GLM executives on plans for The Boardroom at Vans US Open

The news came out this week while I was traveling and I just had a chance to find out more. Sean O’Brien, Group Brand Director for Surf Expo, LAUNCH LA and The Boardroom, and The Boardroom Founder and Director Scott Bass, answered some questions for me via email.

GLM has some big plans, and just hired Shannon Park from the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association to be in charge public relations and social media for its new Sports and Fashion group, which includes Surf Expo, LAUNCH LA and The Boardroom. Shannon was previously in charge of all of SIMA’s many and varied events.

Will this be GLM's West Coast show now for the industry and how will it compare to Surf Expo?

Sean O’Brien: We are always on the lookout for developing underserved markets. Our successful debut of the LAUNCH LA show last summer addressed the contemporary fashion market seen through a very West Coast prism. That certainly aligns with a new "Surftique" emphasis we are seeing both among select surf shops and also in the wider Los Angeles market that features hundreds of incredible retailers that really aren't part of the “boardsports” industry.

Scott Bass, Founder and Director of The Boardroom

So we will continue to be students of the market, looking for opportunities that fit. That correct fit is very important. For example Surf Expo is an amazing brand with a 37-year East Coast legacy that serves the market incredibly well because it is so diverse and captures such a broad buyer base.

It doesn't make sense to bring that brand and its well-developed East Coast business sense to the West Coast with all its categories. So in that way each show will have it own distinct look and feel, its own targeted buyer base and its own unique flavor when it comes to the exhibitors it serves.

See Page 2 for more about how the Boardroom will be structured, the strategy