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Las Vegas Expos Battle for Cowboy Fans

Chris Jones

LAS VEGAS -- As professional cowboys battle for a champion's gold belt buckle and saddle at this week's Wrangler National Final Rodeo, an almost-as-intense showdown is taking place for the wallets and purses of rodeo fans in town for NFR.

For the past 10 years, Las Vegas has held a pair of Western-themed gift expos coinciding with the rodeo's early December run. And despite their heated rivalry, representatives from both shows said this week there are plenty of well-heeled cowpokes in town to support two similar shows.

The Cowboy Christmas, which bills itself as the rodeo's official gift expo, dates back to 1986, or one year after the NFR moved its annual championship from Oklahoma City to the Thomas & Mack Center.

Though it's been around for some time, the event is hardly showing signs of old age. Last year's Cowboy Christmas attracted more than 154,000 visitors, and this year's early returns point to as much as a 15 percent improvement in attendance, said Zandy Carnes, who manages the show on behalf of Las Vegas Events.

"It's all part of the NFR package," Carnes said. People go to the rodeo at night, but this gives them something special to do in the day.

Just a few blocks away at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, the Ariat Country Christmas Western Gift Expo is also bustling with rodeo fans. Chris Woodruff, whose Fort Worth, Texas-based Group W Productions launched the show 10 years ago, said he's expecting close to 115,000 visitors at this year's event.

Woodruff decided to start Country Christmas about 12 years ago after a friend had trouble securing vendor space at Cowboy Christmas. Sensing a demand, he set out to create a secondary Western gift expo that would offer shoppers more variety than could be found in just one venue.

"We started off with about 200 vendors and now have almost 400," Woodruff said. "I put this show together with small expectations, but now I feel I've got the most popular Western culture event in Las Vegas."

Carnes, however, said her show remains the town's top dog, adding that people who have attended her rival's event later come to her show and are converted.

Both shows are stocked with Western staples, ranging from cowboy boots and saddles to calf ropes, 10-gallon hats and bits and spurs. Aisles full of Western-themed artwork, furniture and other specialized products were also on display at each site.

Though their product offerings are largely similar, the shows aren't without differences. Carnes said one key factor is Cowboy Christmas' long-standing affiliation with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based organization that stages the annual National Finals Rodeo.

"All of the money made at this show goes back into the production costs of the NFR,'' Carnes said, making reference to the exhibitor fees collected by Las Vegas Events. "Our money stays here instead of going into the pockets of a promoter.''

Woodruff didn't dispute his show's private status. Still, he said the presence of a second Western retail event has grown the market and boosted business for everyone involved.

"Las Vegas is a big town. There is a lot of hotel room money and a lot of retail money to go around,'' Woodruff said. "When we started, Cowboy Christmas probably saw its sales go up simply because I put $100,000 into advertising that brought more people here during the rodeo.

"These shows complement each other. If a vendor can make money at my show and with a second booth at Cowboy Christmas, I encourage them to do both. In fact, I think it's great."

A few vendors do just that, though most work from just one show. John Wright, whose family owns Elko-based J.M. Capriola and Garcia Bit & Spur, said his business will always be at Cowboy Christmas.

"We don't have anything to do with that other show," Wright said in a stern but polite country tone. "This is the original show, the one people know."

Brian Haberman, a specialty retailer from Battle Ground, Wash., has sold his Ariat boots line at the Country Christmas expo for the past 10 years. He said he's never been to the competing show, but he believes Country Christmas lures a more authentic crowd.

"This seems to be where the real cowboys come, based on all of the people I've talked to and the types of products I see walking around," Haberman said. "There's Hollywood and then there's real. I think this is the real."

Wright and Haberman agree on one point: There's no better place for Western retailers to be than in Las Vegas during NFR.

"It doesn't matter how the economy is or what cattle prices are like, we know our customers are going to be here this time of year," Wright said. "People can see things here they might not find in their hometown stores, get a chance to put their hands on it or try it on rather than buying from a catalog. We wouldn't miss this for anything."

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