Grassroots Connect, the twice-annual retail buying show of Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, will move its June show to Reno, NV, beginning in 2024.
The change for the spring show was announced during the GOA’s membership meeting ahead of this week’s Grassroots Connect Show. The show has been hosted at the Knoxville Convention Center since 2013, and over that time has grown its attendee base from 37 brands and 44 retailers to 212 brands and 143 retailers.
While Grassroots openly praised the former venue, the group also cited the need for more space as the primary reason for the move.
“Reno blew us away with the quality of their convention center space, which has an ideal size and configuration for the needs of Grassroots Connect,” said Gabe Maier, president of GOA. “We certainly also appreciate the nearby outdoor access and outdoor community that our show attendees will be able to enjoy.”
The selection of Reno brings Grassroots Connect back to a region with historic ties to the outdoor industry, including its role as host for the first Grassroots Connect show held in 1998 in Lake Tahoe, CA.
The Reno-Sparks Convention Center offers 600,000 square feet of space and more than 374,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, including a $10 million renovation that was completed in 2019.
The updated calendar for the next two Grassroots Connect shows includes Kansas City, MO (November 6-9, 2023) and Reno, NV (June 10-13, 2024).
