Last weekend (23-24 Oct 2021) saw the first ever National Snow Show at the NEC, Birmingham, with exactly 9,273 visitors and 150 exhibitors attending the two-day exhibition.
Organisers have dubbed the event a ‘phenomenal success’ despite the hugely challenging circumstances for the entire industry.
After 16 months of planning the event kicked off with snowsports legends Chemmy Alcott, Billy Morgan, Jamie Nicholls and host Scott Penman meeting visitors and handing out goodies to over 500 visitors who were waiting for the doors to open, before cutting the ribbon and declaring the show open. The event quickly filled, and the visitor numbers were steady throughout the event.
Stephen Morgan, MD at Raccoon Events Active Division, the organiser of the event, commented:
“We knew the event would be good but we were blown away by the reaction from both the industry and the visitors. It was a hard 16-month slog to get the show to where it was, in hugely challenging circumstances, no one knowing what the state of the travel industry would be in 21/22 and following on from the toughest year the industry has faced in a very long time. The support of key organisations, the faith our early adopter brands showed and the appetite from the public to attend a snow show meant we were able to deliver a very successful event. We have huge plans for the Show with 2022 already shaping up to be double the size. We have already signed more brands than we had at this year’s event and have some incredible speakers booked up.”
The show, the first in the UK since the last London Battersea Park show in autumn 2019, hosted beginners ski and snowboard lessons on the SnowDome dry slope, saw some incredible demonstrations and lessons on the Skate Mini Ramp from Graystone Action Sports, tested people’s endurance and strength in the RAF Nordic Biathlon experience, and pitted friend against friend on the Palm Culture Balance Board feature.
“We have received a lot of feedback from the event and we are taking it all on board, we are planning to have more brands, more space, more have-a-go experiences and more destinations with the latest kit available to buy with a healthy mix of consumer focused content and trade opportunities on board for 2022,” Stephen concluded.
(Pictured top: L-R Billy Morgan, Stephen Morgan, Chemmy Alcott, Jamie Nicholls and Scott Penman)
