Author: Ashley Cox

Outdoor enthusiasts across the country should ‘save the date’ for the weekend of the 27-28 March 2021, when the first National Outdoor Expo will open its doors at the NEC in Birmingham, bringing all of the kit, tech, nutrition, activities and advice under one roof for a jam-packed weekend of outdoor inspiration.

To celebrate the official opening of the box office, join us on the 4^th June at 6pm on our sister Facebook page @nationalrunningshow when Mike Seaman, CEO of show organisers, Raccoon Media Group will be talking all things Outdoors and sharing what visitors can expect at the show. For those who join us we will have competition prizes from our exhibitors as well as information on tickets and speakers. Don’t miss it!

We are also offering FREE tickets to attend the show to the first 2000 people who register for a ticket, and our show partner, Ordnance Survey is offering a subscription to its OS Maps 12-month subscription for only £10 (SRP £29.99) for all who register. Find out more about the subscription HERE

The show will be packed full of interactive features including a rope walk, climbing experience, zip line and outdoor skills theatre, as well as inspiring talks and the very latest gear to try and buy, all under one roof. The show will have six key areas: walking, climbing, eating outdoors, camping, family excursions and running and is open to enthusiasts of all ages and abilities.

Visitors will have a chance to listen to, learn from and meet their outdoor idols including broadcaster, writer and adventurer Ben Fogle, sportsman, athlete and adventurer James Cracknell OBE, adventurer and endurance runner Susie Chan.

As well as hearing from the cream of the crop when it comes to outdoor pursuits, visitors can shop for the latest gear from top brands including Ordnance Survey, Adidas TERREX, Ellis Brigham, HOKA One One, Grangers and Vibram.

Mike Seaman, CEO, Raccoon Media Group said: ‘Living an active, healthy and exciting life outdoors is so important in this fast-paced world we live in. Being able to slow down, breathe fresh air and enjoy your favourite outdoor pursuits is so valuable. We all know how much better we feel after time outdoors and we hope to inspire and motivate more people to get active outdoors and make the most of what nature has to offer. At a time when the great outdoors has never been more appreciated, predictions are that 2021 will see a boom of people making the most of the great outdoors, with adventuring high on the list of priorities for many who have developed a passion for walking and running during lockdown.

“Our hope is that visitors can fully immerse themselves in all things outdoors with their friends and family. The weekend will offer a host of workshops, inspiring talks, information and advice from experts in the field as well as some of the best shopping around, and all under one roof.”

Ticket sales will be available soon and you can find all information at www.nationaloutdoorexpo.com

If you are interested in exhibiting at the show, please contact Addie Brake – addie.brake@raccoonmediagroup.com or tel. 07931 528418 (trade only)

Raccoon Media Group, the brains behind the hugely successful National Running Show and National Outdoor Expo portfolio, has been shortlisted for Best Consumer Show and the Innovation Award at the AEO Excellence Awards 2020.

The 2020 show was the third National Running Show to be hosted at the NEC in Birmingham and attracted over 24,500 visitors across the two days and included a stellar line-up of speakers including Linford Christie, Sally Gunnell, Kriss Akabusi, Steve Cram, Iwan Thomas, Lazarus Lake, Dean Karnazes and Camille Herron. Making the shortlist for Best Consumer Show is a nod to the huge dedication and commitment to delivering a show that is relevant, well timed to deliver beginning of season content and not ‘end of line’ products with a big focus on inclusivity.

The Show’s ethos has always been ‘no matter how far or how fast you run’ and this approach has helped build a community of runners who feel welcome, motivated and inspired and who continuously feedback the positive experience they have at the show year on year.

A visitor to the show commented: “My family and I came to the National Running Show on Sunday and were amazed at how disability friendly your staff are! What could have easily turned into a stressful day with an overwhelmed and tired child turned out to be very easy thanks to your staff being so vigilant to the needs of people with disabilities.”

The second award the team has been shortlisted for is the Innovation Award for its commitment to creating and delivering a first-class sustainability programme.

Mike Seaman, CEO at Raccoon Media Group commented: “We are delighted that our hard work has been recognised and to have made the shortlist against some of the industry’s biggest and best Events companies. We have very clear aims at Raccoon Media Group and have been single minded in our aim to deliver a Consumer show that truly meets the needs of the running community, with a laser focus on how we can make our shows as sustainable as possible. We look forward to the winners being announced in December!”

The National Running Show will be back on 30-31^st January 2021 at the NEC in Birmingham and 5-6 June 2021 for the postponed National Running Show South Event at Farnborough International Conference Centre. For more information about the Show or to book your ticket visit https://nationalrunningshow.com

The National Running Show has announced it will be hosting the Digital Running Show on 13-14 June 2020 in partnership with Children with Cancer UK, to provide runners with an alternative show experience following the postponement of The National Running Show London to 2021.

The UK lockdown has created a boom of participation in running with over 34m people talking about running on social media in March 2020. The Digital Running Show will transfer the physical experience of attending its show to a purely digital platform, allowing visitors access to motivational talks from famous faces including Susie Chan, Iwan Thomas, Jo Pavey, Hannah Beecham and many more, for inspiration and expert advice. It will also offer the opportunity to learn about new kit and technology, gain top tips on nutrition with live demonstrations and get an update on future races.

The show, sponsored by ASICS, will run 9am – 5pm on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June. Susie Chan and Allie Bailey will host the event with panels, speakers and interactive sessions planned across the two days. Brands including ASICS, Runderwear, Polar, Camelbak, Kaatsu Specialist, Bp3 Underwear, All About Balance, Virtual Racing UK, Yamatune, Coventry Festival of Running, Virtual Runner, Run777 and many more, will be at the online show offering information and advice on the best products for individual needs and exclusive show discounts.

Mike Seaman, CEO at Raccoon Media Group, commented: “With so many people taking up running during lockdown we felt it was important to provide an opportunity for the community to come together, hear from some hugely motivational speakers, shop their favourite brands and remember that even though things might not be ‘normal’ at the moment, we are still runners, we are still a community and we are still here to support each other. The Digital Running Show will allow us to recreate some of the experiences from our physical shows and hopefully provide inspiration and support to runners across the globe. We look forward to seeing everyone in the flesh in Birmingham 2021!”

Tickets to the show cost £1.99 with £1 per sale going to Children with Cancer UK and are now on sale online – www.digitalrunningshow.com

For more information on The Digital Running Show head to digitalrunningshow.com

Raccoon Media Group, the company behind the multi award-winning National Running Show, has announced a series of key appointments and new event launches.

Strengthening the board further will be three new appointments: Ralph Collett as Chairman, Aurore Braconnier as COO and Matthew Lambert as Operations Director.

Between them, they boast a wealth of experience within the exhibitions industry. Ralph Collett has over 25 years’ industry experience including senior positions at Closer Still, UBM, William Reed, RBI and Kernal Events. Aurore Braconnier brings over 14 years of experience in the exhibitions industry in the UK and France, working for companies such as UBM and Clarion whilst also leading Closer Still Media’s growth in France. Matthew Lambert also benefits from 25 years in the exhibitions industry and is Managing Director for Maelstrom Event Solutions, a company managing 50 events each year.

Technical Director Darren Pinder and Commercial Director Addie Price, both founding directors of Raccoon Media Group, will remain on the board, while Mike Seaman will move to CEO. Rebecca Richardson will continue her working relationship with Raccoon Media Group as a Strategic Consultant on Major Brand, Sports Retailer and Media Partnerships.

Nathalie Davies will be promoted to Event Director for the run portfolio.

The strengthening of the management team at Raccoon Media Group is an important step forward for this dynamic, high-growth events business focused on health and wellbeing markets.

The in-house expertise that the new appointments bring will support plans for aggressive but sustainable growth in local and international markets. As part of this growth, Raccoon Media Group will be moving into a new, larger office space and recruiting additional staff to work across two new initial event launches.

Mike Seaman, CEO of Raccoon Media Group, commented, “We are delighted to announce three key appointments to Raccoon Media Group and are privileged to welcome the breadth of experience that Ralph, Aurore and Matt will bring.

“This extra firepower will enable us to launch two new events this year, including our first geo-clone and a second brand-new event that will be announced imminently.

“We have ambitious plans for the business and these appointments are an important first step in our development towards becoming a market leading event organiser in the health and wellbeing space.”