Snowsports Industries America (SIA) announced its intention to acquire the consumer-focused Boston and Denver Ski and Snowboard Expos from BEWI Productions, Inc. Founded in 1979 under the leadership of its founder/president, Bernard E. Weichsel, BEWI is the producer of the
Boston Ski & Snowboard Expo and the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Expo. Back in the spring of 2017, SIA sold it’s longrunning trade event to Emerald Exposition, the owners of the the Outdoor Retailer events, for $16.7 million. SIA said that creating a direct connection with the consumer is critical to the future success of its membership, which is made up of stakeholders from across the industry including suppliers, retailers, reps and resorts.
“Since the sale of the Snow Show which focused on a B-to-B experience, we have turned our focus to B-to-C. We asked ourselves how SIA can best connect our industry directly with today’s consumer, and consumer expos make a ton of sense in this regard,” said Nick Sargent, president of SIA. “Consumer expos create experiential and direct interactions with winter sports enthusiasts and potential enthusiasts. These expos are intended to benefit suppliers, specialty retailers, and all industry stakeholders equally.”
The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year and is subject to certain closing conditions. Thereafter, SIA plans to start the transformation of the Denver and Boston shows in the fall of 2020, with an eye on expanding to additional cities, thereby creating a nationwide network of consumer-focused events for the industry, said the association.
