CA-based L.A. Gear "will not be in" the Super Show in
Atlanta this weekend, but the exhibition show's operator,
the SGMA, "downplayed" the absence, "saying the space is
being filled by other companies," including Asics Tiger
Corp., according to Sheila Poole of the ATLANTA
CONSTITUTION. SGMA Dir of PR Mike May: "The show must go
on, and it will. We will miss those big exhibitors, and
hopefully, they will miss us and come back soon" (ATLANTA
CONSTITUTION, 2/11). Meanwhile, Super Show officials "are
hoping next year won't be the last time" the convention is
held in Atlanta. It will be held in Las Vegas in 2001, 2002
and 2003, and SGMA President John Riddle said that the show
was moved because of a space "problem" in Atlanta: "We were
between a rock and a hard place." But Riddle said that "no
timetable has been set" beyond the 2003 event. The show
attracts 90,000-100,000 retailers, manufacturers, sales
agents and distributors, and has an estimated impact of
$104M on the local economy (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 2/10).
CAN HE SOLVE THE RIDDLE? Also in Atlanta, Patti Bond
writes that Riddle will discuss problems facing the sporting
goods trade in his "state of the industry" report today to
open the show. Riddle: "Oversaturation is the most stubborn
and perplexing problem facing the sporting goods industry.
We're continuing to see the 'big box' stores going up, but I
think we're going to see a renewal of the specialty stores
this year" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 2/11).
