Gastro Gnome - Eat Better Wherever

Utah Hunt expo -SMH

I never understood sports shows like this. Or gun shows or boat shows or home shows whatever. You have to pay to get in somewhere were people are trying to sell you sh$t. Makes no sense. I mean you should pay me to come in and look at your crap and listen to your spiel.
 
I never understood sports shows like this. Or gun shows or boat shows or home shows whatever. You have to pay to get in somewhere were people are trying to sell you sh$t. Makes no sense. I mean you should pay me to come in and look at your crap and listen to your spiel.

Its convenient if you're in the market for something that's hard to compare the options/prices in a single spot. I know a decade+ ago it was nice to go to the boat show an get multiple quotes and see things in person in one trip. I haven't been to a show like this in quite a white but i can see the occasional utility.
 
I never understood sports shows like this. Or gun shows or boat shows or home shows whatever. You have to pay to get in somewhere were people are trying to sell you sh$t. Makes no sense. I mean you should pay me to come in and look at your crap and listen to your spiel.

I had this epiphany a years ago at the Denver Fly Fishing show-I really only went to meet up with a good buddy and have a beer, I already knew pretty much any of the 'industry' people there I'd be interested in talking to anyway (except for Dave and Emily Whitlock, met them there and they are great people), the food sucked and beer was expensive, and I wasn't going to buy anything because I already had a shop discount, and then I was paying to get in?? It was about like I imagine the Utah show is, only geekier, because the attendees are a bunch fly-fishing purists wearing their ventilated fishing shirts (indoors in the winter) instead of camo. I also watched a couple of the film tour shows and just couldn't quite get behind all the hooting and whistling the drunk guys were doing over a 16" trout on a dry fly, it wasn't quiiite like going to the ski or surf films and hooting for a guy hucking a 100' cliff or dropping into a 50' wave...I quit going to the show.
 
I think with tradeshows or "consumer shows" of any kind, you have two points of view -- that of the attendee (i.e., bedazzled jeans couple, camo clad bro tribe, etc.) and that of an exhibitor or brand. The consumer headed down to the expo is more or less window shopping and geeking out on new gear. Sure, some show specials are to be had, and some of the attendees (who knows that number) will go off to later buy from a company exhibiting at the show from their site or a retailer. Also, for smaller brands getting started, these shows are a pretty decent way of getting in front of a lot of people. No harm in trying to ramp up the hustle.

Industry shows for a brand are, for the most part, a giant, expensive, logistical pain in the ass PR event with shaky stats of if the ROI was worth it. Covid showed us that most shows were not necessary to find out about the latest and greatest and companies got very creative (and saved boatloads of cash) by not going to shows, yet still cranked out pretty compelling and interesting content to get the word out. Look at ATA this year -- almost every major BOW MANUFACTURER pulled out of the show. It's the freaking Archery TRADE Assoc. show and no big name bow brands are there?....same for SHOT. Lots of big "anchor" brands passed on it.

I think how tradeshows have operated in the past will change somewhat in the coming years, at least for industry shows. You don't need a big booth and a six-figure expense of flying down staff, hotels, etc. to "get the word out" and show off the latest and greatest. The good old world wide web spreads the word 1000x faster to a broader audience, or a more honed in targeted audience if needed. Who knows, everything I think will likely be wrong, and we will all be at a tradeshow in 2023 drinking crappy coffee under bad lights along with 20,000 other schmucks telling hunting stories, watching the clock until it is beer thirty.
 
I was honestly contemplating going out to this thing, not because I give a rip about all the instafamous hunting influencer industry, I just really wanted a shot at those 200 tags. It was a moment of weakness and HTalkers made me aware of the questionable nature of the whole deal so I waved off. That and my wife said I am already way over budget on raffles so far…….. and I don’t own a kuiu vest or bedazzled jeans.
 
I gotta say I really appreciate this thread. As a person who thinks Kuiu gear is good stuff, I appreciate all the anti talk. Might save me some cash on the next order. This thread belongs on the "Facebook/Hunttalk" page. Or who knows, maybe this page will be the next one killed by most who could care less about crap talking against fellow hunters.
 
I gotta say I really appreciate this thread. As a person who thinks Kuiu gear is good stuff, I appreciate all the anti talk. Might save me some cash on the next order. This thread belongs on the "Facebook/Hunttalk" page. Or who knows, maybe this page will be the next one killed by most who could care less about crap talking against fellow hunters.
Nobody on this thread is anti-Kuiu. They are simply poking fun at the hunting culture that has become so image-conscious that they seem to need $1000 worth of Kuiu and $500 worth of Kenetrek to walk the aisles of a sportsman's show.

QQ
 
Nobody on this thread is anti-Kuiu. They are simply poking fun at the hunting culture that has become so image-conscious that they seem to need $1000 worth of Kuiu and $500 worth of Kenetrek to walk the aisles of a sportsman's show.

QQ
I wear my 350 dollar zamberlan boots because my feet like them. This post is about as Facebook as you can get. If I wore Kuiu pants that weren't camo would I be ok? Just making sure I'm cool. Don't want a hard time at Jr high.
 
I wear my 350 dollar zamberlan boots because my feet like them. This post is about as Facebook as you can get. If I wore Kuiu pants that weren't camo would I be ok? Just making sure I'm cool. Don't want a hard time at Jr high.
A lot of guys on here ragging on the Kuiu/Kennetrek/Cowboy Boot wearing flat brimmers at the expo. Guys talking all the trash probably go around wearing “normal” clothes and we know they’re total posers too, I’ve seen their posts and most of them are definitely not normal…
 
A lot of guys on here ragging on the Kuiu/Kennetrek/Cowboy Boot wearing flat brimmers at the expo. Guys talking all the trash probably go around wearing “normal” clothes and we know they’re total posers too, I’ve seen their posts and most of them are definitely not normal…

WHOA, man, slow down there. NOBODY here has EVER claimed to be normal...Let's just get that straight.
 
1. I don't go to shows or expos. That's like finding a long list of telemarketers and calling every single one. Dumb ash it!
2. I wear camo all the time because my hunting clothes are comfortable ash it.
 
I went to Costco today and as I pulled in, I saw a pair of jeans and a hat walking to the entrance. I knew that could mean only one thing...

Someone was not following hunter code and was wearing camo to a store!

I parked immediately and ran inside to confront this person. How dare they wear clothing of their choice! They need understand the detriment they are to the hunting community by wearing camo outside of a sanctioned hunting activity.

I searched high and low, but alas, I couldn't find them. They must have been wearing the new Kuiu fusion sytka alpine mossy camo! Then I remembered, the jeans! I bet they are hiding in the pants! I ran to the pants and looked for a hat, my only chance of spotting the perpetrator. Bu t no luck, they evaded me.

I immediately left the store to come home and complain about it online. I knew the hunting community would have my back. We can't let these people get away with such atrocities. We need to confront them and educate them on the disaterous results of wearing hunting clothing when it is not appropriate.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go over to my car forum and tell them about the personalized license plate I saw on a Prius! So much internetting to do today!
 
2. I wear camo all the time because my hunting clothes are comfortable ash it.
I can understand that, but I don't think you are in the majority. In may opinion, which could be way off, many folks get all excited when Halloween falls on the Expo dates again and again and again. Makes me laugh.

I don't get worked up about it, but once again, makes me laugh.
 

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