The Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show is a rite of spring in the Mat-Su Valley.  This event provides an opportunity for the public to visit with great vendors and explore products, services and information guaranteed to help them get the most out of their Alaska outdoor experience. If your business caters to outdoor enthusiasts, this is the perfect opportunity for you to interact with thousands of potential customers.

The Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show is tentatively scheduled for the weekend of April 12, 13 & 14, 2024 (Friday-Sunday) at the Menard Sports and Recreation Center in Wasilla, Alaska. There are two large indoor vendor display arenas: the hockey rink (concrete floor, free of ice), and the soccer field (AstroTurf flooring).  Outdoor areas are also available for vendors and food trucks. Display space in the upstairs mezzanines will be available as well. Refer to the vendor map links on this page for booth layouts. 

Regular 10’ x 10’  indoor vendor spaces are $595. Mezzanine table rentals are $350. Outdoor food truck spaces are $350.

Outdoor vendor display areas are $1.75 per square foot.  Please contact us with your display requirements to discuss.

New in 2024, the mezzanine area with vendor tables is being made available (upstairs between the turf field and the ice rink) for vendors who may not require a full 10 x 10 booth. The mezzanine table rental is $350.

There are a few things you need to keep in mind:

• A 72" x 18" (six-foot by one-and-a-half-foot) table is provided.
• Pipes and 8’ back drapes are included – handy if you want to hang a sign or banner.
• Side drapes between tables are not provided.
• Electricity is NOT provided.
• In compliance with fire safety requirements, tables must remain against the back drapes.
• A chair to the side of the table is provided. You may sit, or stand in front of the table, but the table may not be pulled out away from the back drapes.
• Be aware that the floor is not level and has about a 2 ½° slope. This is good if one of your legs is longer than the other.

Food Vendor Mix

We will restrict the total number of food vendors as well as vendors selling the same type of food if it is deemed that a vendor’s primary product would unfairly dilute the sales of other registered vendors with the same product specialty.

Food Vendor Location

Food vendors will be located in and around the parking area in front of the main entrance to the Menard Center.  Electrical hookups are not available, but generators may be used. Because the Menard Center contracts with an indoor food concessionaire, we do not provide indoor spaces for food vendors.

Insurance and Permits

As a food vendor, you are required to provide a certificate of insurance with MATSU Events LLC additionally insured as certificate holder. You are also required to have an appropriate DEC permit, as well as State, Borough, and City licensing.

Vendors returning from the 2023 show have grandfather rights until June 30, 2023 if they wish to return to their same space. Beginning July 1, booth selection is available on a first come/first serve basis. If you are a new vendor registering prior to July 1, please be sure to specify your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice location preferences on the registration form, as location requests are honored in the order they are received. The online vendor maps are updated as vendors register. Booth locations and floor layouts are subject to change.

You are responsible for your own booth furnishings, signs, etc. If you prefer to rent items such as tables and chairs, contact Special Events Alaska, our show decorators. Indoor booth spaces are 10′ wide by 10′ deep, with pipes and drapes separating you from adjacent booths. (8’ high back drape and 3’ side drapes). Electricity is included as a part of your booth fee.  Metal hooks are provided if you need to hang anything from the poles. Mezzanine spaces consist of a 72" x 18" table and one chair, however electricity is not available on the mezzanine. Note: the mezzanine floor has a slight slope (2° - 3°).

Some small businesses may wish to share their space with another small business.  All space sharing must be approved in advance by management.

Everyone is working under a tight budget, and we understand that.  If you are paying by credit card, you may reserve a booth with as little as a $50.00 deposit per booth and a valid credit card.  The remaining balance will be automatically charged to your card 30 days prior to the show.  Booth payment is required in full if you register less than 30 days prior to the event.

Plans sometimes change.  You may cancel anytime up to two weeks prior to the start of the show, and your booth fee will be refunded, less a $50.00 cancellation fee.  Any cancellations after March 29, 2024 are non-refundable.

We live in interesting times, and we certainly hope that we are not hit with a surprise closing as happened to the Mat-Su Outdoorsman show and so many other large events in 2020.  If the show is cancelled for reasons beyond our control, all rental fees and deposits will be promptly returned.

Regular adult show admission is $10 per person. Military discount is $5, and children under 12 are free.

Visitor admission is FREE  on Sunday from 10:00am - Noon

Yes! All vendors are required to be in compliance with state and local business regulations.  Food vendors must have valid food handler’s permit and DEC permit if applicable.

As an Alaskan business, you should already have your State of Alaska business license.  You should also be in compliance with Matanuska-Susitna Borough licensing (information is at

https://www.matsugov.us/business-licenses)

The Menard Center is owned by the City of Wasilla, and it is located within the Wasilla City boundaries. Per City code, you are required to have a Wasilla business license or permit if you are exhibiting at the Show. This requirement is mandatory, regardless of whether or not you are actually selling products or services at the show. THE WASILLA BUSINESS LICENSE OR PERMIT REQUIREMENT IS NOT OPTIONAL.  In lieu of a business license, Wasilla offers a 7-day Special Event Permit for a minimal charge. This requirement extends to nonprofits, however Wasilla does not charge for nonprofit permits. Wasilla business license and sales tax details are online at https://www.cityofwasilla.com/business/business-licensing-sales-tax-information

Small businesses should carry business liability insurance.  We request that vendors provide a certificate of insurance with MATSU Events LLC additionally insured as certificate holder.  As stated in the terms of the space rental agreement, neither MATSU Events LLC, the Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show, the Sponsors, the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center, nor any member of the above, shall be responsible for any injury, loss, or damage that may occur to the Exhibitor, an Exhibitor’s employee, or the property thereof, from any cause whatsoever.

We will have security staff available during all show hours.  The Menard Center will be closed and locked at night.  Because there are a number of outdoor vendors, we will have security staff patrolling outside the Menard Center Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. That being said, MATSU Events is not liable for your property or inventory, and we recommend that you take appropriate precautions to secure your property and provide your own business insurance.

As a vendor, you must maintain a safe environment in and around your booth. Per the Borough Fire Marshall, you are required to have a current fire extinguisher at your booth with a rating of 2A:10B:C or larger if you have a vehicle or a covered display.  Keep in mind that no display materials or signage may obstruct or block exit isles, exit doors, or exit signage.

Of course! You are welcomed and encouraged to have drawings or give away items at the show. (Holding a drawing for free items is a great way to collect names, numbers and email addresses to help your business marketing efforts!)  Raffles (where you sell numbered tickets for a chance to win) fall under State gaming regulations and are allowed, providing you have the appropriate Alaska State gaming permit.

As promoters, our job is to bring in the largest crowd possible to safely visit your booth.  We run targeted social media promotions throughout Southcentral Alaska in the months and weeks leading up to the show.  During the month prior to the show, we will be running local radio and television advertising.  We will also be placing posters in windows and on bulletin boards all over Mat-Su and Anchorage. 

Almost everyone these days is connected on social media, particularly Facebook and Instagram. Many small businesses rely on social media as an economical way of interacting with their customers. The Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show has thousands of social media followers, and we use these platforms to help promote the show. If we know that your business is on Facebook, we will post blurbs about your business on the Outdoorsman Show pages. During the month prior to the show, a portion of our advertising budget then goes to “boosting” these posts out to a broad audience of thousands of potential show visitors. These boosted posts help promote the show generally, and they help promote your business specifically. The show’s popularity experiences exponential organic growth when you mention it in your own social media posts. As a group effort, all vendors can help by sharing, posting, and tagging the Outdoorsman Show through your personal accounts and business pages.

Corporate sponsorships are win/win. Your financial support helps us defray show promotion expenses, and we are able to help you by including your logo in our marketing materials and radio advertising, by linking to your websites, and by running partner promotions on social media. Contact us for details if you are interested in sponsoring or partnering with this event!

We will keep this page updated as the details come together.  In the meantime, if you have more questions, we're only a phone call or email away. Please feel free to contact MATSU Events anytime at 907-947-9900 or via email at matt@matsuevents.com!