shelf.

Meetings scheduled during the fair have already turned into follow-up sampling for several new partners. The team will attend further regional shows later this year, and a full show report is available to wholesale partners on request.

One practical lesson from the fair is worth sharing: buyers increasingly evaluate packaging before the product itself. Clear windows, readable barcodes, and proper hanging holes decide whether a product reaches the shelf at all, no matter how good the rope inside may be. The team has since reviewed the full retail range against this feedback and upgraded several bag specifications. Fair meetings also confirmed that demand differs sharply by region; warmer markets lean toward marine and utility products, while alpine regions order more climbing and safety cordage. Regional assortment guides are being updated to reflect these patterns for the coming buying season.