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The Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show is made possible by these outstanding sponsors!
PRIVATE MSOS VENDOR INFORMATION AND SHOW DETAILS
Here you will find important details regarding the upcoming 2024 Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show.
Bookmark this page to return easily, or manually type the address matsuoutdoorsmanshow.com/vendorstuff/ in your browser window.
Check back often, as this page will be updated regularly with show details and information as we get closer to the show dates.
Wasilla Business License
Because the Menard Center is owned by the City of Wasilla and is located within the city boundaries, all vendors are required to have a Wasilla Business License in order to participate in the show. For those of you who do not regularly do business in Wasilla, the city offers a temporary 7-day Special Event License. Details are at https://www.cityofwasilla.com/business/business-licensing-sales-tax-information. Stay ahead of the curve and make sure your business license is up to date prior to the show.
—> Wasilla officials will be checking and cross referencing the vendor list for compliance, and they will not allow you to set up at the show if not properly licensed.
Contact the Wasilla business licensing department at 907-373-9080 if you have questions!
Booth Payments
As a reminder, if there is a balance due for your Outdoorsman Show space, payments are due by March 15th.
You may make a secure payment online by clicking the link below:
Show Dates and Times
Friday, April 12, 2024: Noon – 8:00
Saturday, April 13, 2024: 10:00 – 6:00
Sunday, April 15, 2024: 10:00 – 5:00
Setup Info
When you arrive at the Menard Center for setup, please take a minute to stop by our counter in the front lobby area to check in and pick up your vendor packet and vendor badges.
Pipes & drapes, electrical connections, and vendor move-in all need happen in a relatively short and coordinated timeframe. Move-in and setup timing for the vehicle and boat displays is critical. Please adhere to the schedule below.
The Menard Center has a forklift and operator if you need assistance moving larger items to your booth space.
We will have handcarts and staff available to assist if necessary.
The Menard Center will remain open until 9:00 Thursday evening for setup.
The Menard Center will reopen at 7:30 for Friday morning setup.
Please have your booths completely set up and ready to go no later than 11:30 Friday morning.
The show opens to the public at Noon on Friday. (10:00 on Saturday and Sunday).
Because of the large number of show visitors, the limited parking at the Menard Center is always a premium. Last year we simply lost potential show visitors because there was no available parking. Additionally, the Wasilla Police Department may be issuing tickets if people try to park along the roadway.
Fortunately, the Menard Center has removed the outside bleachers and they have also cleared a large area of trees, opening up a couple hundred additional parking spaces. We are also staying open until 8:00 on Friday to encourage some of the regular Saturday visitor traffic to come to the show on Friday evening.
After your booth area is set up, please take the time to go outside and move your personal vehicles and trailers to parking areas at the back of the lots, as far away from the Menard Center as possible. The exercise walking back to the Menard Center is good for you. If there are multiple people working your booth, please consider carpooling in order to leave more parking spaces available for show visitors.
The show closes to the public at 5:00 on Sunday evening. Although the visitor crowd will begin thinning later Sunday afternoon, there will still be visitors who have paid for show admittance. As a courtesy to these visitors and to all of your fellow vendors, please remain at your booths without beginning booth break-down until 5:00 on Sunday.
We all need to be cleared out of the Menard Center by Sunday evening.
Camper Valley – Begin move-in at 10:00, but leave sufficient room for Sherps (D7), Arctic Home living hot tubs (E7) and Frontier Fabrication boats (E10) to maneuver into their respective areas. Continue staging after the Sherps, hot tubs, and boats are all in place.
Sherp of Alaska: Move vehicles into place at 10:00.
Arctic Home Living: Move hot tubs into place at 11:00.
Alaska Frontier Fabrication: Move boat(s) into place at 11:00.
Alaska Spiritwear: Begin move-in at 10:00.
All other vendors on the main floor of the Ice Rink (Rows A through H) may begin move-in anytime after 1:00, or Friday morning beginning at 7:30.
Because pipes and drapes will be in place, all vendor vehicles and trailers must remain outside.
Cook Inlet Boats (N1): Bring boat(s) into building and maneuver into place at 10:00.
Alaska Motorsports & Equipment (Q7): Move-in at 11:00.
Wasilla Yamaha (L7): Move-in at 11:00.
MAC FCU (M7): Move jeep in at 11:00.
Frontier RV: Begin move-in at 12:00. Earlier than noon is possible if vehicles for booths L7, M7, Q7 and N1 are all in place.
All other vendors in the Turf Field (Rows J through Q) may begin move-in anytime after 4:00, or Friday morning beginning at 7:30.
Alaskan Soda Jerk: Move-in at 2:00
All other Mezzanine and bleacher area vendors (Y and S spaces) may begin move-in at 4:00, or Friday morning beginning at 7:30.
MatSu Customs, Treehouse Cove Lodge, Cache Camper, Boat Alaska and Alaska Motorsports are all landlocked in the loading drive in front of the Menard Center.
Cache Camper and Boat Alaska may stage anytime on Thursday, (or no later than 9:00 AM on Friday).
MatSu Customs, Treehouse Cove Lodge, and Alaska Motorsports, please set up at 9:00 Friday (or earlier if Cache Camper and Boat Alaska are already in place).
Dependable RV, please wait until 10:00 Friday to move trailers into the turnout area (or anytime after Alaska Motorsports and Boat Alaska are in place).
Alaska Dive Search & Rescue, please wait until 10:00 (or after MatSu Customs and Treehouse Cove lodge are in place).
Camper Valley, Frontier RV, Dependable RV (curbside) and White Spruce Trailers, begin staging at anytime Thursday and/or Friday morning.
Food trucks may set up Thursday if you wish. The show opens to the public at Noon on Friday, but visitors will begin showing up at the Menard Center around 11:00.
FYI for all outside vendors, we will have onsite outside security all night on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Vendor Break Room
The vendor break room is located down the hallway adjacent to the ice rink, and it will be open and available for you and your staff throughout the weekend. We keep it stocked with snacks, drinks, and coffee, and there is a refrigerator if you want to keep your lunch cold. That room serves as our office, and there will always be staff available.
Saturday Vendor Dinner
The vendor dinner has become a tradition at the Outdoorsman Show, and we look forward to having you and your staff join us Saturday evening right after the show closes to the public. The dinner this year will be catered by our friends at Smokehouse Barbecue.
If you would like to donate an item to be given away to one of your lucky fellow vendors during the dinner drawing, please drop it off with our staff in the break room sometime before Saturday evening.
Parking
Please leave parking spaces closer to the building open and available for our show visitors. During show hours, plan on parking at the far reaches of the Menard Center parking lots.
Door Prize Drawings
Every visitor to the Outdoorsman Show will receive a door prize drawing ticket, and drawings for vendor-donated prizes will be held every hour throughout the weekend.
MATSU Events is excited to partner 50/50 with the first 25 vendors who offer drawing donations, to help you offset the cost of your donation! For example, if you wish to donate an item with a value of $300, we will reimburse you $150 (half of the retail value of your donation). MATSU Event’s maximum 50/50 contribution is $250 towards any single vendor prize. Your donation could be a gift certificate, adventure trip, lodging, sports gear… or whatever. Call or email to discuss.
There are still a few spots open if you want to be one of the first 25 vendors to participate in the 50/50 matching donation offer.
THANK YOU to everyone who has pledged a door prize donation! We have now matched the 50/50 vendor donations for all 25 hours of the show… But don’t let that stop you! If you would still like to donate a door prize, simply let us know when you arrive for setup, or drop your donation off with our folks at the front desk, and we would love to add your item to one of the hourly drawings. We will give away as many items as generous vendors would like to donate!
Drawings and Raffles
Don’t underestimate the value of giving away free stuff at your booth! Many vendors like to have visitors drop names, phone numbers, and email addresses in a bucket for a chance to win something. Of course, this provides you with customer contact information to use for your own marketing, and it helps raise public awareness of your business, products, and services. And people love to win free stuff!
Raffles (where a limited number of numbered tickets are sold for a chance to win – commonly used for fundraising by nonprofit organizations) are also encouraged, but keep in mind that you must have the appropriate State gaming license in order to sell raffle tickets.
Seminars and Presentations
There are two classrooms available at the Menard Center throughout the show for your use if you wish to present a seminar or class away from the noise and commotion on the display floor. Rooms include an LCD projector and seating for 25-30 people. Time slots are available, first come first serve.
CLICK HERE to reserve a seminar room.
Extra Booth Items
Do you need extra items such as tables, chairs, table linen or skirting, stands, plants, or other furnishings for your booth? Well don’t worry, because we have you covered! Special Events Alaska has been selected as the show service contractor for the 2024 Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show.
Note that your vendor booth consists of a 10’ x 10’ pipe and drape display area, with an 8’ high back drape and 3’ side drapes. The booth exhibit space is not carpeted and does not include tables or chairs.
Should you wish to rent additional items such as tables, table linen or skirting, Special Events Alaska will have order forms available, or you can contact them directly at 907-357-RENT(7368).
Fire Safety
When you arrive for setup, make sure you familiarize yourself with the locations of extinguishers and emergency exits. Covered booths ARE allowed. For example, some vendors may wish to use a pop-up canopy that contains their name, logo, or advertising as a part of their booth display. The only requirement if you have a covering over your booth area (that could obstruct overhead sprinklers) is that you ARE REQUIRED to have a fire extinguisher at your booth with a minimum rating of 2A:10B:C and with current inspection date.
Onsite Financing
We are happy to welcome both Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union and MAC Federal Credit Union to the Outdoorsman Show. For those of you selling big ticket items, these folks will be there to offer your customers on-the-spot financing. You can find MVFCU in spaces G8 in the ice rink, and MAC will be in space M7 in the Turf Field.
Vehicle Displays
If you are planning to display any type of motorized vehicle inside the Menard Center, please contact us regarding Menard vehicle display requirements.
Advertising
Radio Advertising
Radio advertising will be happening on KOOL97.3, Classic Country 100.9, KBEAR 104.1, MIX 103.1, KWHL, KFQD, KBBO BOB 92.1, KXLW The Moose Country 96.3, KMBQ Q Valley Radio 99.7, KBYR AM 700 Talk, KFAT Rythmic CHR 92.9, KTMB Classic Hits 102.1, and 95.5 The Pass.
Print Advertising
The People’s Paper and Make A Scene Magazine is printing the official multi-page Outdoorsman Show vendor guide and schedule. 12,000 copies are being included as an insert in the edition to be distributed to over 200 public locations throughout the valley two weeks before the show. The guide will also be provided to show visitors as they arrive. The People’s Paper will be offering great advertising rates for vendors if you wish to have a display ad included in the guide. With a paid print ad, you also get free radio advertising on 95.5 The Pass. Contact Bryce at 373-2698 to get hooked up.
Posters
11×17 color posters will going up on bulletin boards and store windows all over southcentral in the weeks prior to the show. Let us know if you would like any of these posters to hang up at your place of business, or if you would like to help distribute them throughout the community.
Social Media
We have been placing regular posts and announcements on the MATSU Events Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/matsueventsllc) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/matsuevents/) pages, highlighting individual show vendors. Between now and the show, these posts are being boosted on Facebook and Instagram to a targeted audience throughout the valley and Anchorage. In the past, we have found this type of social media advertising to be a very effective use of our marketing budget to attract more visitors to the show.
Please send us photos or video if you would like us to highlight your business in our social media feeds prior to the show!
Television Advertising
Outdoorsman Show commercials will be airing on KTUU Channel 2 (NBC) and on KYES Channel 5 (CBS) beginning on March 25th.
The Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show is made possible by these outstanding sponsors!