Northeast Ohio Sportsman Show a huge success

When it comes to finding an ideal location for an outdoor sportsman’s show, few places can top Amish Country, and with the Mt. Hope Event Center’s colossal new addition, it provided the perfect place for this year’s Northeast Ohio Sportsman Show, which took place Jan. 15-17.

Under the guidance of promoter Mary Witzky, this year’s show proved to be better than ever, featuring plenty of new additions to the 200-plus vendor show, along with seminars that touched almost every aspect of the great outdoors.

However, Witzky was more than eager to pass along the success of the show to not only those who invested in speaking at the seminars and the many vendors, but also to her assembled team, which helped organize the event.

“When I took over the show, I put together a team of people who are local, respected businesspeople in the community who have connections that I don’t necessarily have and are involved in this industry,” Witzky said. “I’m very grateful to the group of people who stepped in and created a show that is much more enticing to everyone in the outdoor community.”

Witzky said she felt people were looking for something new, so she leaned on her team to carve out a more intriguing lineup of both vendors and seminar speakers.

“We were seeing the same people year after year, and we had to do something new and interesting, because if we lose people coming in through the door, we are left with nothing,” Witzky said. “This show has been very important to this community here in Amish Country for many years, and we want to continue to provide something that is of great value to them.”

The investment included several new outfitters who can take groups around the world on exotic hunting and outdoor treks. They diversified the vendors to make a more comprehensive lineup that covered more outdoor topics, from truck caps to unique foods.

The adjustment seemed to have paid off, with large and steady crowds each day.

Team member Brian Geiser knows the area and understood Witzky’s vision.

“The one thing we wanted to make sure we did was to create something that was about family and community,” Geiser said. “This is one big family and one big community, and everyone is here for anyone who needs something.”

While there were plenty of new things to see and do, some of the old faithfuls people have come to cherish made a return. That list included the crew from Big Bucks, whose professional members graded plenty of deer racks hunters brought in.

“That’s always been a big draw,” Geiser said. “These hunters take a lot of pride in showing off their trophy rack, and if I brought in some of the impressive racks that came into the show, I’d want to show them off too.”

He said not only did it put smiles on the faces of the adult hunters who had their deer graded, but also there were plenty of youth who ventured in with their prize, and Geiser said sometimes the grade and size isn’t as important as the memories that were created and the inspiration it gives young people to get back out into nature and enjoy the hunt.

He said seeing the interaction with youngsters from both the vendors and the seminar speakers was encouraging because a big part of this show is to create passion among the next generation of those who enjoy the great outdoors.

With this area so steeped and invested in the great outdoors, the show proved to be everything the leadership team and visitors had hoped for, with the overall result pleasing to Witzky and her team and the show vendors and attendees.

“It was a really great show, a huge crowd,” said Thurman Mullet, owner of Mt. Hope Event Center. “We were really pleased with the way things went.”

Bill Epeards is an outdoorsman who spends his time hunting, fishing, exploring the backcountry, and sharing his knowledge of the natural world through hands-on work, storytelling and mentorship in the outdoors.

He has been highlighting this show for years in both the vendor show and as a seminar speaker, and he said he can’t think of a better place to conduct this type of venture.

“It’s a great show, a meaningful show, and it’s because of the people,” Epeards said. “This area loves its outdoor activities, and there are a lot of incredible sports shops anywhere. There’s just so much to experience here, and there is something for interests for anyone who enjoys any aspect of the outdoors. I enjoy it all, and this year it seemed like it was packed.”

Those words are music to Witzky’s ears, and it was a joy to know the effort she and her team put in measured up to everyone’s expectations.