Vendor and Sponsor Covid Policy

In light of the current Public Health Orders in effect in Manitoba, the Great Outdoors Expo Committee has put together a COVID Safety Policy that we feel will allow us to continue to work together and plan for the future.

First and foremost, we would like to extend an offer to all of our potential sponsors and vendors where you can register for the Expo today and delay any financial contributions or booth payments into March and April. With this in place, a 50 percent deposit would be due on March 15, 2022, with the final payment due on April 15, 2022.

The deferred payment will provide us all with time to better understand what the potential Public Health Orders will look like in the coming months while allowing our Organizing Committee the time it needs to put together this amazing event. As soon as you register, we can begin showcasing your business on our digital platforms and working with you to develop and create materials to help market and promote your attendance at the Expo. The sooner we get this started, the faster we will grow our online community and start generating interest in what you have to offer.

Should the Public Health Orders increase, the Committee will make further adjustments to defer any amount owing, or in the extreme, cancel the Expo for 2022. Any monies paid for participation in the event will be carried forward as a credit to be used at the 2023 Great Outdoors Expo.

Even under the current restrictions, we feel that we could put together a fabulous showcase of those that feature how to enjoy and experience the Great Outdoors. We have booked two facilities in Lac du Bonnet, which provides us with the potential to spread vendors out between three show-floors; vendors also have the option of setting up outdoors, and capacity limits can be spread out between these areas. Attendees also come and go during the Expo, with the average person spending 1.5 hours at the event. We can work towards staggering attendance times or offering expanded hours of operation with limited attendance at a given time to minimize the number of attendees in the venues but maximize overall attendance. With our goal of reaching 1,200 to 1,800 people over two days, we can achieve this with as little as 43 attendees per hour per show floor.

We have seen the rise and decline of the Omicron Variant worldwide, and we know that Manitoba will be on the other side of this soon. We hope that our policy provides you with the confidence you need in these uncertain times to join us in planning this event. We are optimistic that we will host a remarkable event that will showcase your business and put you in front of hundreds of potential customers looking for new and exciting ways to play in the Great Outdoors.