SURF EXPO RETURNS By Dorothy Crouch | Thursday, January 21, 2021 Surf Expo made attendees and exhibitors alike feel comfortable by adhering to safety protocols including temperature checks, socially distanced spacing, hand sanitizers and frequent disinfecting of booths. Returning to its home at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., Surf Expo, the major trade show for the water-sports and beach-lifestyle categories, was held Jan. 6–8. While the Emerald Expositions–owned Surf Expo relied on its digital edition Sept. 16–18, Surf Expo Connect, many in the industry felt it was time to return to the trade-show floor. Owner of the Palm Produce Resortwear shops, Stephen Licata, was happy to be at the show after relying on virtual resources to conduct meetings and see lines. With five doors spread throughout exclusive neighborhoods in New York’s Sag Harbor and Southampton areas and South Florida’s Coconut Grove, Key Biscayne, and Pinecrest neighborhoods, Licata was shopping to replenish his inventory with resortwear.