Outdoor exhibitors often earn much of their year in a few busy weeks and borrow expensively to get through the rest. Here is Outdoorsmen Holdings' plan to acquire the shows and, in the future, help even out that cycle.
Ask anyone who sells at an outdoor trade show what their year looks like, and you will often hear the same answer: feast and famine. Boat dealers, RV makers, outfitters and gear companies can do a large share of their business in a few busy weeks. The rest of the year, they are paying staff, holding inventory and preparing for the next season.
Outdoorsmen Holdings sees both a business opportunity and a real problem to solve in that cycle.
A large economy with seasonal swings
The outdoor economy is a major part of American business. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that outdoor recreation accounted for $696.7 billion, or 2.4 percent of U.S. GDP, in 2024, and supported approximately 5.2 million jobs. Much of that activity is seasonal, and the businesses behind it have to manage cash through the slow months.
Buying the marketplace
Outdoorsmen Holdings, a subsidiary of Complete Financial Solutions, focuses on acquiring hunting, fishing, camping, boating and RV trade shows in the United States. It has identified the largest shows nationally and is working toward acquisitions that would give it a balanced U.S. footprint. It has made major progress building that footprint in the RV show sector, though no acquisition has been completed yet.
Trade shows are where the outdoor economy meets its customers. Owning the marketplace puts Outdoorsmen Holdings at the center of thousands of relationships between exhibitors and buyers.
The challenge exhibitors face
To get through the slow months and prepare for show season, many exhibitors rely on short-term borrowing. For small operators, that money can carry interest rates in the upper 20% to low 30% range. Those costs eat into the profit from the very shows they depend on.
A planned full-cycle solution
Looking ahead, Outdoorsmen Holdings plans to work with Complete Financial Solutions to offer financing to exhibitors and vendors at the shows it acquires. The plan includes:
- Short-term and payroll loans to help exhibitors manage the off-season
- Exhibitor financing to help them prepare inventory and displays for show season
- Consumer financing through manufacturers, such as helping RV manufacturers finance RVs for buyers at acquired RV shows
These lending services are planned and are not offered today. The intent is to open access to more cost-effective capital through institutional groups, the public markets and the more than a dozen investment bankers in our syndicate network, so exhibitors can replace high-interest borrowing and even out the seasonal swings.
Why it fits
Complete Financial Solutions focuses on American manufacturing, defense, workforce and small business. The outdoor economy is full of American manufacturers and small business operators. Supporting them through the whole cycle, not just the busy weeks, is a natural extension of that focus.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, "Outdoor Recreation Economic Statistics, U.S. and States, 2024," March 2026, bea.gov
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Survey of Current Business, "Outdoor Recreation Statistics for 2024," June 2026, bea.gov
Forward-looking statements: This article contains forward-looking statements about Outdoorsmen Holdings' acquisition strategy and planned lending services. No trade show acquisition has been completed, and lending services are not currently offered. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. No acquisition or financing is assured. References to third-party sources do not imply any relationship with or endorsement by those organizations.