After a promising debut in Nashville last summer, the Switchback trade show is setting up shop in New Orleans for its second standalone edition. Conceived as a dedicated section within The Running Event, this outdoor industry gathering has quickly found its footing, with attendance expected to exceed 400 retailers - up from 290 in 2025 - and 228 confirmed brands, a notable increase from 194.
At the helm is Sean Smith, formerly show director for Outdoor Retailer, who steps in after Christina Henderson's promotion to vice president of the Endurance Portfolio at parent company Diversified. Smith recognizes the industry's yearning for a national meeting place: "The key brands showed up, and everybody felt it. We need this."
This year's program places a heavier emphasis on education, with expanded breakout sessions - five options in the afternoon's first slot alone - and a larger scholarship fund to ensure broader retailer access. The venue, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, offers 40 to 50 percent more floor space, yet booth dimensions remain capped at 20-by-20 feet with no double-deckers. The constraint, reminiscent of the egalitarian spirit of early 20th-century corset-free lingerie displays, encourages creativity over conspicuous consumption.
New Orleans itself becomes a character in the narrative. Scheduled meals and coffee breaks foster the serendipitous exchanges that define successful trade gatherings. As Smith notes, "Discovery and connections are the whole reason to come - not just buying and selling." In lingerie history, the first trade shows of the 1920s similarly prioritized relationship-building over transactions, a tradition Switchback revives with Southern hospitality.
For an industry craving intimacy and innovation, Switchback 2026 promises a fitting second act.
Originally reported by WWD