Declining an invitation to show their products at Surf Expo in Orlando, Florida on Sept. 7-9, leading manufacturers of canoes and kayaks in the U.S. who have been exhibiting at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City have formed an informal “coalition” that has decided to support a proposal to hold a dedicated Paddlesports Retailer Show in Madison, Wisconsin from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1. It did so after conducting a survey among their retail clients that showed that more than 80 percent of them were likely to attend the new show. As the exhibition costs will be lower than those incurred at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, which is moving its dates to June as of next year, some of the savings will be reinvested in a program of incentives to maximize the retailers' attendance.  The mid-week timing of the new show is intended to allow them to go back to their stores over the weekend. The new show will be organized by Darren Bush  and Sutton Bacon, who have been holding a consumer-oriented watersports show at the same venue since 1994. The industry coalition was led by Bill Kueper of Wenonah Canoe. Other members of the coalition are Hobie, Jackson Kayaks, Johnson Outdoors and Wilderness Systems. The coalition has formed an advisory council made up of representatives of Confluence Outdoors, Kokatat and NRS.  Kueper is hoping to turn the informal group into a formal paddlesports industry association.

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