Maybe it’s the harsh winter that has impacted much of the upper United States during early 2019. Whatever the reason, record crowds escaped the cold to attend two major consumer shows in two parts of the country.
2019 Great American Outdoor Show
The National Rifle Association hosted its sixth annual Great American Outdoor Show at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The show, which spanned Feb. 2-10, saw a record 179,000 outdoors enthusiasts from across the nation.
The 650,000-square-foot exhibit hall featured everything from firearms and accessories, archery equipment and fishing tackle to hunting apparel, boats and recreational vehicles. Approximately 400 hunting outfitters and fishing charter captains were on site, booking adventures across the U.S. and around the world. Attendees experienced world-class education and training in 200 seminars from outdoor celebrities and experts, watched 50 angling demonstrations at the popular Hawg Tank, and earned culinary chops at 30 cooking demonstrations featuring wild game and fish recipes.
“The NRA Great American Outdoor Show is a great opportunity to meet our customers, hear their needs, and share some of our Magpul insights with them about current and upcoming products,” said Scott Creed, director of marketing for Magpul Industries Corp. “There is nothing like it out there.”
Nearly 7,000 shooters of all ages took their best shots at the NRA Air Gun range, firing 85,000 airsoft rounds into 500 targets. The NRA Range Experience welcomed a record number of participants, who fired 250,000 airsoft rounds.
The Friends of NRA Banquet on Feb. 7 and The NRA Foundation’s Wall of Guns raffle raised about $90,000 to support firearms safety training and education programs in Pennsylvania and beyond.
The 2020 Great American Outdoor Show is scheduled for Feb. 1-9 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex.
2019 Western Hunting & Conservation Expo
After four busy days, the 13th annual Western Hunting & Conservation Expo, also known as the Hunt Expo, closed 54,685 people passed through the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City. Attendance for the Feb. 14-17 show was up nearly 9 percent from 2018.
“The Western Hunting & Conservation Expo keeps getting better every year, and this year was no exception,” said Miles Moretti, President and CEO of the Mule Deer Foundation. “Even with bad weather we had incredible turnout, and Saturday was the biggest day in the show’s history with more than 30,000 people on the expo hall floor during the day. The show gives our organization a chance to showcase the good conservation work that we are doing for mule deer and black-tailed deer and for western hunters.”
Approximately 500 companies exhibited on the expanded 530,000 square feet of exhibit space. The Western Hunting & Conservation Expo also is a critical fundraiser for conservation efforts in the West. About $8 million was raised at Hunt Expo through show passes, auctions, tag sales, and other fundraisers.
The 2020 Western Hunting & Conservation Expo will be held Feb. 13-16 in the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.
