Surf Expo is one of North America’s largest and most significant trade shows focused entirely on the watersports and beach lifestyle market. It represents the key marketplace for manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and professionals of surfing, skateboarding, beachwear, accessories, and watersports equipment to come together to present their latest innovations, while building a large business network.
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Event Overview
It showcases an impressive range of products and technologies associated with any watersport, including surfing, waterboarding, paddleboarding and any other equipment associated with these activity areas.
Surf Expo focuses on coastal living products—including apparel most relevant to seaside and coastal living. Surf Expo provides a robust assortment of products that serve as the ‘personality,’ as well as functionality, of coastal living.
It also features board sports; skateboards or snowboard variations with their own respective products and styles leading from the interests of the community of athletes.
In addition, Surf Expo is a significant element of the resort and boutique products, including swimwear and clothing for the resort and boutique market as well.
Surf Expo is a trade-only event, no consumer access, meaning selected qualified retailers, exhibiting brands, and media members will be in attendance creating a professional interaction and moderation of pace, with a focus on business in the beach life, watersports, and all things surf category.
Location and Time
Surf Expo is produced twice a year at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, a site chosen because of its tremendous accommodations which are welcomingly accessible.
It has always been a perfect location to host thousands of exhibitors and guests from around the world. Surf Expo’s schedule is routine in January and September of each year, signifying spring and fall during the Surf Expo schedule. This serves also as a platform for colleagues in the industry to present the latest products and trends as well as assist to stay updated concerning each other in the industry.
In 2025, Surf Expo took place on January 8–10 and September 4–6. The event is typically held twice a year, in January and September.
A Variety of Events, Activities, and Content at Surf Expo
Surf Expo is more than just a product expo; it’s an all-around experience and a furtherance of the watersports and beach lifestyle space that encompasses a range of related events and programs to advance the genre. Surf Expo has thousands of products from over 750 exhibitors, showcasing surfboards, beachwear, footwear, accessories, watersports equipment, and casual coastal apparel and fashion.
Major brands like Hurley, Quiksilver, Rip Curl, and Billabong exhibit alongside new innovative business start-ups and provide attendees a wide spectrum of choice for the marketplace. In addition to a full range of product offerings, Surf Expo includes opportunities for product demos and hands-on experiences that allow attendees the chance to engage with a select range of products. These opportunities lend support to the understanding about the product’s quality and performance.
In addition to the business side of the event, Surf Expo boasts educational and trainer sessions. These discussions are led by industry experts and include seminars, workshops, panel discussions, daily professional fashion shows, and award night.
The educational programming adds value by providing the most up-to-date information on market trends, marketing, technological advancements, and business growth related to the watersports and beach lifestyle segment.
Surf Expo is also a strategic venue for cultivating business partnerships and communities of professionals. The event includes a variety of networking opportunities such as “happy hour” events at the buyer’s lounge, industry parties, and discussion platforms on key issues for panels, including sustainability and industry growth. All of which are designed so that attendees can extend their networks and establish new partnerships.
The Importance of Surf Expo to the Industry
Surf Expo in Orlando is a “must” event for anyone and everyone involved in the water sports and beach lifestyle, not just another trade show. It represents a temperature gauge for the introduction of new trends and innovation.
It is a place to showcase products, but it is also a forum that brings together all of the components of the industry ecosystem, including producers and end consumers, and adds significant positive impact to the growth and sustainability for this market sector around the globe.
For the companies who work in distribution, product fulfillment, or logistics, Surf Expo and like shows are always close to the opportunity to be surprised, to generate ideas and encourage understanding for what’s new, and to keep pace with an evolving water sports, and beach lifestyle segment when observable consumer trends are changing.
Knowing what all of the potential innovations and new product introductions can be and how they are displayed will help knowledgeable business product stocking, inventory management, and distribution efficiencies.