December 12, 2014
Elk Camp Closes, Record Expo Attendance
MISSOULA, Mont.—Fresh off closing out a highly successful national convention, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is setting a course toward 2015 with a goal of better carrying out its mission.
“We felt a rush of adrenaline and increased enthusiasm from our dedicated volunteers, members and conservation partners who attended Elk Camp from across the nation,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We will harness that energy and surge forward as we expand our conservation efforts in doing even more to improve future of elk and elk country.”
Elk Camp’s evening events were at capacity Dec. 4-7 at The Mirage in Las Vegas. Among the highlights was Saturday’s Volunteer Fun Night which included special RMEF recognition of top individuals, chapters and states for their passionate efforts to raise funds to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.
Performances by country music artists Daryle Singletary, Easton Corbin, and a memorable guitar pull featuring Tracy Lawrence, Chuck Wicks and Mark Wills provided quality entertainment. RMEF also hosted live feeds of the National Finals Rodeo. Legendary cowboys including Ty Murray and Dan Mortensen, and current cowboys like Chris Shivers took part in RMEF events and autograph sessions as did hunting personalities Lee and Tiffany Lakosky, Pat and Nicole Reeve, Randy Newberg, and Brandon Bates and Kristy Titus from RMEF Team Elk.
Attendance for the inaugural Hunter Christmas Exposition, presented by Cabela’s, was approximately 28,000 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. That figure broke the previous all-time high of 23,000 for an Elk Camp-related expo set in Albuquerque in 2001. The 2013 expo, also held in Las Vegas, drew approximately 12,000 attendees.
“We are grateful for such a strong show of support of our sponsor partners and the exhibitors who believe in us and our mission,” said Steve Decker, RMEF vice president of marketing. “We are preparing to announce some exciting changes related to the next Hunter Christmas, but we cannot yet go into details.”