Nearly 28,000 retailers, exhibitors, and media representatives from around the world filled Orlando's Orange County Convention Center from Thursday through Saturday for Surf Expo. The biannual event offers an array of apparel, hardgoods, and accessories in categories of surf, skate, swim, water ski, paddle board, kayak, and more. Here’s a look at 12 booths that stood out on the bustling show floor.
The owners of 30A, a new exhibitor to Surf Expo, traveled to the show in their 30-year-old Land Rover and then parked it in their booth to display products. The company creates T-shirts made from recycled plastics like lunch trays and soda bottles.
In Hang Ten Headwear’s booth, two stools were shaped like feet, representing the brand’s iconic logo.
The welcome counter at the front of the large Quiksilver booth was made from stacks of palettes topped with glass to create a display case.
Roark, which sells outdoor gear and clothing for adventure travel, used a 10- by 12-foot miner’s tent to house its products and host meetings with buyers.
Photos of beach scenes hung on walls painted in weathered shades of blue and green around the exterior of the Salt Life booth.
Near the new kayak and canoe section of the show floor, organizers created the Paddle Lounge, with colorful coolers functioning as the base for the bar that served coffee from Commune & Co.
Fusion, a first-time exhibitor at the show, covered the floor of its booth with images of surf and sand printed on vinyl, similar to what is used to create billboards. The company was featuring its new watersport stereo and wanted to simulate the environment where it is used.
Vagabond used wood from a vintage farmhouse in Iowa, where its warehouse is located, to create the frame for its 10- by 10-foot booth. Inside it used wooden curtain rods to display its colorful, round beach towels.
Heat Swimwear created a three-sided bar with a small runway in the center where models showed the fit of its products.
Jobe, which makes a variety of clothing and gear for paddle boarding, wake boarding, water skiing, and more, used a 10- by 20-foot shipping container to both transport its products to Orlando and to display them on the show floor.
Organizers used a mix of textures and styles to create a comfortable lounge in the heart of the show’s surf area. Known as the Neighborhood, the section included brands focused on surf, travel, and adventure
Brigade Wakesurfing draped a fish net across the top of its booth to add to the nautical vibe.
