Salt Lake City, USA — The Big Gear Show (TBGS), a new outdoor-industry trade show focused on hardgoods, and emphasizing paddling, biking, climbing and camping gear, officially announced its inaugural event, to be held in Salt Lake City’s Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center July 21 through 25, 2020. The show’s first three days will be reserved exclusively for specialty outdoor retailer attendees, but uniquely the final day--Saturday, July 25--will be open to the general public. Consumers can walk the show floor and preview next year’s hottest gear while meeting representatives and sponsored athletes from the most innovative gear manufacturers.
Notably, the show features biking as a core element, and is endorsed by the National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA) as the biking industry’s official 2020 trade show. NBDA represents over 1,100 independent bike storefronts. This will be the first time bike will share a hall with other outdoor categories in recent memory.
“We love networking, we love coming up with ways to work with each other, and not having the space to connect yearly has left a tremendous void,” NBDA President Brandee Lepak said. “What I’m really excited about is that it’s mostly focused on hardgoods and it’s going to be put on by retailers, for retailers. This show is going to be a healthy environment for us to do business and work with all of the other industries on putting together an education platform that will benefit all of us.”
The Big Gear Show exhibitor model offers rates designed for hardgoods manufacturers, innovators and start-ups that don’t have the margins to afford more-expensive mainstream trade shows. By saving exhibitors over 50% in exhibition fees, the pricing structure keeps money in the pockets of gear companies. Exhibitor rates for the show will range from $12 to $15 per square foot. All participants will be carefully curated to ensure relevancy for hardgoods-only retailers and manufacturers.
For retailers, The Big Gear Show offers hardgoods buyers a chance to see every piece of outdoor equipment sold in the summer under one roof. The show will also offset buyer travel expenses by awarding retailers a housing stipend based on how early they register for the show. And The Big Gear Show will stress peer-to-peer educational opportunities because retailers learn best from other retailers, not from consultants.
The show’s most unique feature will be the final-day consumer show. Consumers are a missing but crucial voice in the industry, and the consumer day will be a brand showcase, giving small and upcoming start-ups unparalleled access to thousands of consumers and industry media. Consumers will likewise enjoy connecting with grassroots gear companies they’d otherwise never see. Consumer attendance will also amplify media interest in the show, and the resulting buzz media outlets and consumer word-of-mouth will result in a better return on investment for all show participants.
“We’re starting this show for hardgoods manufacturers, innovators, and industry start-ups who don’t have the profit margins to afford expensive trade shows. Our show is about the future and not the past. It’s about parity, curation, the democratization of floorspace, and the prioritization of innovation. We’ll have booth size limits for larger brands and VIP placements for start-ups. We understand the importance of being in one room - no more basements, tents, or ballrooms. We are all about heralding product innovation in all aspects of the show and challenging the entire industry to answer the fundamental question of ‘what's next?’” said show co-founder Sutton Bacon.
