FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 19, 2017

For more information contact:
Todd Elsworth, Recreation Northwest
360.739.8458

Media Assets
Recreation Northwest EXPO photos

Recreation Northwest EXPO Expands to Bellingham Cruise Terminal and Moves to a Saturday

BELLINGHAM, WA (Jan. 12, 2017) – Recreation Northwest announces the fourth annual Recreation Northwest EXPO will be held free for the public on Saturday, February 25, 2017 at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 355 Harris Avenue, Bellingham, WA. in the historic Fairhaven district.

The event is open Saturday from 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Visitors are invited to learn from EXPO Exhibitors and connect one-on-one with representatives from Washington State’s best recreation companies and organizations, bike and running shops, outfitters, outdoor activity clubs, stewardship organizations, gear manufacturers, local and regional events and races, and outdoor media companies. Recreation Northwest expects 70 exhibitors and 700 attendees with room for more vendors and larger booths!

The expansion of the scope of event is with the intent of bringing people from around the region to Bellingham for the weekend to see what Outdoor Recreation in Washington State has to offer.

“The City of Bellingham is proud to support the regional promotions of the EXPO and Summit through our Tourism Promotion Fund,” said Pinky Vargas, Bellingham City Council, Tourism Commission Chair. “The EXPO is a fun way to shop around and learn about all the cool places, people and gear to get Washingtonians outdoors. Moving to the larger Fairhaven venue on a Saturday afternoon will be an approachable way for visitors from near and far to come check out all the EXPO and Bellingham have to offer for the weekend.”

The EXPO “Early Bird” Exhibitors are beginning to fill the larger venue, with the next wave bound to sign up in the next week to receive reduced rates. The categories and exhibitors include: Gear & Equipment– SMC*, GEAR AID, Trail Boss, Square One Map Company LLC, Bellingham REI, Swift Industries, Trayvax, Valet Rent A Box and Kite Paddle Surf; Tours, Coaching, Health & Wellness– American Alpine Institute, FIT School, Whatcom Family YMCA, Bellingham Sports and Spine Physical Therapy Clinic, Mt. Baker Mountain Guides, S&J Natural Products; Stewardship & Outdoor Activity– Recreation Northwest, Washington Trails Association, Washington Water Trails, Community Boating Center, Pacific Northwest Trail Association, Conservation Northwest, NOLS, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance; and Regional Races– , Bellingham Traverse, Quest Adventure Races, Ragnar Events, Ski to Sea, Tour de Whatcom, Chuckanut Classic/Mt Baker Bike Club.

The Exhibitors will provide scheduled demonstrations throughout the day. These on-site, mini-courses will feature climbing & mountain rescue, quick and simple strengthening exercises, gear repair, map reading, bike camping and more to come. Door Prizes for visitors will be offered too, including a Fit School session, avalanche course, outdoor gear, Stand UP (SUP) Paddleboard rental and free entries to your favorite races!

“We’ve been cautious about our growth with our EXPO over the past three years,” said Todd Elsworth, co-Executive Director, Recreation Northwest. “Last year, we added our Outdoor Recreation Summit to serve the needs of the industry on a statewide level in support of the work that Senator Ranker and Governor Inslee have accomplished in Olympia, highlighting the economic value of recreation for us all. This year, we are intentionally expanding the scope of both events and moving the EXPO to a Saturday afternoon. Our goal is to provide a venue to show off the beauty of Bellingham and the scope and power of the outdoor industry in Washington State.”

Recreation Northwest EXPO & Summit sponsors include City of Bellingham, Outdoor Industry Association, Bellingham/Whatcom County Tourism, KAFE 104.1, Choose Whatcom, Port of Bellingham, Mount Baker Experience, Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Springhill Suites Marriott, Adventures NW Magazine, Boundary Bay Brewery, WhatcomTalk.com, REI and Gear Aid.

###

Outdoor Recreation Summit & Recreation Northwest EXPO – Bellingham, WA
Friday, February 24: Outdoor Recreation Summit, Settlemeyer Hall, BTC
Saturday, February 25: Recreation Northwest EXPO, Bellingham Cruise Terminal, Fairhaven, WA.

HIGHLIGHTS

• EXPO expands to larger venue to meet growing demand from exhibitors
• EXPO moves to a Saturday to support out of town visitors
• City of Bellingham Tourism Promotion Fund supports EXPO
• EXPO Exhibitors will provide demonstrations
• Recreation Northwest shows off scope and power of outdoor industry

QUOTES
Pinky Vargas, Bellingham City Council, Tourism Commission Chair
The City of Bellingham is proud to support the regional promotions of the EXPO and Summit through our Tourism Promotion Fund. The EXPO is a fun way to shop around and learn about all the cool places, people and gear to get you outdoors. Moving to the larger Fairhaven venue on a Saturday afternoon will be an approachable way for our Bellinghamsters and visitors from near and far to come check out all the EXPO and Bellingham have to offer for the weekend.

Todd Elsworth, co-Executive Director, Recreation Northwest
We’ve been cautious about our growth with our EXPO over the past three years. Last year, we added our Outdoor Recreation Summit to serve the needs of the industry on a statewide level in support of the work that Senator Ranker and Governor Inslee have accomplished in Olympia, highlighting the economic value of recreation for us all. This year, we are intentionally expanding the scope of both events and moving the EXPO to a Saturday afternoon. Our hope is to provide a relevant venue to show off the scope and power of the outdoor industry in Washington State.

About City of Bellingham Tourism Commission, Tourism Promotion Fund
The purpose of the Tourism Promotion Fund is to promote eligible tourism and cultural activities within the City of Bellingham. Eligibility is broadly defined to encourage wide participation and innovative proposals. Activities funded through the Tourism Promotion Fund increase economic activity by bringing tourists to Bellingham. A “tourist” is defined as a person who travels from a place of residence to a different town, city, county, state, or country, for purposes of business, pleasure, recreation, education, arts, heritage, or culture.

This fund is supported by the City’s share of sales taxes collected on overnight stays within the city limits (lodging tax). Recommendations on use of the funds are developed by the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, a subcommittee of the Tourism Commission.

For more information, visit City of Bellingham/Tourism Promotion Fund.

About Recreation Northwest
Recreation Northwest is a Bellingham, Washington–based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting outdoor recreation and bringing people together to enjoy, preserve and improve the places where we play. The strategies to fulfill our mission are through Stewardship, Education and Fun.  Stewardship of Fairhaven Park- facilitating collaboration between outdoor enthusiasts, local governments, businesses and individual landowners to improve local trail networks, provide direct service to maintain local parks and develop a sense of pride and ownership; Education highlighting the importance of outdoor recreation to our local economy and the value open space holds for our community health; Fun with our multi-sport races and events getting adults and children outside to be active, build community and enjoy our trails, public parks and open water.

For more information, visit RecreationNorthwest.org.

2017 Recreation Northwest Event Dates

Friday, February 24th Outdoor Recreation Summit

Saturday, February 25th Recreation Northwest EXPO

Saturday, May 13th Kulshan Quest Adventure Race

Sunday, May 14th Bellingham Swimrun

Saturday, September 16th Vital Choice Bellingham Traverse

Saturday, September 30th Island Quest Adventure Race