EXCLUSIVE: The Running Event Is Expanding Switchback, Will Host First Standalone Event in Nashville in June 2025
After breaking into the outdoor market with Switchback in 2022, The Running Event (TRE) is set to expand the trade show.
TRE added the outdoor-focused Switchback section to its annual running trade show in November 2022. Now, TRE is making Switchback a standalone event, with the first taking place in Nashville, on June 16-18, 2025.
“In our location search, Nashville came up as the clear choice,” TRE event director Christina Henderson told FN. “It’s centrally located, easily accessible. It’s a less than a half-day drive from many cities in the Southeast. And we wanted to differentiate Switchback from other events. We think this opens up a national trade show in a new area of the country.”
Switchback will take place at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, which features an attached premium hotel so that attendees can stay and meet in a single location. As for the show’s timing, the June dates were selected with an intentional focus on both core outdoor activities and for brands and retailers to have buying conversations.
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Ed McAlister, owner of River Sports Outfitters, based in Knoxville, Tenn., is bullish on the new event. “I think you’ll see a lot of participation [from retailers] within two to eight hours, because you can drive now if its quicker, and you can still fly,” he said. “You’ve got a big concentration of retailers in the Southeast, and I think it’ll have a good presence.”
In terms of nearby recreation, the Gaylord Opryland Resort is located near the Cumberland River, as well as the 935-acre Shelby Bottoms nature preserve and a Nashville greenway trailhead, part of the city’s network of 180 miles of non-motorized pathways. Also, the location is near Tennessee State Parks, and three lakes are a short drive away.
As for the format, Switchback will continue to operate under TRE’s four pillars — learning, discovery, connection and celebration — and will offer conference programming and peer learning. TRE regulars can expect education opportunities on day one, with the trade show floor opening for business on days two and three (with some learning sessions scheduled in the morning and throughout the day). What’s more, Switchback will continue to provide scholarships to retailers.
“We’re going to use learnings from TRE, certainly. We’ve seen what that format can do for the running industry. That being said, we want to listen to the needs of the outdoor industry,” Henderson said. “We’re leading with education, and we want to remain focused on business opportunities at Switchback. Additionally, we want to create connecting opportunities. Through outdoor activities, receptions and parties, we want to create space for serendipitous moments to connect with fellow retailers, brands, media.”
McCalister noted that he will appreciate the convenience of the Switchback show. “The whole show market has been broken up over the last five or six years. It’ll be nice to be able to see all the brands under one roof in the outdoor market,” he said. “It’s easier to walk a show and visit a brand and go back [to your room] and look at your workbook that night and come back rather than do at it two or three different locations. I think this has a lot of good potential because footwear is a fairly large percent of most retailers’ business, it can vary from probably to 20 to 40 percent of sales.”
Before the June dates in Nashville, Switchback will return to TRE, which is scheduled to take place in Austin, Texas, from Nov. 19-21. Retailers will be able to register for Switchback at TRE in November starting July 16, and registration for the first Switchback trade show in June will open sometime after that event. TRE plans to continue to host the outdoor-focused event twice a year.
“There’s a need for this. There’s a need to come together,” Henderson said. “One thing that keeps coming up [when speaking with brands and retailers] is discovery. There are limited places to go where you can discover new brands. That discovery piece has been missing, in addition to the connection and the learning.”
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.
