Bill Walton, executive chairman of CONNECT San Diego Sport Innovators (SDSI), welcomes Dave Nash, founder, president & CEO of Athleisure Inc., dba: Sun Diego Boardshops, to the SDSI board of directors.

SDSI is a business accelerator that connects and drives the growth of San Diego’s action sport and active lifestyle innovation cluster, now numbering 600 action and sporting goods companies.

“Dave Nash is an extremely dedicated executive who offers great insight as to what makes brands, retailers and companies grow into successful businesses,” said Walton.  “This wisdom will be extremely beneficial to the SDSI board and the companies we aim to grow.  He will be an excellent addition to our team.”

Dave Nash is the president & CEO of Sun Diego Boardshops, an eight store chain of retail stores doing business throughout San Diego County since 1981. Dave and Sun Diego are actively involved in the community and promoting the industries Sun Diego represents. Dave and Sun Diego work with The Surfrider Foundation, Feeding America and Keep a Breast Foundation, as well as helping local high schools find funds for their programs. Dave is also a founding and active board member of the Board Retailers Association (formed in February 2003). Prior to founding Athleisure, Inc., Dave was the EVP of Snowden-Mize Companies, Inc., dba:  Snowden-Mize Sports and The Athlete’s Foot, a leading retailer in the 70’s and 80’s in the athletic shoe and apparel industry.

“SDSI is the first organization of its kind dedicated to accelerating sports innovation and promoting the sports industry as a whole.  There is no question that an organization like this could have saved me years of heartache and stress associated with the social, personal and professional growth required to grow an action sports-retail business,” said Nash. “I hope to pass along, to the next generation of sport companies, the lessons I have learned building Sun Diego Boardshops.  If I can help them make one less mistake it will be worthwhile. I am honored to join this incredible group of entrepreneurs and executives that Bill Walton has put together and give back to the community that has kept me in business for nearly 3 decades.”

The recent SDSI Capital Forum, in partnership with Action Sport Retail (ASR), was one of many future programs that will embody the SDSI mission. This Capital Forum provided an opportunity for seven early stage sport companies to pitch their business plans to a group of angel and private investors specifically interested in the sports businesses space. Many companies were approached for second meetings. For more information on SDSI, the next SDSI Capital Forum and other events please contact Garrett Hale at (858) 964-1314 or GHale@connect.org

About CONNECT SDSI
CONNECT SDSI is a business accelerator that connects and drives the growth of San Diego’s vibrant sports economy by offering innovative programs and services for start ups, mature companies and service providers.  Building on CONNECT’s world-renown success accelerating innovation in San Diego over the past 25 years, CONNECT SDSI offers mentoring, education and capital funding opportunities for start-ups; best practice collaboration, access to new technology, and public policy advocacy for mature companies; as well as deal flow to our service providers and the San Diego investment community.

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Mobile Marketing Services to be provided before, during and after the ASR Marketplace.

Newport Beach, Calif.  — BizM3, a leading mobile marketing technology company, announced today it will be
handling the mobile marketing for Action Sports Retailer (ASR) Marketplace in San Diego when it stages next, August 13-15,
2010.

ASR Marketplace will be offering pertinent updates on relevant content to specific event participants. ASR attendees will receive
up-to-the-minute reminders on various educational seminars provided by the Board Retail Association (BRA), and informative
reminders on various events during the event such as contests, seminars and fashion shows.

“We are proud to provide this type of advanced communication to ASR’s attendees,” says Hank Mondaca, Sales & Marketing
Strategist of bizM3. “Mobile marketing will enhance the entire tradeshow experience for all participants.”

Through printed and promotional materials, as well as social sites, ASR will ask all interested individuals to text ASR to 67777.
Once contacts “opt-in”, they are now registered to receive ASR alerts and reminders. True to common mobile marketing
practice, users will always have the opportunity to opt-out of any campaign by responding STOP to 67777. Registered users will
also be sent mobile links to live sites to view from their mobile devices. These sites will contain information such as a list of
current exhibitors and their floor location.

ASR Marketplace links action sports retail buyers looking for the latest products for the upcoming season with over 750 brands.
Biannually the surf/skate lifestyle and fashion industries invade San Diego to conduct business and preview lines for the
upcoming seasons. ASR Marketplace provides an authentic and efficient forum for buyers, sellers, media, and the investment
community to conduct business and move the action sports industry forward.

“We’re hoping to provide immediately relevant information to people on the go will benefit everybody attending ASR this August.
Buyers and exhibitors alike will know what’s happening throughout the busy day at ASR,” says ASR Marketplace Marketing
Manager, Leanne Milliken.

About BizM3
bizM3 is a leading mobile marketing technology company that provides the solutions and tools that can help you advance your
advertising campaigns and deployment strategies. bizM3 mobile solutions allow marketing campaigns to be planned and
launched by marketers in minutes, allowing timely alerts containing mobile coupons, special offers, rewards, text-2-win
announcements or links to mobile websites to be deployed and tracked with all the analytics needed to make the decisions
necessary for the best ROI. Learn more at bizM3.com.

About ASR Marketplace
ASR, produced by Nielsen Expositions, is a full service tradeshow company whose goal is to create, market and produce high
quality trade shows and educational conferences. ASR is the leading action sports industry trade event, bringing together top
manufacturers, retailers, industry advocates and media to conduct the business of surf, skate, snow, swim, style, moto and
youth culture. Now in its 29th successful year, ASR gathers over 800 action sports brands and approximately 6,000 retail buyers
and decision makers two times a year, with spring and summer/fall season shows in San Diego. For additional information
regarding ASR, check out ASRbiz.com.

About Board Retail Association (BRA)
The Board Retailers Association (BRA) is a non-profit trade association representing over 550 action sport retailers in the surf,
skate, snow, wake, kite and wind industry with over 3,000 storefronts across the country. East and West Coast retailers formed
the Board Retailers Association in February 2003. Under the direction of BRA’s Chairman and Board of Directors, the
association serves as the preeminent voice, for independent retailers on a grassroots level with manufacturers, trade show
representatives, and other associations. The Board Retailers Association also works to provide educational resources and
exclusive discounts and savings from vendors on the day-to-day costs of business. For more information visit
www.boardretailers.org.

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Since the inception of the partnership in 2008 between the Board Retailers Association (BRA) and Board-Trac, the industry’s marketing and research resource, nine quarterly reports focused on specialty retail sales in the action sport market have been published. Each quarter, BRA’s retail members respond to questions related to sales revenues, margins, category and brand comparisons, vendor support, their views on trade shows and much more.

Board-Trac compiles the data into a 35 + page report each quarter and makes the reports available to the industry for $250 each.  Click here for more information or to purchase reports now.

BRA has found our partnership with Board-Trac to be invaluable, and the data even more valuable. The quarterly reports have not only given us a light during tough economic times, but have given courage and encouragement to our members in an unprecedented tumultuous environment.

Take advantage of the sales information available and a special discounted rate on an annual subscription. Order all four quarterly reports in 2010 for $500. A savings of $500.

To find out more about what retailers have to say about product categories, the brands that drive their business, product mix and other relevant issues regarding retailing in action sports, visit http://bit.ly/SpecialtyRetailReports.

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ASR has announced that registration for its August 2010 show – which includes Class@ASR and Crossroads – is now open.

For more information,visit www.asrbiz.com/marketplace/attendee/registration

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In case you haven’t seen it posted elsewhere yet, below is the press release announcing new ASR show dates for 2011. Be sure to mark your calendars.

ASR Aligns 2011 Show Dates to Best Serve Industry’s Future Needs
The action sports industry’s leading trade event announces 2011 dates: January 13th-15th and August 18th-20th

Action Sports Retailer, ASR, announces 2011 dates with January 13th-15th as the dates for the ASR Access event and August 18th-20th for ASR Marketplace. The selected dates and the event’s number of days, back to three, come in response to the industry’s evolving sales and marketing needs. Earlier dates for the January event will allow for fall line breaks, while providing brands with the opportunity to wrap-up summer season sales.

“ASR’s role is to provide an effective and convenient platform for retailers and exhibitors to conduct business. So utilizing show dates that best serve the industry’s evolving needs is imperative,” says Andy Tompkins, VP of ASR. “The 2011 Access event will now come on the wake of retail holiday season momentum, when dealers have an accurate view of what’s trending and are ready to buy.”

Holding the event over three days allows for more opportunities for networking, time to attend business seminars and will make it easier for International buyers, distributors and exhibitors to make the trip to San Diego. Retailers attend the winter edition ASR event to see a full spectrum of product as they are making final purchase decisions for summer and previewing fall. ASR’s 2011 dates have been endorsed by SIMA, IASC, and BRA as a beneficial time for the industry’s buyers and sellers to connect.

Major ASR events will continue to be held in San Diego, CA. The upcoming ASR Marketplace for spring/summer buying will take place August 13-15, 2010. Go to ASRBiz.com to learn more about attending upcoming events.

See you at the next ASR in San Diego, August 13-15, 2010!

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“I cannot imagine a more efficient way to grow our spring business then attending ASR this year.” – D. Nachnani, Coastal Edge and BRA Co-Chair

San Juan Capistrano, CA (July 16, 2009) – As the global retail sector prepares for recovery at the start of next year, buyers are making critical choices to position their stores for future success. The ASR Marketplace will bring together thousands of qualified buyers with the strongest emerging and established brands in surf, skate, swim, moto, lifestyle and street wear from September 10-12, 2009. With an understanding of the current strain on buyers’ budgets, ASR is taking big steps to ensure that retailers can make the trip to San Diego, CA for three-days of crucial previewing, order writing and networking.

“Specialty retail is the lifeblood of the action sports industry and ASR is committed to doing everything possible to help them succeed,” says Andy Tompkins, ASR Group Show Director. “The opportunity for retailers to meet in person with top executives and preview over 500 brands under one roof is essential to doing business, especially right now.”

ASR has devised several programs to help retailers travel to the show including leveraged flight and hotel rates. Not only is ASR working with San Diego hotels to secure the most aggressive discounts, but going even farther to buy down certain hotel blocks, off-setting nightly rates. VIP retailers will have access to breakfast and lunch on-site, free parking and other discounts to make working at ASR more affordable.

“Going to ASR gives retailers the opportunity to envelope ourselves in the experience of the surf and skate lifestyle. It gives us the opportunity to absorb, understand, and study the direction of where our industry is heading.” D. Nachnani, Owner of Coastal Edge’s eight stores in Virginia and North Carolina and BRA Co-Chair. “ASR allows us to reconnect, grow and create lifetime partnerships among our contemporaries. I cannot imagine a more efficient way to grow our spring business then attending ASR this year.”

Working with the Board Retailers Association (BRA) and SIMA, ASR is identifying top retailers across categories and making all efforts to make attending possible for them. Once at ASR, the BRA Retail Service Center will be showing best practices in specialty retail alongside the central Foundation Lounge.

“Retailers have relied on their relationships with brands for survival over the last six months. Now, specialty retailers are starting to buy again, but later than in past years making ASR’s 2009 dates appropriate for most buyers calendars in this unusual time,” says BRA President Mike Duncan. “To create a successful plan, communication, education and a full picture of the industry are necessary. All of this can be had in only three days at ASR.”

Not only is ASR the industry’s favorite place to do face-to-face business, it’s also home to world-class events and educational seminars. Go to ASRbiz.com for a full list of brands exhibiting at ASR, to exhibit at ASR or to register for the September 10th-12th event. Retailers can find more information on our programs by visiting ASRbiz.com.

Register today for ASR September 10-12, 2009 in San Diego at ASRbiz.com

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About ASR
ASR, produced by Nielsen Business Media, is a full service trade show whose goal is to create market and produce high quality trade shows and educational conferences. ASR is the leading action sports industry trade event, bringing together top manufacturers, retailers, industry advocates and media to conduct the business of surf, skate, snow, swim, style, moto and youth culture. Now in its 27th successful year, ASR gathers over 450 action sports brands and approximately 6,000 retail buyers and decision makers two times a year, with spring and fall season shows in San Diego. For additional information regarding ASR, check out ASRbiz.com.

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In a new licensing deal between Action Sports Retailer (ASR) and Class trade show, the two have come together to create a new type of show debuting September 10-12 in San Diego called Class @ ASR. Class was started by Jason Bates, who’s known in LA fashion circles for his excellent showroom of brands at the Cooper building and his entrepreneurial spirit for creating a trade show just for Los Angeles called Class.

Class attracts brands such as WESC, Modern Amusement, Evisu, Timberland, Penguin, and a variety of core upper street fashion brands, including some eco-brands and denim.

Class @ ASR will feature a juried selection of 100 emerging and core brands including, Alphanumeric, Cpt, Design by Humans, Fiberops, Howe, Insight, Lucre Eyewear, Modern Amusement, Original Penguin, O’Quinn, Smooth Co., True Love False Idols, and WeSC. The new event’s independent setting focuses on design and experience during the trade show, versus mass-market appeal.

“The partnership between ASR and CLASS Events creates a totally new business tool that is more than the sum of our parts,” says Andy Tompkins, ASR Group Show Director. “ASR exhibitors will benefit from an influx of boutique retail buyers that CLASS Events attracts and action sport buyers looking for new labels can bring in more variety from one stop.”

The show is hoping to attract a different segment of buyer to ASR, along with retailers that previously have supported CLASS by providing a crossover opportunity for surf, skate and street designers to interact directly with premium, upscale fashion and resort boutiques.

“This is an exciting time as this takes the strengths from both CLASS Events and ASR and creates a powerful hybrid that is going to better serve the fashion apparel and action sports industries at the same time, vastly expanding our outreach, influence and vision of how business should be done,” explains Jason Bates, CEO of CLASS.

Similar to what Class has provided in the past, the show will provide organic local food, recycled products, and spa treatments.

What’s interesting is that action sports brands have been crossing over into street fashion for some time and vice versa. Now there’s a platform that may be THE place to showcase because it will attract a cross-section of boutique buyers from stores such as The Closet, to action sports retailers looking to expand their merchandise for a savvier marketplace.

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January 14-17, 2009 (Resort, Swim, Boutique, Souvenir & Coastal Home)

January 15-17, 2009 (Surf & Skate)

Surf Expo elected to make this one-day shift forward with its scheduling at the request of several anchor exhibitors in the boardsports category. These exhibitors recently received word that the Action Sports Retailer show had decided to move its January show dates forward, creating a costly, rushed, and difficult transition between the Surf Expo and ASR shows.

September 24-26, 2009 (All categories)

In recent years, two of Surf Expo’s September shows have overlapped with Yom Kippur and/or Rosh Hashanah holidays. By moving the September date pattern to a Thursday through Saturday schedule, our show will end the day before Yom Kippur begins, and will remain consistent with the date pattern of the January show.

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