Explore 2018 was organised at Stockholmsmässan in Älvsjö this weekend, and of course we took the opportunity to drop by. It's the former "Vildmarksmässan" that has upped its name a bit. So the question was whether the fair itself had also become hotter?
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A lot of people
We arrived by car on Saturday and at first it was very difficult to find a parking space. We had to circle around a few times before we managed to squeeze our little car into half a space. So there were a lot of people at the three fairs!
Explore 2018 was not a particularly large fairand it was definitely to the fair's advantage that it was organised together with the Photo Fair and the Everything for the Sea Fair. When the fairs are organised together, it makes a visit here worthwhile in a different way!
Morakniv and Female adventurers
Morakniv had one of the best-looking stands, and here we met Angeliqa Mejstedt from Kvinnliga äventyrare and her blog. The hiking blog. You may remember that we did a interview with Angeliqa a few years ago? In this booth you could carve wooden figures, and if you wanted to listen to Angeliqa, she gave a lecture every morning on "Hikefulness: On hiking prejudices, achievement culture and finding your own Everest".
Destinations and tour operators
There was an unusually high number of destinations and tour operators at the fair this year. Portugal took centre stage and showcased many of its destinations. The reason they want to showcase themselves at this particular fair is because they want to show that Portugal is an excellent destination for hiking and cycling, among other things.
We also talked for a while with the company Grönlandsresor. Their trips to Greenland, Svalbard, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Antarctica look very appealing!
What else was at explore 2018?
At the fair, visitors could find various four-wheel drive vehicles, kayaks, inflatable boats and outdoor clothing. As last year, there were also a lot of activities to try, such as diving, climbing and slacklining.
This time, we were content to stroll around the fair in peace and quiet, but last year we tested almost everything. Did you visit any of the three fairs this weekend? What did you think?
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Lena - good for the soul says:
I agree that it was lucky for the Explore fair that it was helped by the other two. Because there wasn't much to cheer about, I think, I probably have the wrong expectations. I would have liked to see more clothes and gadgets. A stand with trousers was all I saw. Too bad that Fjällräven, Lundhags, Haglöfs for clothes and shoes were not there, Otimus, Primus and Trangia for outdoor kitchens, etc. For my taste, there were too many tour operators, which I saw that many others also thought on FB forums on the subject.
Hug Lena
13 March 2018 - 6:17
Helena says:
The combination especially with the photo fair feels good, the two fairs can probably attract similar audiences. Personally, I think destinations and tour operators are quite fun, but I agree that the fair could really be filled with leisure equipment!
13 March 2018 - 7:16
Mr Peter Wolgast says:
The combination was good, but just like before, some exhibitors are missing. The big clothing brands on the outdoor side and, for example, Canon on the sole of the foot. However, I was at a fun lecture with Bingo Rimer so overall it was worth the time.
13 March 2018 - 8:35
Mr Peter Wolgast says:
Fotosidan should of course be written... Autocorrect sometimes causes problems.
13 March 2018 - 8:36
Helena says:
Haha, autocorrect is hopeless... 😉 Glad you found a good lecture! Had read about Bingo Rimér, but we didn't get any lectures this time....
13 March 2018 - 21:59
Ditte says:
We abstained. But we have had contact with Greenland Travel regarding Antarctica. Have seen that more people niche in this area.
Nice that Portugal was included to showcase more opportunities than golf and swimming. Perfect country both for cycling holidays and for hiking.
13 March 2018 - 13:23
Helena says:
Antarctica sounds incredibly exciting! 🙂
13 March 2018 - 22:01
BP says:
Have probably only been to the old Vildmarksmässan once and that was many years ago. Can well say that then there were no Pink Buses with:-)
But there were kayaks, tents and lots of game cooked by chefs from Lapland;-).
13 March 2018 - 21:03
Helena says:
So, when you have a blog, it's hard to be "fooled" ... I know it's not so many years since you were there 😉. http://bp-computerart.blogspot.se/2017/03/ett-massbesok-till-del-1-vildmarksmassan.html
13 March 2018 - 22:02
BP says:
Answer: Hahaha! I am convinced for sure. I give up. Must be the age, because I don't even remember the fair. Oh it was only a year ago!!! I do remember visiting the boat show, however:-) Okay then, the only excuse I can think of is that "Explore" did not leave a lasting impression. Or I have suffered from Alzheimer's L;-) Probably both of them;-)
14 March 2018 - 0:44