PORTLAND, Maine — Diversified’s The Running Event (TRE) has always been about bringing the community of running and outdoor industry professionals together in a meaningful way. Whether stakeholders are interested in the latest footwear, apparel, gear or service trends, the show has a track record of giving this community the highest quality experience.
“Running is becoming much more than a sport: It’s truly a lifestyle and a culture that’s blending into communities everywhere,” Genae Salinas, TRE’s Senior Marketing Manager, explained. “As running grows, there’s of course opportunity for TRE to grow too. The key is that we’re being strategic, listening to our audience and delivering an experience that really meets their needs.”
This dedication to meeting the community’s needs has helped TRE experience its largest show since it launched in 2006. The Running Event 2025, which was Dec. 2–4 at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, had more than 5,300 total attendees and 357 brands covering nearly 100,000 square feet — a 10% increase from last year.
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Part of what TRE’s community responded to was the show’s new location. After 10 successful years in Austin, Salinas says the event’s move gave attendees a fresh experience that heightened their enjoyment.
“Many of our attendees noted that the change helped push them out of their old routines in Austin and be more present at this year’s event,” Salinas said.
Tapping Into Authenticity
In addition to moving TRE, the show tapped into the authenticity it’s known for by adopting a personal outreach strategy.
“Our marketing team is always looking for new ways to reach and engage our audience,” Salinas said. “The one-to-one outreach goes a long way in our industry — and likely others — as it just delivers that extra touch of connection and support that generalized marketing messages can’t quite convey.”
Similarly, to ensure TRE’s authenticity, the event also made a point of creating content that the community would most resonate with — further connecting the audience to the show.
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“We’re finding that our more unpolished, ‘real’ videos and posts resonate better with our audience compared to highly-edited content,” Salinas added. “This type of authentic content builds trust while truly showing what TRE is and why our audience should be there.”
And part of why TRE’s audience should be there is because of the educational content it provides every year, which has always been curated to address the specific needs of the community.
“Each year, our programming gets stronger and stronger, and it’s clear our audience comes to learn and understand ways they can grow their business, lead their teams and be more innovative,” Salinas said. “Providing educational content geared to a specific industry — and really understanding how to address their challenges and meet their needs — is a huge undertaking, but has become invaluable to the TRE experience.”
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