We’ve recently attended Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, a trade show dubbed “the Woodstock for all things climbing, kayaking, and camping.” While the Zigo Leader may not fit into this descriptor line lock and key, it was still an incredible place for us to mingle amongst the Outdoor Industry and gain feedback.

Although we may be a small company, we feel as though we’ve made a deep and lasting impression amongst our peers. According to thestreet.com, there is a deep rooted long-term fear that the industry may take a downturn. It is the competition of XBox360 and Playstation 3. Are kids sacrificing the traditional pastime playing outside for a virtual world?

While we at Zigo have our internal concerns about the world’s fate due to rising oil costs and keeping ourselves healthy in an increasingly sedentary society, we had no idea that an entire industry was concerned, and enough so to start a $20 million marketing campaign called “I Will” (backed by REI, Northface, and Timberland) to pass on the love of the outdoors to a new generation. The Leader has been fortunate enough to be named as one such product by thestreet.com!

But regardless of the Outdoor Industry Association’s motivations, Zigo began as a way to provide parents a better way to transport their loved ones. With that aim in mind, Outdoor Retailer has given us our first taste of success.

Over the last four years of development, we’ve done a lot of testing with various weights in the ChildPod, handling, and overall consumer experience. We’ve held focus groups for parents for concept validation, design aesthetics, and rideability… but one thing that we haven’t tested is child satisfaction.

While working the booth at Outdoor Retailer, I cannot tell you how many children came up to us and asked to go for a ride. One toddler spotted us through two aisles and ran through another booth to get to us, then ran back twice as fast after we told him he couldn’t ride without asking his mom.

The most promising response, however, came from one parent who actually took the Leader for a spin with her child and her friend’s child. On the first day, two women exhibitors stopped by. On day three, one of them returned with her friend. On the last day, this friend came back with her kids, a fourth woman, and her kids. Then we finally relented, let them go for a ride, and they all came back with smiles.

Change your life. Change the world. Zigo.