The biggest exhibition of its kind in Canada, the Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show has products, information and presentations on a variety of fun activities.
In 2024, the Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show takes place on March 2nd and 3rd. The event runs in conjunction with the BC Bike Show which happens every year at the same time at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
Other events taking place on the same Saturday and Sunday this year are the Vancouver International Wine Festival and Vancouver Chocolate Run. Experiential adventures you can do on the same weekend include virtual reality games at Zero Latency, ropes courses and ziplining at WildPlay Element Park, and outdoor adventure games with Vancouver Mysteries.
To learn about what else is happening in the Lower Mainland, see our March Calendar of Events. For information about the Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show, continue reading.
This article contains the following information about the show:
Location and Admission | Exhibitions and Activities | Presentations | Exhibitors | Other Information
Vancouver’s Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show
An annual exhibition of all things related to Outdoor Recreation, the Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show has a wide range of displays to explore. Not only are there informational presentations on travel destinations all around the world, but there are retailers showcasing the latest in equipment and tech designs.
Things you’ll see at the show are tents, camping equipment, kayaks, surfboards, paddleboards and information booths with representatives from different travel organizations and adventure tour operators. There are also stages where presentations about different adventure travel-related subjects take place.
The trade show is also interactive with activities available for all ages. The biggest exhibit is an indoor climbing wall open for anyone who wants to try. There is also a Junior Outdoor Adventurers Zone full of things for kids to enjoy.
The show runs on the Saturday and Sunday of March 2nd and 3rd in 2024.
BIKE COMPANIES TO LOOK OUT FOR!
We bought a couple of e-bikes last year and love them! We bought one from OHM Bikes and another from Reckless Shipyards, both of which are local North Shore companies. Both also offer exceptional bikes and customer service. We’ve been so impressed with these places. Reckless and OHM are regular exhibitors at the BC Bike Show and will be at it (and the Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show) in 2024. Be sure to give their bikes a test ride!
Location and Admission
The Outdoor Adventure & Trade Show is held at the Vancouver Convention Centre which is located at 999 Canada Place in downtown Vancouver. The event happens in the Canada Place part of the convention centre – the building with giant white sails on its roof – not in the newer building with all the glass windows.
The show takes place at the same time and in the same building as the BC Bike Show. The two events are partners; in fact, buying admission to one also gives you free access to the other. One of the events takes place in one half of a giant hall at Canada Place and the other event happens in the other half.
The hours of operation for both trade shows are from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on the Saturday and from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on the Sunday.
Admission costs $14 in advance for everyone ages 12 and older. It’s about a dollar more on the day at the door. Younger children can get in for free.
You can also buy a weekend pass for $20. That gives you full access to the shows on both days. The cost for the weekend pass is the same regardless of age (with children younger than 12 still free).
Exhibitions and Activities
In terms of categories, the Outdoor Adventure & Trade Show is divided into eight or nine different areas (not including the BC Bike Show which takes place in the same giant hall). About half of the zones are about travel and vacations, like the International Adventure Travel Zone and Explore Canada.
In the various areas you’ll find representatives from popular travel destinations from across a variety of places, ready to educate you on what is on offer in terms of travel and vacation ideas.
At the event there are also manufacturers and retailers on hand for those looking to bolster their own arsenals of gear. Different zones include Camping Showcase, the US Pavilion, and Scuba and Caribbean Adventures. There’s also the Health & Wellness Zone which focuses on nutrition, workouts and other ways to stay fit.
For those looking to test their climbing mettle, there is a 30-foot-tall Rock Wall available on-site. Anyone who wants can try it for free. There are specific kid-oriented parts to the wall as well.
ROPES COURSE ADVENTURES
A great place for outdoor adventures in the Lower Mainland is WildPlay in Maple Ridge. It has amazing ropes courses and ziplines! WildPlay isn’t usually at the trade show, but it does offer exceptional outdoor adventure opportunities right here in the Lower Mainland. (TIP: Use the promo code VBP15 and save 15%.)
Adventure and Travel Presentations
Another key part of the Outdoor Adventure & Trade Show is the array of presentations covering a number of outdoor recreational topics. There is the Best of Canada Adventures Stage and the International Travel Theatre, both of which provide interactive seminars on travelling and outdoor adventures from a variety of sources.
Some of the presentations in 2024 include Yukon 101, Mild to Wild Alaskan Adventures, 51 Kilimanjaro Climbs and Still Climbing, Where to Travel in 2024, Change the Way You See the World, Travel Canada by Train, and various others.
Event Exhibitors
The Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show features a couple of hundred exhibitors. Some of the ones you’ll see in 2024 are the Britannia Mine Museum, Harrison Beach Hotel, Malahat SkyWalk, Prince of Whales Whale Watching, Shen Yun and Sea to Sky Gondola. There are also tourism associations representing places like Vancouver’s North Shore, the Fraser Valley, Squamish and Sunshine Coast, and local bike store companies like OHM Bikes and Reckless Shipyards (both of which are sponsors of the BC Bike Show).
Other Information
For more information about the event, visit the Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show website. To learn about the biking-themed event that takes place at the same place on the same days, see our article about the BC Bike Show.
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
- Outdoor Recreation in Vancouver
- Vancouver Parks and Nature
- Vancouver Festivals and Events
- Camping in the Lower Mainland
