*FOR TRADE PUBLICATION ONLY*
Raccoon Events, the Event Management company behind the award-winning National Running Shows (Birmingham, London and Paris) is launching a new consumer outdoor show in 2021. The National Outdoor Expo will take place on the 27th and 28th March 2021 at the NEC, Birmingham.
The inaugural show has already signed up world-class inspirational speakers including broadcaster, writer and adventurer Ben Fogle, sportsman, athlete and adventurer James Cracknell OBE, adventurer and extreme endurance athlete Sean Conway and endurance runner Susie Chan, as well as signing up the Ordnance Survey as the main show partner.
‘We’re delighted to be supporting the launch of the first National Outdoor Expo in 2021 and are hugely excited to see the whole of the outdoor community coming together in one place. At OS, helping more people to get outside more often is at the heart of our business, and we think this is just what outdoor enthusiasts need to get them even more inspired!’ Nick Giles, Managing Director of OS Leisure.
The National Outdoor Expo ethos is ‘Empowering you to Get Outside and Get Active’ – research shows believe that an active outdoor lifestyle helps people live longer, stay younger and enjoy life more. The National Outdoor Expo will be a destination for outdoor enthusiasts and provide all of the inspiration, kit, tech, nutrition and advice to help you thrive in an active outdoor lifestyle.
The National Outdoor Expo will be packed full of interactive features, inspiring talks and the very latest gear for you to try and buy, all under one roof. The show will have five key areas: walking, climbing, cooking, camping and running.
The event has the endorsement of the Outdoor Industries Association (OIA) – ‘Our mission to ‘Get Britain Active Outside’ requires inspiration, and what Raccoon Events have done at the National Running Expo certainly shows they can do that! They have a fresh, innovative approach to consumer expos’ and we are excited to be working with them to drive forward the industry and support more consumers being active outdoors’ said Andrew Denton, CEO, Outdoor Industries Association.
Leading outdoor specialist PR agency Media Contact Services (MCS) has been appointed to handle the public relations activity for the show launch. Starting with immediate effect, MCS has been retained to support the launch of the new show to trade and consumer audiences, working with trade and consumer media and journalists to ensure the launch show is a success.
Mike Seaman, CEO, Raccoon Events said: ‘We believe that there is a gap in the market for a large-scale consumer event for people that are interested in an active outdoor lifestyle and we are excited to replicate our success in the running market with this new event launch. I am passionate about getting people active outdoors and I want us to create a community-lead consumer show that is exciting, inclusive and will help to grow the market.
The event will have a strong focus on sustainability and has been set up to support the market that we serve with donations to both the OIA and charities that encourage being active outdoors. The outdoor industry has been incredibly supportive of our plans and it is heartening to see how many organisations have already confirmed their participation despite us not officially launching until March!’
If you are interested in finding out about exhibition or sponsoring the Expo, please get in touch with Mike Seaman at mike@raccoonevents.com.
About Raccoon Events
Raccoon Events is a dynamic, high-growth events business focused on health and wellbeing markets. Our events are well-timed, community-driven, tightly focused and passion-led. They bring buyers and sellers together to see cutting edge innovations in a fun and exciting way.
We set up Raccoon because we wanted to create exhibitions that offer something new and different in underserved markets that we understand and that we love. We believe that great events are about Community, Fun, Innovation and Excitement. Over the last 14 years, we’ve run hundreds of exhibitions and conferences in key locations all over the world.
About MCS
Established in 1979, MCS is the leading Public Relations agency in the outdoor sports market, with over 40 years of expertise developing brand-building campaigns. We offer unrivalled expertise and knowledge of the industry’s media, which combined with our unique approach and enthusiasm leads to cost-effective results.