OAS26 10th, 11th and 12th March 2026

The Outdoor and Social event was a brilliant success! It gave our retail colleagues a fresh and engaging way to deepen their product knowledge while enjoying a change of scenery. The hands-on demonstrations and interactive sessions made learning both fun and memorable. It was inspiring to see everyone so enthusiastic—asking questions, sharing insights, and genuinely connecting with the products. Everyone left feeling more confident in their product expertise and better equipped to support our customers. A fantastic experience all around!

The Outdoor and Social event is a fantastic event for getting brands and retail staff together. It provides a great opportunity for the retail staff to spend time trying outdoor gear and clothing in real world environments rather than just being taught about them on a shopfloor or conference centre.

Hands-on learning and real-world product testing are what And Social is all about. It’s a brilliant three-day event where we connect with retail staff and key industry partners, training them on our latest apparel and equipment tech. This year, having our Pack Designer host a workshop and share the journey behind an award-winning pack really brought our innovation story to life. It fuels the passion we have as a brand—something we hope shines through on the shop floor. Rab is fully committed to the future of this event and excited to see how it evolves.

Sometimes the simplest concepts are the best – inviting all the UKs outdoor retailers to spend time outdoors getting hands on with our product provided us with the perfect classroom. Simple concepts can be incredibly complex to pull together – big thanks to and Social for pulling it off and delivering the perfect and well organised event. Looking forward to next year already!

As budgets are tighter and time seems more precious I found And Social an efficient and enjoyable way to see wholesale staff in a high quality, relevant environment. The early spring chill made for some challenging conditions which galvanised friendships between colleagues. The investment in time and effort from brands was significant. The format works, now we need a call to action to retailers to send staff (even for 24h) tasked to learn. It will be beneficial for business and highly motivating for the individual. 

Outdoor & Social was a real success for us. The opportunity to engage with retail staff in an environment where they can genuinely test and evaluate our gear is a real advantage, and something that just can’t be replicated with in store training. We look forward to returning next year. 

Bradshaw Taylor attended Outdoor & Social for the first time this year with Keen footwear, Sherpa Adventure Gear and Artilect. The event is the perfect opportunity for brands to come together with retail staff to educate and use product together in the wild, and how wonderful to see the industry back outside! The events success depends on our support, so I would encourage both retailers and brands to attend next year. Its future success relies on our participation. Many thanks to the team at Outdoor & Social for bringing this much needed event to market.

The OIA are delighted to be working with the team at ‘And Social’. Face to face sales advice, customer service training, knowledge of technical outdoor products –  these are vital skills if we want to continue selling our brands’ products through UK specialty  retailers. I was also pleased to see how much the delegates valued the time spent networking and learning about their industry in general, the social value of getting more customers active outside, and how one can really build a career there days in the Outdoor Industries. I look forward to meeting even more people at the 2026 event! 

Osprey and Hydro Flask see brand and product training to be a key pillar of the outdoor industry.
Outdoor and Social gives brands the chance to present and impart knowledge, and retail staff get the opportunity to get hands on with the latest kit and test out on the hill.

Staff training is a really important part of what we do as a business and something we invest a lot of time and money in. And Social is the perfect experiential event for staff to come along and learn about a wide range of brands in a relaxed and social environment. Retailers who don’t get involved in the event are really missing out.

The And Social event was an extremely well organised event from start to finish. From a warm welcome when you arrive, set up was made easy with amble space to move around the site. The show itself was eagerly attended by outdoor retailers staff. A great event and a lot of training was achieved for all that attended with great food provided.

Outdoor and Social is one of the must attend events for Kelty and Sierra Designs. Just like the Ski and Snowboard Tests this is the perfect opportunity to get your hands on products, use them and experience their USPs so you can pass that onto your colleagues and customers. For instore staff it’s got to be one of the best opportunities to meet the brands, and some of the wider industry folk who’re shaping the future of the Outdoor Market. For Buyers, Owners and Senior Management it’s an early season chance to make sure your strategies are ready, touch base with the brands to make sure everything is on track, and for the Marketing Team its got to be the best time to put together fresh content with everything you need on hand. And for Retailers its free to attend, you’re fed, trained and you can gain a qualification to add value to yourself. Outdoor and Social ticks all the boxes!