The first indication may be when you can’t find a parking space close to work.
Or maybe you notice clusters of similarly dressed people roaming the streets. Perhaps it seems like a lot of folks are wearing badges or name tags.
Bags of swag seem to swing from every unfamiliar person’s hand.
Relax. It’s nothing sinister. This benign invasion of strangers probably means a convention or trade show is in town, and while the longer lines in your favorite lunchtime spot or the aforementioned dearth of parking are inconvenient, it also means your city is putting its best foot forward and reaping welcome tourism dollars.
Across the nation, industries and organizations celebrate themselves and promote their cutting edge products with these annual gatherings. Based on the personal experiences of our fellow, Arkansas Business employees and input from experts at Arkansas Tourism, Meeting Planner has gathered a quick cross section of some of the more notable or unique conventions and trade shows that annually frequent Arkansas.
ATA World Expo
An estimated 20,000 taekwondo competitors from around the world swarm downtown Little Rock, headquarters of the American Taekwondo Association, for this celebration of the international organization’s martial artists and their achievements.
Moving to Phoenix in 2021, the event features a parade, advancement ceremonies for the ATA’s newest Grand Masters, demonstrations, trade and product displays, competition and testing for rank mark the annual event, held at the Statehouse Convention Center.
Poultry Festival
Without the poultry industry there would be no Tyson Foods. The world’s second largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef and pork was born in the poultry country surrounding Springdale.
For nearly six decades the Poultry Federation has hosted the Poultry Festival celebrating the poultry and egg industry. Held in Rogers, the event is packed with fishing and golf tournaments, a trap shoot, ladies luncheon, awards and auction.
On the highly anticipated second day, the John Q. Hammons Center parking lot is abuzz with cooks firing up their grills and barbecue teams dressed in festive outfits and themed tents.
Arkansas Trucking Championship
Trucking associations from each state hold these Olympics for truck drivers and technicians, from which the winners advance to the national championships at the American Trucking Associations’ annual convention.
Arkansas, the home of some of the industry’s major companies like JB Hunt, and the Arkansas Trucking Association host their big-rig showdown in northwest Arkansas each summer. Drivers compete in nine truck classes while the technician competition includes a written test and 14 hands-on stations for truck technicians and eight hands-on stations for trailer technicians as they show their efficiency and proficiency in skills used daily.
Daisy Nationals
The BB Gun national championship held in Rogers, home of the Daisy Airgun Museum, is a serious match stressing safety and the competitors treat it as such. The four-day event features youth teams from across the nation competing in a 5-meter, four-position match in which a written safety test plays a large role in a shooter’s final score.
But there’s also plenty of fun that includes an opening ceremonies costume contest, a barter bar and a trip to the local water park following closing ceremonies and medal presentations.
Holiday House
Don’t panic when you see people rushing around Little Rock with armloads of gift wrap, ribbons, ornaments and a host of other seasonal items, you still have time to shop. Attendees of the annual Holiday House are just getting an early-November head start.
Approximately 14,000 visit Holiday House every year to kick off the shopping season with over 165 merchants from around the country. For almost 30 years, shoppers from around the state have helped the Junior League of Little Rock raise more than $5 million to fund community projects, including Stuff the Bus, Nightingales, LYFE, Kota Camp, Little Readers Rock, and Boosters and Big Rigs.
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