As released by Dauphin County:

April 16, 2013 - NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION SELECTED TO PRODUCE NEW “GREAT AMERICAN OUTDOOR SHOW” IN HARRISBURG, PA.

HARRISBURG, PA (April 16, 2013) – The National Rifle Association (NRA) has been selected by the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center to replace Reed Exhibitions and the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show with the “Great American Outdoor Show,” to be held February 1 – 9, 2014 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

After an extensive national search was conducted, and 17 applications were thoroughly reviewed, the NRA was selected to produce and continue the 65-year-tradition of a sports and outdoor show in the midstate. Renamed the Great American Outdoor Show, the event is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors of all ages to enjoy nine days of hunting, fishing, camping, boating and much more.

“Over the past 65 years, the sports and outdoor show has become the largest consumer sports and outdoor show in the nation,” Jeff Haste, Chairman, Dauphin County Board of Commissioners. “When the show was canceled last February, it cost the local economy more than $80 million and devastated many local businesses—some even laid off employees. The show is so important that we [Dauphin County] put $58,000 toward reserving the Farm Show Complex for 2014. The Great American Outdoor Show has the potential to draw bigger crowds, offer more educational programs and family-friendly entertainment.”

“Our hope was to find a show sponsor who could grow this show into a nationally-recognized event that would mean more to the outdoor sports community as well as our own community,” said David E. Black, President and CEO, Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC. “The Farm Show team crafted a great selection process that drew proposals from across the country. In the selection of the Great American Outdoor Show by the NRA, we believe they demonstrated their financial strength as well as their understanding of the show and its consumers. The new show has incredible potential that will be good economic news for our region for years to come."

“As the region’s official visitors bureau, when an event producer talks about expanding the area’s largest privately-produced consumer show beyond the one-million square feet of the PA Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, you take notice,” said Mary Smith, President of the Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau. “Expanding this show beyond a consumer and exhibitor show to include segments of meetings and conferences is a grand vision. It’s an exciting proposition that makes perfect sense to us and our lodging and hospitality partners.”

"The NRA's deep-rooted heritage in the outdoor lifestyle makes this partnership a perfect fit," said David Keene, NRA President. "We look forward to expanding this event by inviting national firearm manufacturers to join more than 1,000 hunting, fishing, and camping related vendors as well as outfitters from around the world."

The NRA has more than 900,000 members within 300 miles of Harrisburg and has been an exhibitor in the Harrisburg-based sports show for over 30 years.

For more information about the Great American Outdoor Show, call 1-866-343-1805 or visit www.greatamericanoutdoorshow.org. Follow the conversation on Twitter at #GR8AmericanShow2014.

Video of Jeff Haste: It will knock your socks off

Video of Mayor Thompson: "It's sending NRA a loud message."