The Big Gear Show (BGS) looks to do a bit of a 180 with its summer trade show next summer, abandoning nearly everything that was supposed to set it apart from other shows. Gone will be the Park City, UT location, and along with that move, an outdoor location on water to demo boats.
The show, which will be in its third year in 2023, will make the surprising move to the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO, a location that Outdoor Retailer has decided to exit for a return to its former long-term location in Salt Lake City, UT, in 2023.
The show will also move from its August timeframe, which was more desirable for the big gear-buying season for boats and bikes that prompted founders Darren Bush, owner of Rutabaga Paddlesports, and Sutton Bacon, former owner of Nantahala Outdoor Center to create the show in the first place.
The new Big Gear Show will run June 8-11, 2023, and co-locate with an e-bike-focused show, (e)revolution.
In a release, the show plans to “represent a new era of industry events called B2B2C, or ‘business to business to consumer,’ and will consist of two industry days and two consumer days.” Yes, that is correct, two consumer days. The OR Summer Market will be held at the Salt Palace on June 19-21, 2023. June is also a big month for buying group shows and regional rep shows.
The addition of the two consumer days may provide some vendors a reason to participate in the show with a promise of selling products to offset show expenses. But this formula has been tried before in other segments of the active lifestyle retail market, and retailers pushed back hard in the past when consumers were invited to attend a show. There was also a conflict for brands selling future seasonal goods to retailers while consumers would only get a peak at new offerings. If the brands intend to sell products to consumers, they need to roll out their in-season offerings. Regardless, it will not make retailers happy.
In addition to showcasing outdoor, cycling, climbing, paddlesports, and camping gear, The Big Gear Show said in a release that it will add “relevant categories like overland, trail running, and gear that you wear, like functional and technical footwear and apparel.”
“Our ethos has always been to embrace both retailers and consumers, and we feel like now is the time to bring our industry to where the people are,” said Kenji Haroutunian, show director, adding “When we first announced The Big Gear Show in 2020, we envisioned it taking place inside an accessible center city location, designed to incorporate product demonstrations as well as consumer engagement; the pandemic necessitated moving the show outdoors and staging in a more open-air, intimate format and without consumers.”
In welcoming The Big Gear Show, Governor Jared Polis said, “Colorado’s outdoor recreation opportunities are not only a lot of fun, but the outdoor industry is a big part of our thriving economy, creating good-paying jobs, supporting our small businesses across the state, and connecting people to our world-class outdoors. As a business person, I am excited about the opportunity that The Big Gear Show presents for our entrepreneurs and for our state to expand and showcase our inclusive and booming outdoor recreation industry and products.”
The show press release suggests that the move to Denver “provides exhibitors with access to over three million people and one of the most active outdoor populations in the country,” and by co-locating with (e)revolution, The Big Gear Show will “attract new and more diverse participants to learn about the innovative gear that promotes active outdoor recreation.”
Haroutunian noted, “We recognize early June is a busy time for the industry. But we feel there is no better time than June to gather the industry and kick off the outdoor industry’s summer recreation season.”
The show PR also stated that the show “remains committed to being retailer-centric with first-look opportunities at next year’s gear, a continuation of the retailer travel subsidy program and retailer-focused education programming.” Zones dedicated to product demonstration and testing will be “integrated into the show itself, letting attendees get hands-on experience with new products.”
“Colorado is excited to host The Big Gear Show and its forward-looking concept of an inclusive industry gathering of consumers and retailers,” said Outdoor Recreation Industry Office Director Conor Hall. “Events like The Big Gear Show and (e)revolution are important components in our push to ensure Colorado is a national leader in outdoor recreation and remains the gathering place of the industry where brands, retailers and consumers come together to learn, network and celebrate the great outdoors.”
The two shows are produced by Lost Paddle Events, LLC. A company with that name was registered as a Delaware Limited Liability Company in August 2020 with other LLCs with the same name registered in September 2021 in North Carolina with Sutton Bacon listed as the agent and another registered in the State of Washington in March 2021 with Sutton Bacon as governor. The Big Gear Show, LLC was shown as formed in Delaware in September 2019.
The show’s press release states that “Lost Paddle Events is the leader in retailer and consumer-focused trade shows. Led by a team of industry trade show experts across multiple outdoor recreation categories, Lost Paddle Events produces outdoor-focused events across a range of outdoor recreation categories. Its events include the premiere multi-category trade show – The Big Gear Show, the first of its kind e-bike trade show – (e)revolution, and consumer-centric sports shows, including the Saltwater Fishing Expo, Chicagoland Fishing Travel & Outdoor Expo, and World Fishing & Outdoor Expo.”
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