Leading Brands go Big at The Big Gear Show

May 18, 2021

The Big Gear Show announces key brand and retailer attendance across the outdoor, bike, and paddle categories.

PARK CITY, UT (5/18/21) –The Big Gear Show has become the go-to outdoor industry event for summer 2021 as it heads into the final push toward its inaugural invite-only edition, held August 3-5 in Park City, Utah. Some of the most recognizable brands in the camping, climbing, cycling, and paddlesports industries – including Black Diamond, Camelbak, Diamondback, Giro, Johnson Outdoors, La Sportiva, Liberty Mountain, Osprey, Petzl, Pinarello, Tahe Outdoors and Yakima– have signed on to exhibit at the show, reconnect with their key dealers, and do both outdoors.

“We are thrilled with how the industry is responding to our event,” said Sutton Bacon, co-founder of The Big Gear Show. “Our goal is to deliver an affordable retailer-centric experience with the right format, at the right time, and in the right place. We are overwhelmed by the support of our exhibitors. As the first national outdoor industry event to stage since COVID began, I know that our retailers will be fired up to see so many of their important brand partners face-to-face.”

Retail enthusiasm is illustrated by the variety of shops already registered; from specialty stalwarts like Appomattox, Bill Jackson’s, Sunlight Sports and The Trail Head, to regional and mass merchants like Scheels and Moosejaw, to e-commerce retailers like Backcountry.com and Outdoorplay, and leading independent bike shops including Global Bikes, Landry’s, Motion Makers and Wheel & Sprocket. The Big Gear Show is endorsed by the National Bicycle Dealers Association, People for Bikes and GrassrootsOutdoor Alliance.

“For Massey’s the choice is clear,” said Mike Massey, owner of Massey’s and founder and CEO of Locally. “The team needs to see products and meet with brands before they decide what they want to present to customers in our stores. It is nearly impossible for a retailer to optimize their product mix with information solely gathered digitally.”

From the camping and climbing brand side, retailers will have a chance to meet with and try new products from Black Diamond, Camp Chef, Eureka, Goal Zero, Jetboil, Kleen Kanteen, La Sportiva, LibertyMountain, Miir, Osprey, Petzl, Princeton Tec, SOG Specialty Knives & Tools, Scarpa, Sterling Rope and many more.

“We’re looking forward to taking part in the first Big Gear Show and like that this event is taking acurated focus on more technical gear, along with an intimate and accessible format that allows forquality interaction with dealers,” said Kim Miller, CEO, SCARPA North America. “Following a year-plus of not being able to gather as an industry, we’re looking forward to being able to get back to that. And, aswe continue to navigate the end of the pandemic, an outdoor venue like this one offers a safer way togather for now.”

The Big Gear Show is meant to fit into a modern marketing plan and budget—in a manner that directly supports retailers—and as illustrated—fits seamlessly with the brands mentioned here. In the cycling category, this intention resonated with many committed brands including Camelbak, Diamondback, Giro, Pinarello, POC Sports, Stan’s NoTubes, Tern Bicycles, Troy Lee Designs, Wahoo Fitness and Yakima.

In paddlesports, The Big Gear Show will welcome brands including AIRE, Astral, AquaGlide, Eddyline Kayaks, Esquif Canoe, Johnson Outdoors / Ocean Kayak, and Old Town Canoe, Oru Kayak, Seattle Sports, Suspenz, Tahe Outdoors /SIC, Wenonah Canoe/Current Designs and many more.

“We are excited to return to an in-person trade show after two years,” said Bill Kueper, VP, WenonahCanoe. “In-person trade shows restore the opportunities of visual and social learning that electronics cannot replicate. Humans are social by nature and paddling is a hands-on experience. No amount of Google Duo or Zoom-n-doom can take the place of in-person product discussion and interaction.”

Visit The Big Gear Show for more information or for an application to this invite-only event. —

About The Big Gear Show

The Big Gear Show is America’s first open-air trade show in Park City, UT, created solely to meet the needs of outdoor shops and gear builders. The event is a demo and buying experience built for outdoor, bike, paddling, and climbing buyers and makers. The show will feature a curated group of 500 hand-selected retailers and 250 brands across the outdoor and cycling industries. The demo is fully integrated into the event, so buyers get to paddle, ride bikes, and test gear throughout the event. There is simply no better place to discover new brands and products.