News Focus
T
he inaugural National Outdoor
Expo already has a number of
recognisable speakers in its line-up,
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. In addition, the Ordinance
Survey (OS) will be a main show
partner.
Managing director for OS Leisure,
Nick Giles, said: “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!”
The National Outdoor Expo slogan is
‘Empowering You to Get Outside and
Get Active’. Raccoon Events say this
is because research has shown that an
active outdoor lifestyle helps people
‘live longer, stay younger and enjoy
life more’. The National Outdoor Expo
plans to be a destination for outdoor
enthusiasts, and aims to provide the
inspiration, kit, tech, nutrition and
advice needed to help attendees take
part in an active outdoor lifestyle.
“An active outdoor
lifestyle helps
people live longer,
stay younger and
enjoy life more”
16 — March
Adventure
is out
there
Raccoon Events, the event
management company
behind the National Running
Shows, has announced the
launch of a new consumer
outdoor show in 2021 – The
National Outdoor Expo
The National Outdoor Expo will
include a number of interactive
features, talks and gear for attendees
to try and buy. The show will have five
key areas: walking, climbing, cooking,
camping and running.
The event has been endorsed by the
Outdoor Industries Association (OIA).
The CEO of the OIA, Andrew Denton,
said: “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.”
Outdoor specialist PR agency Media
Contact Services (MCS) has been
appointed to handle public relations
for the show launch. MCS will be
supporting the launch of the new show
to trade and consumer audiences by
working with trade and consumer
media and journalists.
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!”
The National Outdoor Expo will take
place from the 27-28 March 2021 at the
NEC, Birmingham. EN