The Outdoor Industries Association (OIA) of the U.K. has taken a minority stake in the Outdoor Trade Show (OTS), which has moved its 2017 dates to July 11 and 12. Companies in the sector will be encouraged to become members of the OIA in order to benefit from special discounts. The dates for this year's OTS were already shifted last December from the end of September to Sept. 7 and 8. The move to mid-July looks like a logical step for the British market following the European Outdoor Group's controversial decision to move the dates of the OutDoor show in Friedrichshafen from mid-July to mid-June. Held at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, OTS remains the largest U.K trade show in the sector. With a total of nearly 200 exhibitors and 1,400 visitors, it has been focused largely on family camping, but the date change should make it more orientated toward rugged outdoor. It will be interesting to see the reactions of two other smaller regional shows, the Kendal Outdoor Retail Show (KORS) and the Reliable Outdoor Kit Show (ROKS). They were both held last July 26-27 in Kendal, the hub of the outdoor industry in the Lake District.

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