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Snowbound Festivals: Boston and Denver

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
So who here likes to attend the annual Ski and Snowboard Expos in Boston and Denver?

As some of you know, I've been representing TheSkiDiva at the women's skiing booth in Boston for the past couple years. But change is in the wind: the Expos are under new management, and they're now going to be known as the Snowbound Festivals. At present, no one knows if they're even going to be held this year, thanks to the coronavirus.

Anyway, here's an email I received today about the changes:

Dear Winter Outdoor Community,

We hope you are doing well and staying safe in these uncertain and challenging times. While things in the world may be feeling a little topsy-turvy right now, we wanted to reach out to you to share some positive news and exciting changes that are planned for the Boston and Denver Ski & Snowboard Expos.

The Boston and Denver Ski & Snowboard Expos have served as the official kickoff of the winter season for the past thirty years – an annual gathering of the entire winter outdoor community. As you may or may not know, Snowsports Industries America recently took ownership of these long-standing events, with plans to build upon the legacy of the expos, while also creating a new, exciting and premium winter outdoor experience unlike anything you have ever seen before.

We are very excited to share the news that the Boston and Denver Ski & Snowboard Expos will now become the Snowbound Festivals! The inaugural Snowbound Festivals will be immersive experiences that showcase all aspects of the winter outdoor lifestyle and culture. You will have the opportunity to purchase the latest exclusive products, interact with some of the biggest winter sports brands, meet legendary athletes, check out your favorite resorts, learn new skills and enjoy music, art, food and local vendors that embody everything you love about winter.

Most importantly, the Snowbound Festival is a shared experience that is focused on inclusivity, community, and positivity. All are welcome here as our number one goal is to get you hyped for being outdoors and to share our passion and love of winter with everyone, regardless of what your ability or experience level is.

As we are deep in planning Snowbound, we want to be sure to collect your input! In the coming days you will receive a survey and we hope that you will take a few minutes to share your thoughts and feedback with us. This is your opportunity to help us better understand how you are thinking about and planning for the coming winter and what may have changed in the “new normal.” In return for your time, you will be eligible to win some great winter gear prizes.

The health and safety of all Snowbound Festival attendees, exhibitors, guests and staff is always our number one priority and we’ll be in touch very soon with an update on our plans for Boston and Denver related to the COVID-19 virus. Please also sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest news and exciting special offers.

We sincerely appreciate your support and we are very excited to celebrate everything we love about winter with all of you at the inaugural Snowbound Festivals. For additional information please visit our website or feel free to contact us at [email protected].


See you soon,


The Snowbound Festival Team
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Aww I’m so sad this will probably be cancelled this year. Honestly, I don’t see how this would be allowed to go on in Boston.. Even if it were, I’m not sure there’s any way I’d be willing to go personally. Too many people in an enclosed space.
 

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I’ve been thinking lately that the timing of the change in management was pretty fortuitous given the current situation. I’m not sure how they could make it work.
 

NewEnglandSkier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yeah, I'd be surprised if the Boston show actually goes off--can't speak to Denver, but they keep re-iterating here not to have large gatherings and the show usually happens in November right when a possible second wave could hit. It will be interesting to see what happens, but I'd guess it will be canceled (which is too bad, since they changed management it seems to me it could end up being the death knell of the show having to skip a year and maybe they just won't bother after that since it will be an excuse to not go forward with it after that--I really hope I'm wrong about that).
Even if it happens, since it's held indoors and has lots of people milling around I plan to opt out this year, which is a shame since it's one of my traditions to kick off the ski season.
 

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
The latest about the Boston and Denver ski shows. Sad to say, looks like they're canceled:

To our valued exhibitor, partners and winter family,

We wanted to give all of you an update on our plans for the 2020 Snowbound Festivals (formerly known as the BEWI Ski & Snowboard Expos) and we have some good news and bad news to share with you.

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first.

Due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 virus, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Snowbound Festivals in both Boston and Denver for 2020. At Snowbound Festival, the health and safety of our attendees, exhibitors, guests, friends and staff is always our number one priority. In speaking with local and state authorities on the latest public health guidelines, we feel that cancelling the events is the best and safest decision for this season. If you have already paid a deposit for booth space this year we will refund you and we encourage you to reach out to us with any questions you might have regarding the cancellations.

While we share this update with a very heavy heart, we also have some good news for you.

We are working on some new ways to digitally connect with our consumers this year so they can still score some great deals, get a sneak-peak into new products, and experience some of the amazing winter content we had planned for them – all from the comfort and safety of their homes. There will be a variety of opportunities for you to be involved and engage with our audiences this fall, so please stay tuned for some big announcements about our online plans in the very near future.

We know that the news of the Snowbound Festivals being cancelled this year is very disheartening, but we remain as excited as ever to come together as an online community to officially welcome winter and enjoy all of the incredible content, guests, products, experiences and fun that are the cornerstones of these events.

For the latest updates, please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

In the meantime, we hope you are all staying safe and healthy during these challenging times. We look forward to building the Snowbound online community with you this year and then coming back together in person at the Snowbound Festivals in 2021 to celebrate everything you love most about winter!

The Snowbound Festival Team
 

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I knew it was coming since I couldn’t see a safe way to bring so many people together. Even the “quiet” time early on Thursday when vendors are just set up has too many people for distancing.
But sad to read it in print all the same.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
I knew it was coming since I couldn’t see a safe way to bring so many people together. Even the “quiet” time early on Thursday when vendors are just set up has too many people for distancing.
But sad to read it in print all the same.

I thought I saw somewhere yesterday (and now I can't find it..) that Sun and Ski wants to do something in their big warehouse to have a smaller version of the expo. I wish I could find what I read for the details, will post if I do.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
Ottawa has cancelled their show. I'm assuming that the big Toronto on won't be far behind.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Interesting, same dates Nov. 19-22. Wachusetts and Bretton Woods were quick to accept invitations. Hoping for 8-10 local ski areas/resorts willing to participate.

Wonder if 100 will be the max in the warehouse at the same time. What's the current limit on gathering size in MA now?

The timed entry process that comes to mind is what REI does for Garage Sales. No advanced reservation. Show up 30 min before the doors open and get a timed ticket. When those are gone, that's it. Not too many people fit in the back of the store where the Garage items are made available.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Interesting, same dates Nov. 19-22. Wachusetts and Bretton Woods were quick to accept invitations. Hoping for 8-10 local ski areas/resorts willing to participate.

Wonder if 100 will be the max in the warehouse at the same time. What's the current limit on gathering size in MA now?

The timed entry process that comes to mind is what REI does for Garage Sales. No advanced reservation. Show up 30 min before the doors open and get a timed ticket. When those are gone, that's it. Not too many people fit in the back of the store where the Garage items are made available.


From MA.gov just now: (Of course we were recently being threatened with rolling this back as well since our numbers have not been going in the right direction..) This hasn't seemingly applied to large stores like Walmart, Home Depot, etc. so not sure if they can get around it somehow. Or if things will get better by November in terms of restrictions.

What is the limit on the number of people in gatherings?
On July 2, Governor Baker issued an updated order pertaining to limits on gathering sizes in the Commonwealth. The updated order provides for new indoor and outdoor gathering limits as of July 6th.”
Indoor gatherings are limited to 8 persons per 1,000 square feet of accessible, indoor floor space and never more than 25 persons in a single enclosed, indoor space.
Outdoor gatherings in enclosed, permitted or leased spaces are limited to 25% of the maximum permitted occupancy of the facility or 8 persons per 1,000 square feet and never more than 100 persons in a single outdoor space that is enclosed, permitted or leased.
Outdoor gatherings in unenclosed spaces are not subject to capacity limitations.
The following outdoor activities are prohibited: street festivals, agricultural festivals, walk-a-thons, road races and bike races, and other outdoor, organized athletic or recreational events that gather large numbers of participants or spectators outdoors are prohibited until further Order; provided, however, that outdoor gatherings for the purpose of political expression are not subject to this Order.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
From MA.gov just now: (Of course we were recently being threatened with rolling this back as well since our numbers have not been going in the right direction..) This hasn't seemingly applied to large stores like Walmart, Home Depot, etc. so not sure if they can get around it somehow. Or if things will get better by November in terms of restrictions.
Gatherings and retail stores are different categories. I guess because someone who goes in to shop at big box store isn't planning to chat with friends or hang around for very long.

From NC regulations:
"The mass gathering limit does not apply to retail businesses, restaurants, personal care and grooming businesses, pools, child care, day camps, and overnight camps. In these settings, there are other restrictions, such as 50 percent reduced occupancy or putting six feet of distance between each group at a restaurant, to ensure that there is not overcrowding."

I think the usual occupancy limit for a big box store is normally what's set in the event of a fire.
 

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