When it comes to trade shows, we're still in limbo across most of the industry. The old way of doing business—thousands of people gathering in a convention center—is still a long way off. Outdoor Retailer announced yesterday that its winter trade show, originally scheduled for January 27-29 in Denver, has been replaced by a virtual substitute. Much of the industry calendar is following suit. The Adventure Travel Trade Association, for example, just held its big annual conference, AdventureELEVATE, online.
But some groups are eyeing a tentative return to normal. Grassroots announced recently that its annual Connect show has been scheduled for Nov 8-11, 2021, in Kansas City. The Big Gear Show is still set to run next August. These organizations are forging ahead with the assumption that in a year's time a vaccine for the coronavirus will be widely available, transmission rates will have fallen dramatically, and most of the world will consider it safe to travel and congregate again.
On the other side of the spectrum, some industry-adjacent groups are already planning live gatherings in the next few months. The most notable of these is the Shot Show, the hunting and gun trade show happening in Las Vegas from January 19-20. It's certainly conceivable that some brands and retailers in our industry will attend the event.
We want to know: When will you feel comfortable going back to in-person trade shows? Take our quick poll below to see how the rest of the industry feels.
