Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Begins Search For 2027 Connect Show Locations Based On Member Survey

Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, the national organization dedicated to the health and growth of specialty outdoor retail, kicked off its search for venue locations in 2027 and beyond for Connect, its twice-annual trade show. The four-day Connect Show, which provides a venue for seasonal product line showings and business conversations between retailers and vendors, takes place each June and November. 

Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, which is a retailer-owned network of 100 independently owned outdoor retailers and 69 vendor partners, is basing its search for 2027 venue locations on feedback provided by a survey conducted in late 2024. The survey targeted member retailers and vendors as well as guest retailers, guest manufacturers and independent sales reps. Of the roughly 1,200 people who attended the November Connect show, more than 20 percent responded to the survey.

The survey asked about ideal geographic locations for the show, and factors around ease of attendance, including travel, lodging, transportation, site amenities, costs and a variety of other factors.

"Connect — and Summit which came before it — have been hosted in many places across the U.S. since our first show in June 1998. As a community driven organization, the first stop in our search and evaluation of future locations and dates is grounded in direct feedback from our attendees,” said Gabe Maier, President of Grassroots Outdoor Alliance. “We’re sharing that feedback unfiltered, because we believe our community should see what we see."

Among other feedback, 51 percent of respondents said they prefer the show to take place in a location in the central U.S., vs 27.5 percent preferring the eastern U.S. and 21.5 the west. 

Timing of the Connect show, which offers an efficient, structured and timely venue for pre-season line showings critical to specialty wholesale business, was also an area of feedback, with 89 percent of respondents saying the first week of June — when Connect has traditionally taken place — is ideal. Similarly, 93 percent of respondents said that the first week of November — when the show has typically taken place in the fall — also remains optimal.

Close proximity of accommodations to the show venue and ease of travel were major factors for attendees, with nearly 70 percent ranking those of high importance. Walkability to the show venue and restaurants was also a major factor, with just over 60 percent ranking that of high importance.

Currently, the Connect show takes place in Reno, Nev., in June and Kansas City, Mo., in November — locations that are locked in through 2026. Its most recent show in November hosted 376 retail attendees representing 152 retail operations, and 132 exhibiting product manufacturers.