A diverse group of retailers from all regions of the United States and beyond are registered to attend Surf Expo, the world’s premier watersports and beach lifestyle tradeshow, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on January 4-6, 2023.
Buyers from influential surf, souvenir, cruise, gift, theme park, resort and airport shops have signed on to attend the show. In addition, Surf Expo will welcome several key department store buyers to the January event.
“We at Surf Expo pride ourselves on attracting a wide range of retail buyers who can find what they need across our varied show floor,” said Surf Expo Show Director and SVP Roy Turner. “From surf hardgoods brands to gift vendors, Surf Expo offers a one-stop shop for buyers to discover new products for their stores.”
Watersports retailers that are registered to attend include Coastal Edge Surf Shop from Virginia Beach, Va.; Mavericks Surf Company from Half Moon Bay, Calif.; Quiet Storm Surf Shop from Ocean City, Md., and other states; Hansen Surfboards from Encinitas, Calif.; Glik’s from multiple Midwestern states; Ron Jon Surf Shop from Cocoa Beach, Fla. and other states; Warm Winds from Narragansett, R.I.; Ocean Hut Surf Shop from Lavallette, N.J.; Sun Diego from Carlsbad, Calif; Secret Spot Surf Shop from Nags Head, N.C.; McKevlin’s Surf Shop from Folly Beach, S.C.; Sweetwater Surf Shop from Wrightsville Beach, N.C.; and Archie’s Surf Shop from Ontario, Canada.
Several key accounts are also coming from Hawaii including Hawaiian Island Creations, Local Motion, Déjà Vu Surf Hawaii, and Hi-Tech Surf Sports.
“I am looking forward to getting back to Surf Expo after taking the last few years off,” said Josh Hansen, a partner at Hansen Surfboards. “It will be nice to connect face-to-face with many of our vendors and get a hands-on feel for what the brands will be doing going forward.”
Coastal Life retailers who are registered to attend include Palmetto Moon, Dillard’s Department Stores, Bealls, Paradies Lagardère Travel Retail, Travel Traders, Palladium Hotel Group, TJX Companies, Ross Stores, Starboard Cruise Service, Norwegian Cruise Line, Walt Disney Theme Park Merchandise, Westgate Resorts, Universal Resorts and Studios, Six Flags, Caesar’s Entertainment, Tiendas Tropicales, Island Companies, Aramark, and more.
Bill Dreibelbis, owner of Quiet Storm Surf Shop, which operates 11 stores in five states, said he never misses a Surf Expo show.
“We have been going to Surf Expo since the early 1980s,” Dreibelbis said. “For us, the January show is now about meeting with accessory brands and finding new products. We’ll get plenty of work done during the course of the show.”