Leading brands and dealers in the outdoor equipment industry will converge on Nanjing on Wednesday for a four-day trade event, the 8th Asia Outdoor Trade Show.

Running from July 24 to 27 at the Nanjing International Expo Center, the event will provide a platform for communication and brand presentation within the outdoor industry.

Around 610 exhibitors from 22 countries and regions are expected to attend, 209 of them from outside China, showing off and testing everything from tents to climbing boots, from rucksacks to kayaks.

“Every year, brands, dealers and outdoor experts from home and abroad gather at this marketplace,” said Knut Jaeger, Chairman of Asia Outdoor.

Various famous national and overseas brands, such as Deuter, Toread, Northland, Sea To Summit and Outdoor Research, are veterans of the event, and this year they have expanded their booths in order to show off their latest products.

Among the brands attending the event for the first time are Gregory, KEEN, Zamberlan, Li-Ning Adventure and The North Face.

As in previous years, the show will include a variety of climbing competitions, including this year's Asia Outdoor-China Bouldering Open. Running for two days, the event is organized by the Chinese Mountaineering Association and The North Face and sponsored by Kailas. Athletes from China, neighboring Asian countries and USA will take part in the competition, which includes both amateur and professional climber categories.

Nanjing has become an international hub for sports in recent years, with a growing range of athletic events taking place in the city and surroundings. The Asian Youth Games will take place there in August and the city will welcome the Youth Olympic Games in 2014.