Product Powerup, A Unique Product Conference, Is Breaking Barriers And Redefining Utah’s $30 Billion Non-Technical Product Industry.
When Product Powerup Co-founder Brian Sather moved his consumer goods sourcing company, Blacksmith International, from California to Utah he knew there was something special about Utah. “There is a buzz in the air. An energy surrounding product companies that just doesn’t exist anywhere else,” said Sather sipping on his coffee when we first met nearly 3 years ago. He quickly added “The only other place I have felt this kind of energy is in Silicon Valley in the late 90’s when I was working in tech.”
Since leaving California for the much brighter prospects of Utah, Sather has helped nearly 300 product companies get their products made in Asia. What seems very clear to him and his partners Ezra Roper, Eric Child, and Reed Quinn, is that there is an opportunity for Utah to become the focal point of new product creation as we move into the next phase of direct to consumer retail. In order to capture the energy and the potential of what is happening in our State, they came together to start Product PowerUp.
Product PowerUp’s inaugural event took place last October and was incredibly well attended. “There were people parking two miles away because the lots were all full. Once you got in the door it was standing room only,” said co-founder Ezra Roper. Product PowerUp’s focus on delivering content relevant to Utah’s non-technical product companies definitely struck a chord. Companies such as Klymit, Mission Belt, Rags, Freshly Picked, Stance and many more came together to talk share, learn and connect. “The feedback we received was overwhelming. Product People want a community of their own where they can meet with and learn from others who are building, designing, selling, or even just buying great products.” said Sather.
The inaugural event served as all the validation the team needed to double down on just about every aspect of the conference. This year’s event will be held on the 20th and 21st of September at Mountain West Credit Union Expo Center in Sandy, formerly South Towne. There will be over 1,000 product focused entrepreneurs and companies gathering together to connect, learn, and achieve over the two days. Day 1 will feature speakers such as Forbes most connected man on the planet, David Bradford, Cotopaxi’s Davis Smith, HSN star Stacey Schieffelin who has sold more product on the network than anyone else in history, and the incredibly successful husband and wife duo from Holster Brands. Day 2 will be more hands on. The event will feature a Product Pavilion showcasing many of the awesome brands here in the state. As a new addition, there will be an Outdoor Innovation Pavilion dedicated to Utah’s booming outdoor product sector. See companies from Klymit, Cotopaxi, Vista Outdoor, Backcountry, Petzl, Coalatree, and more show off their latest products and talk about what’s coming next in outdoor.
You have to admit that they could be on to something. Forbes rated Utah as the number one state for business. Utah has the highest per capita SBA loan rate in the US (57.43). Kickstarter’s top ten most funded campaigns are all Utah-based campaigns. Product companies in Utah are collectively worth $30 billion (yeah, billion with a “B”). The phrase, “This is the place” still rings true in the beehive state. We all just need to take the next step in generating massive growth for our businesses. That next step is taking that fragmented business value and forging a cohesive, supportive community.
