The Big East Powersports Show celebrates 30 years!

What started in 1994 as a concept to bring the energy and excitement of a big time fall snowmobile show to the Northeast is hitting its 30th birthday this year. But the Big East Powersports Show is not standing still.

Instead, organizers continue to evolve the show into a celebration of powersports, leading with snowmobiles but including an expanded role of ATVs, UTVs, and motorcycles.

For this year’s show Oct. 4−6 in Syracuse, New York, consumers will have more reasons to come than ever before – from entertaining side shows to demo rides, custom motorcycle displays to vintage snowmobile exhibits, and much more.

“Successful shows and events are evolving,” says Show Sales Director Mark Rosacker. “They’ve always been about seeing the new machines, shopping for riding gear, learning about parts and accessories, finding places to ride, and more. But increasingly, they’re also about entertainment and fueling the passion for powersports.”

The Big East is owned and operated by EPG Media LLC, parent company of Powersports Business.

The evolution continues

The annual Big East Powersports Show was launched in New York’s Catskills in 1994, but then found its permanent home in Syracuse, New York, in 1995. It filled two floors at the Oncenter in downtown Syracuse with vendors and consumers each fall from 1995 to 2018 before moving to the nearby New York State Fairgrounds in 2019.

“When we first considered moving the successful event to the fairgrounds, we envisioned all of the opportunities to utilize the indoor and outdoor space to create a powersports extravaganza,” says Snow Goer Editor John Prusak, a co-promoter of the show.

In recent years, that’s included adding the large-scale Big East Classic vintage snowmobile show in the front parking lot, the Snow Goer Stage indoors, and introducing a Sunday powersports swap meet in a side lot last year. That’s on top of youth scavenger hunts, celebrity appearances, educational seminars, and more.

“It’s always been primarily a snowmobile-first show, given its history and timing,” Rosacker says. “But in recent years we’ve seen more folks interested in also seeing ATVs, UTVs, motorcycles, and more, and that’s been reflected in our increasingly diverse vendor roster.”

For 2024, the show is doubling down in its efforts to draw more people and keep them at the event longer. New additions include:

• An ATV/UTV demo ride area, where consumers can test drive new machines themselves on a closed course;
• The Bring It Bike Show display, featuring a cross-section of intriguing custom motorcycles; and
• A high-flying BMX Freestyle show, showcasing top talent doing choreographic aerial stunts.

Other attractions are also in the works.

“The mission is to expand our audience, and then to keep that audience at the event longer each day by providing a more interesting, entertaining, and memorable experience,” Rosacker says. “We also know that keeping the crowd there longer increases the chances for our vendors to see more gear, equipment, or services, which is obviously one of the top goals.”

Successful vendor experience

From OEM displays to dealership booths, performance shops to tourism bureaus, aftermarket gear makers to trailer manufacturers, the Big East Powersports Show has long drawn a diverse group of vendors interested in reaching enthusiastic owners of snowmobiles and other powersports equipment.

“From a vendor perspective, these shows give us exposure to the consumer and allow us to answer questions, offer technical support, and get to know their wants and needs,” says Ron Pattyn, owner of Liberty Products/ Stud Boy Traction, an exhibitor at the show for more than 20 years. “For us, the Big East has always been one of the best events in the county. The crowd in the Northeast hasn’t traditionally had a lot of big shows like this, and they are excited to see us, to hear about new products, and just to get ready for the season.”

“The biggest thing for us is being able to connect with our target consumers,” says Greg Wright, the marketing manager at Caliber Products, a 10−plus year vendor at the show. “The consumer expos in the powersports industry allow us to connect with those passionate individuals and allows us to interact and spread the message about our products.”

For the third straight year, CFMoto will again showcase its motorcycles, UTVs, and ATVs at the Big East Powersports Show this year.

“I like the traditional snowmobile shows because a snowmobiler is so often also an ATVer or a UTV driver, it’s really the same guy,” says CFMoto Director of Marketing John Tranby. He also noted strong interest in the brand’s motorcycle products that were displayed at the show the past two seasons. Vendor information and more are available on the Big East Powersports Show website.