The Top Outdoor Industry Trade Shows & Conventions of 2027
Nothing moves a deal forward like a handshake on the show floor. Here are the confirmed 2027 dates, cities and venues for the hunting, shooting, fishing, archery and outdoor retail events that matter — plus the big schedule shake-ups you need to know before you book a single hotel room.
2027 at a Glance
Number of shows on this list opening each month. Budget and staff your year around the peaks.
What's Different in 2027
- Outdoor Retailer is now in Minneapolis in August. After decades anchored in Utah and Denver, the show has moved to a late-summer slot built around specialty retailers' buying calendars.
- Switchback Spring moves up to May. It stays in New Orleans but shifts from June to May 22–24 to land at the start of wholesale buying.
- ISPO leaves Munich. Europe's big sporting-goods show is now held in early November at RAI Amsterdam, under new ownership.
- DSC's last year in Atlanta. The Dallas Safari Club Convention wraps its two-year Atlanta run in January 2027 before heading to Houston in 2028.
- SCI moves up a month. The SCI Convention jumps from late February to January 20–23 — overlapping SHOT Show week.
- IWA stays in March. A planned move to April was put on hold, so IWA OutdoorClassics keeps its familiar early-March slot in Nuremberg.
The 2027 Show Calendar
In date order. Filter by market to find the shows your buyers actually walk.
Surf Expo (Winter)
The year opens with the longest-running watersports and coastal lifestyle marketplace — surf, paddle, swim, resort, boutique and coastal outdoor brands writing orders for spring and summer.
Visit the Surf Expo website ?ATA Show Week
The first big buying event of the year for archery. The members-only ATA Trade Show runs two days, then the floor opens to consumers for the Archery & Bowhunting Supershow — one booth, two very different audiences.
Visit the ATA Show Week website ?DSC Convention & Sporting Expo
Dallas Safari Club's flagship draws outfitters, professional hunters, firearms and optics makers, and a deep-pocketed membership for four days of exhibits, auctions and banquets.
TTHA Outdoors Extravaganza
Texas Trophy Hunters Association's expanded consumer show puts gear, optics, firearms, ranch properties and outfitters in front of one of the most active hunting audiences in the country.
Visit the TTHA Outdoors Extravaganza website ?Houston Safari Club Convention
A tighter, relationship-driven convention for international and big-game hunters. Smaller than DSC or SCI, but the attendees are serious buyers of hunts, guns and travel.
Visit the Houston Safari Club website ?SHOT Show
The biggest week of the year for firearms, ammunition, optics, tactical and hunting gear. Organized by NSSF and restricted to verified industry, it's where launches, dealer deals and media coverage are decided.
SCI Hunters' Convention
Safari Club International's convention is one of the world's largest gatherings of hunters, outfitters and gear makers, with auctions and galas that run into the evenings. Grand Slam Club/Ovis holds its day on Sunday, January 24.
Wild Sheep Foundation Sheep Show®
The 50th edition of the Sheep Show brings together mountain hunters, outfitters and premium backcountry brands — optics, packs, apparel — with fundraising that feeds wild sheep conservation.
Visit the Sheep Show website ?Great American Outdoor Show
Nine days, nine halls and more than 1,000 exhibitors — guns, archery, tackle, boats, RVs and hundreds of outfitters. The NRA's consumer show is the largest of its kind and a major direct-to-consumer sales opportunity.
Visit the Great American Outdoor Show website ?NWTF Convention & Sport Show
The National Wild Turkey Federation's annual gathering is the pre-spring-season showcase for calls, decoys, blinds, shotguns and camo — timed right before turkey season opens.
Visit the NWTF Convention website ?Western Hunting & Conservation Expo
Hosted by the Mule Deer Foundation and Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife, this expo is a hub for western big-game hunters, tag seekers and the brands that outfit them.
Visit the Hunt Expo website ?IWA OutdoorClassics
Europe's leading trade fair for hunting and target sports — the place to meet international distributors and specialist retailers for guns, optics, knives, apparel and accessories.
Bassmaster Classic & Outdoors Expo
Bass fishing's championship pairs three days of weigh-ins with a huge fan expo. Lake Hartwell hosts for a record fifth time; the 2022 Classic here drew roughly 155,000 fans.
Visit the Bassmaster Classic website ?NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits
Roughly 14 acres of exhibits plus seminars, concerts and special events. Unlike SHOT, this is a consumer crowd — a strong venue for brand-building and direct engagement with gun owners.
Visit the NRA Annual Meetings website ?Switchback Spring
A business-and-education event for outdoor specialty brands and retailers, run in partnership with Outdoor Industry Association. Expect footwear, apparel, camping, hiking and trail-running brands plus workshops and meeting space.
Grassroots Connect (Spring)
The buying group for independent outdoor retailers holds its spring show where member stores meet vendors and write orders. A must for brands selling through independent specialty shops.
Visit the Grassroots Connect website ?ICAST
The world's largest sportfishing trade show, run by the American Sportfishing Association. Rods, reels, tackle, electronics, boats and apparel — and the New Product Showcase awards that drive the year's buzz.
Visit the ICAST website ?DSC Summer Expo & Foundation Gala
Dallas Safari Club's mid-year expo keeps the hunting community engaged outside convention season — a smaller, more social floor that's good for relationship-building.
Visit the DSC Summer Expo website ?Outdoor Retailer
North America's longest-running outdoor business show, rebuilt around brand discovery. Education Day is August 18, with the exhibit hall open August 19–20 and a creator program that extends reach well beyond the floor.
Outdoor Economy Conference
The nation's largest conference focused on outdoor recreation as an economic engine — conservation, tourism, trails and community growth. Great for brands and destinations working the policy and partnership side.
Visit the Outdoor Economy Conference website ?Equip Exposition
The biggest show for outdoor power equipment, landscape and hardscape — indoor exhibits plus a massive outdoor demo yard where contractors and dealers test before they buy.
Visit the Equip Exposition website ?Before the Calendar Flips
Late-2026 events where 2027 orders, partnerships and plans get made.
2027 Dates Still Pending
Recurring shows worth watching whose 2027 dates hadn't been published at press time.
Make the Booth Pay for Itself
A trade show is one of the biggest line items in an outdoor brand's marketing budget. Here's how we help clients turn floor traffic into revenue.
Pre-Show Buzz
Start 6–8 weeks out. Email your dealer list, tease launches on social and book appointments before the doors open — the best meetings are scheduled, not stumbled into.
A Booth That Stops Traffic
You have about three seconds as buyers walk the aisle. Bold, readable graphics, clear product hierarchy and one headline message beat a wall of logos every time.
Capture Every Lead
Badge scans are useless without notes. Tag each lead by type — dealer, distributor, media, consumer — and what they want, so follow-up is specific.
Follow Up in 48 Hours
Most exhibitors wait too long. Segmented follow-up emails, retargeting to show attendees and post-show content keep your brand in front of buyers while they're deciding.
Heading to a Show in 2027?
Richardson Marketing is a Las Vegas–based agency that works with hunting, fishing, shooting and outdoor lifestyle brands — and we're a few miles from the SHOT Show floor. We handle the full trade show picture:
- Convention signage and trade show displays
- Pre-show email, social and paid campaigns
- Landing pages and lead capture built for the show
- Post-show nurture and conversion tracking
Need Help With Your Outdoor Marketing?
Trade shows are one piece of the puzzle. Richardson Marketing builds year-round strategies for hunting, fishing, shooting and outdoor lifestyle brands — branding, social media, SEO, paid ads, email and lead generation that reach the outdoor consumer and keep working long after the booth comes down.
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