ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BRAIN) — The Eastern Outdoor Reps Association and New England Sports Reps, two trade groups, are merging to become Eastern Active Sports Reps. Members of each group voted in January to begin the merger, and last month the bylaws for the new organization were approved. The new entity is incorporated in Vermont and is awaiting 501(c6) approval from the IRS.
The new organization brings together 660 reps into its combined membership.
“The overarching goals of merging were to make it easier for reps, retailers and our outdoor industry partners to do business together. EORA and NESR shared mutual seasonal roles in the New England trade show cycle. By merging our groups, we’ll consolidate the point of contact for everyone involved, work as a unified team across all seasons, and market our trade shows and values more effectively,” said Allison Frazier, president of EORA.
Will Masson, the president of NESR, said, “We at NESR are super excited to have completed a three-year process to merge NESR and EORA into one new group. The opportunities to work as a single entity were very clear from the beginning and we are thrilled it has come to fruition. The timing could not have been better with the current changes in our winter and summer outdoor industries.”
Nine board members for the new organization were voted in on Sept. 1, with three representatives each from New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Southeast regions. Their first board meeting will be held in early October in Washington, D.C.
The merged organization will maintain two regional offices in Massachusetts and North Carolina and keep existing staff in place. Debbie Motz will continue as the organization’s southern director in Asheville, and Maureen Bliss will serve as the organization’s northern director in Westborough.
A representative for the newly formed group said the board plans to establish a marketing team at the October meeting and may come up with a new name and logo for the group, which would be announced in March.
