Cowboy Christmas Salesmen “Sow Seeds” | National Finals Rodeo | sport

For the cowboys and cowgirls competing in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, these ten days in December are often referred to as Cowboy Christmas. Because it is an opportunity to earn a lot of money in a short period of time, which often makes the difference between a participant being in the black or in the red for a year.

For the vendors at The Cowboy Channel Cowboy holiday shopping show, it’s not necessarily about an immediate increase in income. It sets the table for the coming year.

“We think of it more like planting seeds,” said Cierra Cadie, owner of Minky Couture in Mapleton, Utah. “We sell quite a bit and definitely make back the money we invested. But the caliber of people we meet at Cowboy Christmas is completely different.

“It’s really about building relationships. Some people reached out later to place larger orders.”

Therein lies the advantage of being one of the over 400 vendors spread across the first and second floors of the South Halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Cowboy Christmas runs concurrently with the RMEF Hunter Outdoor Christmas Expo, offering even more opportunities for sellers and buyers.

That’s why there’s a long waiting list for sellers every year, as Cadie learned.

“We were on the waiting list,” Cadie said. “But Jeff Brewer, our chief marketing officer, was the most tenacious person on our team. Cowboy Christmas was one of our wish lists. We had been trying to get in for years. And Jeff wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Minky Couture — best known for its custom blankets but also as a maker of bathrobes, baby couture, bags and more — broke through last year by going off the waitlist and into the show.

Bo Gardner leads Cowboy Christmas as vice president of corporate marketing for Las Vegas Events. So Gardner also manages that waiting list. And it’s not getting any shorter.

“This is the longest waiting list for providers ever. We have over 420 exhibitors and at one point had over 500 on the waiting list,” said Gardner.

The Cowboy Channel’s 2024 Cowboy Holiday brings many changes that will benefit vendors and customers alike. Including:

■ All of Level 1 is Cowboy Christmas, as is the eastern end of Level 2.

■ The Hunter Outdoor Expo is located at the western end of Level 2.

■ Located within the Hunter Outdoor Expo is the Ariat Rodeo Live Stage with four programs per day: Live With Lucia at 10:15 a.m.; Conserving Country with Shane Minor and Garrison Allen at 11:30 a.m.; Outside the Barrel with Flint Rasmussen at 12:30 p.m.; and the RMEF Calcutta at 1:45 p.m

■ The Junior World Finals will take place on the second floor in a 50,000 square meter tent south of the south halls.

This year there are two additional stages, both on Level 1. The Cowboy Channel Stage is located in the former East Lobby. The stage hosts several live shows daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., starting with the Luke Branquinho Show and concluding with the NFR Tailgate Party.

And the new East Lobby is home to the Cinch Stage, featuring the RumpChat podcast with hosts Justin Rumford and Josh Hilton. There is also a new red carpet entrance leading from the new east lobby.

There are also more ways to get to Cowboy Christmas. If you’d rather not drive and worry about parking, there are shuttle buses available throughout the day and the Las Vegas Monorail is an option. And buyers should be able to use the underground drilling tunnel, with Teslas allowing transportation from select locations on the north end of the Strip.

Gardner is particularly pleased with two of the changes.

“Firstly, I feel that it is easier for participants and fans if the Junior World Final has its own venue and has complete control over it. We will offer amenities such as food and beverages in this tent,” said Gardner. “We have 780 participants and 820 entries. Our numbers are growing. We are really excited.

“The second piece is to give another grand welcome to Cowboy Christmas in the East Lobby, the Cowboy Commons. It’s a country/western theme, a warm invitation. I think fans will notice that because last year everything was building up. Everything on that east end is going to look brand new.”

There are also more food and drink options this year, including a food court on the second floor. It all adds up to what Gardner has been working on since he took the helm of Cowboy Christmas in 2012. And Tim Keener, president of Las Vegas Events, has taken note.

“Bo has come so far in the last 12 years that I could never have imagined,” Keener said. “We listen to the fans. What they say matters, and we act on it all year long.”

The providers certainly also benefit from the constant upgrades, even exhibitors like Minky Couture who are not on the waiting list in the first year. In fact, Minky Couture’s booth was named Best of Show 2023 for The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas.

“It was a really good experience last year,” said Cadie, reiterating that it’s not just about the sales made in those ten days. “Relationships come first, business second.” And it always comes back to us tenfold. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.”