PARK CITY, Utah (BRAIN) — The Big Gear Show, a bike and outdoor trade show scheduled to debut this year, will take place Aug. 3-5, 2021, and be endorsed by the National Bicycle Dealers Association.
The show will feature a curated group of 500 retailers and 250 brands across the cycling and outdoor industries. It’s quickly filling up, with only 120 retailer invitations remaining.
The show — canceled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic — also will take place at a new location, Deer Valley Resort, and be held completely outdoors. Social distancing will be managed on the trails, water, roads, and chairlifts. All manufacturers will exhibit in adjacent segment zones, so buyers can see, try and buy with efficiency.
The show will not have consumers attending in-person to limit attendance to invited buyers, sellers, and media to ensure safety. In addition to the NBDA, the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance also has officially endorsed the show.
“The NBDA and our 600 members proudly endorse The Big Gear Show, the only national show for the outdoor industry,” said Kent Cranford, board chair of the NBDA. “The Big Gear Show team clearly sees the importance of specialty retailers by providing us with an exciting experiential buying and educational event. This B2B format is long overdue and we now feel we have the perfect partner going forward.”
The NBDA is offering Big Gear Show VIP status to the IBDs comprising America's Best Bike Shops for 2020.
Having the show in August avoids any conflicts with retailers being out of their shop during peak busy season in July, show organizers said.
“While there’s a lot of new to the 2021 edition of The Big Gear Show, one thing remains the same: our commitment to serve and resource the hardgoods community, which we believe is a key driver in the innovation of outdoor equipment,” said show founder Sutton Bacon. “Gear is central to the leading role outdoor recreation is taking in the pandemic and recession recovery.”
New gear-focused resources and education tracks will be available to exhibitors leading up to the show, with the intention of supporting the modernization and expansion of the cycling and outdoor specialty retail business.
“We understand that the future success of the specialty outdoor and bike business hinges on generating ongoing discovery and unique experiences for our target enthusiast consumers,” Bacon said. “Gear makers and purveyors are the joint architects of this experience.”
A limited quantity of space is still available for gear shops, specialty makers, and invite-only media from the outdoor, bike, and paddle segments.
To learn more and to apply for an invitation, go to thebiggearshow.com. Invitations for brands will be sent out in November.
