2026 PR Partnership Program

Why should PR agencies refer OMS to their client?
Here’s the deal. Your brands are already interested in coming out to OMS. We have many examples of brands exhibiting at OMS without their PR agency and that just never felt right for us. That’s why we created this program. We want to give PR agencies the opportunity to bring OMS to their client before we do and if so, we’ll pay for your accommodations (honestly, who else is doing that?).

Our goal with the program is to help you get closer to your client. There’s no better way to do that than at OMS.

How is Outdoor Media Summit different from other shows?
Well for one, it’s outside. Brands get to test their gear in the environment it was made for. Showcasing a flashlight in a tradeshow hall under fluorescent lighting has a different impact than when showcasing it under the stars near a campfire in a beautiful mountain town.

But second, OMS has the largest gear media list in the outdoor industry. Our team has spent a decade building an experience around the needs of gear media (outdoor demos, outdoor excursions, exclusive parties, etc.). By doing so, the best commerce editors, gear freelancers and reviews writers choose OMS over other shows.

How is the media list at OMS different from other shows?
We focus on commerce and gear editors from endemic, non-endemic and vertical-specific publications. Many of the vertical specific editors simply will not attend the big tradeshows. But they come to OMS because, as mentioned above, we build our show around their needs.

We also get a good amount of interest from gear review YouTubers and influencers. We vet heavily to ensure that the ones that are in attendance actually cover gear (and not in a pay to play sense) because sometimes, ya know…influencers can be…demanding.

What is the guarantee of media meetings I keep hearing about?
OMS is the only show that will guarantee media meetings, specifically during New Gear Speed Date. Pods of 3-5 journalists rotate in 10 minute increments in a literal speed date, ensuring you get meetings with as many journalists as possible. For brands exhibiting during New Gear Speed Date, we guarantee 40 media interactions.

How else can brands activate at OMS?
There are three main activations that are relevant for product brands. To see visuals of each, click here.
New Gear Campout
– Showcase product to 40-50 of our highest tier gear review journalists. Media list sent before the event.
– Begins in the afternoon of September 27 at Autocamp Asheville. Ends the morning of September 28.
– Limited to 6 brand sponsors to ensure time for a quality excursion and mindshare
– OMS can help brainstorm and plan a memorable activation for media

New Gear Speed Date
– *Guarantee at least 40 media meetings in 10 minute increments*
– Setup on the 27th, Speed Date begins on morning of September 28 and ends at 5 PM.
– One 10×10 space, pipe/drape included, no drayage fees
– Journalist will vote on their favorite products. Winners announced Day 3 at Outdoor Media Awards

Excursions
– Up to 35 attendees depending on the experience you want to create
– Begins at 2 PM on September 29. Ends at 6 PM.
– Attendees will choose between 8 excursions. Up to 4 on competing brands per excursion
– OMS can help plan the excursion as well as arranging travel to and from the activity for attendees

When and where does OMS take place?
OMS 2026 takes place September 28-30 at the Crowne Plaza in Asheville, NC. Come early or stay late and make a trip of it.

What is the PR Partner of the Year award?
Brands are constantly asking us who we’d recommend for PR. We don’t do PR. We have no interest in PR; PR work is for highly skilled masochists, which we are not. So we refer the work to the agency that refers the most clients to OMS. That agency will get all our referrals for the next year, which we publicly announce as our PR Partner of the Year.

Email [email protected] for more information!