22–23 Mar 2025 142 days to go! #GetOutside Tickets

Raccoon Events scoops two AEO Excellence Awards for inaugural National Outdoor Expo

Multi-platform media business, Raccoon Events, has been awarded the ultimate industry accolade by winning two AEO Excellence Awards including Best Consumer Show and Marketing Campaign of the Year for The National Outdoor Expo 2022, which opened its doors to over 14,000 visitors in March.

The first edition of the National Outdoor Expo in partnership with Ordnance Survey was hosted at the NEC in Birmingham and was created to serve people who love to hike, run, climb, camp, travel, paddle, swim and cook outdoors. The show’s two stages played host to experts and adventurers from across the world of outdoor pursuits including Ben Fogle, James Cracknell, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Julia Bradbury, Ed Stafford and Dwayne Fields, enthralling packed theatres with the highs, lows, achievements and failures from a life spent in the outdoors.

Mike Seaman, CEO at Raccoon Events commented: “The AEO Excellence Awards are coveted and respected throughout the industry and to be awarded two for a first-year show was an incredible achievement. The teams that work on our shows live and breathe the work they do, embedding themselves into the industry they serve so to receive such distinguished acknowledgement for their efforts means a lot.”

The first National Outdoor Expo was set to run in 2021 but was thwarted due to Covid-19 lockdowns. The Show was rescheduled for 12 months later and brought a host of incredible interactive features for outdoor lovers including open water swimming sessions with NOWCA, kayaking and canoeing with Venture by Pyranha, paddle boarding lessons from Red Paddle Co, a climbing wall with Montane and zip line running through the length of the show.

The second edition of the show will take place 18-19 March 2023 with Outdoor legends including Ray Mears and Preet Chandi set to take the stage. Tickets for the event will go on sale in September 2022. To enquire about exhibiting at The National Outdoor Expo 2023 contact [email protected]