Great Alaska Sportsman Show: spring rite signals summer planning.

• Author: Pounds, Nancy
• Position: Alaska This Month

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Spotting the first robin of spring thrills the soul with hope of a long Alaska summer. Similarly, many Alaskans celebrate the opening of the Great Alaska Sportsman Show as a signal to plan outdoor adventures. This year's event runs April 8 to 11 at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage.

"People know when the Sportsman Show comes winter is over," said Steve Shepherd, president of Aurora Productions Inc., which coordinates the event.

The tradeshow features outdoor product vendors, nonprofit groups, fishing and hunting guide operators and many other offerings. Seminars and workshops cover techniques and tips from fishing, hunting, boating and other activities. New vendors and manufacturers will line up at the 2010 edition of the Sportsman Show, Shepherd said.

Also, fresh offerings of workshops and seminars are on this year's schedule.

BOOTHS GALORE

This year the Sportsman Show will have more than 500 booths and draw up to 25,000 people during its four-day run, Shepherd said. "It's the premiere show for the state of Alaska."

Only the Alaska State Fair in Palmer tops the Sportsman Show based on attendance, due to its 12-day duration, Shepherd noted.

The Sportsman Show opened in 1984 at the Sullivan Arena. Shepherd has steered the tradeshow throughout its nearly three decades. He joined the event organizers several months before its debut, helping the struggling coordinators fill the roster of vendors. Shepherd once worked as a boat dealer in California for 10 years before later venturing into office products tradeshow production. He then was offered a job in Alaska to work on the Sportsman Show. The show opened with 150 booths and drew 20,000 people, Shepherd recalled.

He helped attract vendors and attendees with his industry knowledge and boldness to approach potential vendors.

"They just needed someone to tell them the benefits of the show," he said.

It wasn't hard to fill the vendor list for the second year, he added.

GREAT GROWTH

In following years, the show expanded to additional space on the second floor of the Sullivan Arena.

"The show grew by 30 to 40 booths every year," Shepherd said.

Several businesses have participated in the Sportsman Show since its first year, he noted.

The show typically loses about 30 vendors annually, but those spots are quickly filled, and Shepherd says he usually turns away about 30 businesses seeking booth space. To accommodate more booths organizers reduced booth size from 10-feet by 10-feet...