Midwest Winter Sports Reps Association (MWSRA) and Outdoor Reps Association (ORA) have merged to form the Midwest Professional Reps Organization or M-Pro. The merger was effective on January 1. The new group said it will be “an all-season resource for sales reps and retailers in outdoor, winter sports, and the various categories that touch them.”
Founded in the 1970s (MWSRA) and 1980s (ORA), the two predecessor organizations have provided trade shows and informational resources for decades to facilitate rep/retailer relationships. With substantial member overlap, the two boards of directors proposed a merger, and the combined membership voted overwhelmingly to approve.
“The current retail climate means that retailers face increasing pressure on both their time and their money,” said M-Pro Executive Director Scott Lynch. “In-territory regional shows with inexpensive travel costs are an increasingly important tool to allow them to get their buying done.”
Lynch also noted that winter sports retailers, in particular, can see the value of avoiding carbon-intensive air travel when possible, given how difficult the mild winter of 2023/24 was for retailers.
The new organization plans four shows per year, two summer and two winter, with one per season in Saint Paul, MN and Madison, WI.
“These shows attract retailers from as far west as Nebraska and the Dakotas, south to Missouri, east to Illinois, and north to the Michigan upper peninsula,” M-Pro said in a media release. “The association website is configured to make it as easy as possible to assist retailers in connecting with the brands they rely on as well as finding new areas to drive growth.”
Image courtesy M-Pro
