The biggest western lifestyle bash of the year is almost here and the 2018 version promises to be bigger and better than ever. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s Hunter & Outdoor Christmas Expo, presented by Cinch, begins its 10-day run in conjunction with the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR) December 6-15 in Las Vegas. It will take place in the South Halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center, upstairs from Cowboy Christmas.
“The expo provides us a unique opportunity to reach out to more than 150,000 people from all walks of life and from all across our nation,” said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO, “where we aim to celebrate our mission and the good work we’re doing to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.”
New this year is the Cowboys for Conservation Calcutta, presented by Reachoutwest. It will take place at the Realtree Live Stage (booth #1136). The Calcutta gives attendees the opportunity to win big money by taking part in an auction for all 120 WNFR contestants while also raising funds for RMEF. There will also be a daily auction for a team of contestants, one from each event.
Other Realtree Live Stage events include the Cowboys for Conservation Show highlighted by interviews with WNFR contestants, CanCooker cooking demonstrations and country music performances by Easton Corbin, Glen Templeton, Andy Griggs and others.
Additional expo features include the RMEF Great Elk Tour, MTN OPS Archery Range, Junior NFR competition in the Wrangler Rodeo Arena, special booth appearances and autograph sessions, and the RMEF Cowboy Country Raffle (booth #819) that will give away an elk hunt, Polaris Ranger side-by-side, Rambo electric bike and packages from Leupold and YETI as well as other prizes.
The 132,000-square-foot expo floor showcases hunting, outdoor industry leaders and other exhibitors featuring firearms, archery equipment, optics, outfitter and guide services, hunting apparel and western lifestyle gear and clothing.
“We appreciate our conservation partners who bring so much to the table by both supporting and helping us celebrate our conservation mission at the expo,” said Steve Decker, RMEF vice president of Marketing.
In addition to presenting sponsor Cinch, other expo sponsors include Alps OutdoorZ, Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s, Browning, Chevrolet, Henry, The Mirage, MTN OPS, Peak/Blue Def, Realtree, Remington, Traeger, Weatherby, and YETI.
The show floor is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.