Johnston Press (JP) Events and Exhibitions has joined forces with The Scotsman newspaper and engaging with additional media partners in a bid to promote its Outdoor Pursuits Scotland 2011 event.

The exhibition will be held at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh 2-3 April 2011. JP MD, Mike Schwarz, said it will encompass five themes, or areas of interest: Bikes, cycling and off-road; water; camping and walking; fishing and game; and snow, rock and adrenalin sports. The organiser is hopeful of attracting at least 60 exhibitors and 10,000 visitors across the two days.

“We felt outdoor pursuits was a big opportunity  – there are lots of big shows in the English market, but there’s room for a Scottish show,” Schwarz told EN. The exhibition will take up 2,500sqm but can extend to 4,000sqm. Thirty per cent of exhibition space was now booked, he claimed.

“It’s about putting the right shows in the right areas. Edinburgh is the gateway to the Scottish Highlands, where all these pursuits happen,” Schwarz said. JP is also plotting a range of interactive elements including climbing walls.

“At any event these days, we have to have something interactive for the visitors as they’re demanding it,” he added.

As previously reported in EN, Outdoor Pursuits Scotland 2011 is one of five major exhibitions JP is launching in the next six months. Its first is LovePets at Peterborough Exec on 27-28 November, followed by the Magic of Christmas at Haydock Park and Fontwell Park on 13-14 November and 19-21 November, respectively. The Time of Your Life (YEC Harrogate) and Homes and Gardens (Brighton Centre) shows are scheduled for April 2011. 

“It hasn’t been easy to go to market as things are very tough,” Schwarz admitted. “We want to build shows we can develop over the years, so we’ve tried to look for new shows in areas that aren’t being explored.