Bozeman, Montana. The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) today acknowledges some of the leading brands that have joined as sponsors for the Foundation’s annual SHEEP WEEK® convention and expo, which for the first time will be both live in Reno, Nevada and virtually online.
The online event will take place on January 10 – 15, 2022, with the platform fully functional until January 30. The live events in Reno will begin January 12 with a Welcoming Banquet and run through January 15.
Leading industry brands exhibiting and sponsoring events in Reno and online to date include SITKA, YETI, Weatherby, Schnee’s, Browning, Leica, Stone Glacier, Global Rescue, Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s, Leupold, Kenetrek, Snowy Mountain Rifle, Kryptek, Boyt Harness, Hornady, and 1ShotGear.
“It’s game on for wild sheep,” said Gray N. Thornton, President and CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation. “We’re blessed in so many ways, including the support from our long-time partners that walk the talk for wild sheep conservation.”
WSF has hosted conventions since 1978 as an expression of its commitments to restoring wild sheep populations while allowing its members and partners to participate in these efforts while networking with each other directly. The result has been an annual celebration of wild sheep hunting and conservation that to date, has raised over $136 million, which has then been directed to wild sheep restoration and management projects nationally and internationally.
“Hunting and conservation expos have been a critical part of our hunting culture for decades,” Thornton explained. “In our case, it’s how we raise critical conservation funding for wild sheep, but it’s more than that. Sportsmen and women are special breed within our modern society. They are keeping alive an outdoor lifestyle and a commitment to wild places and wild things that should be celebrated. We’re just providing the time and the place.”
SHEEP WEEK® will have all the trimmings. Virtual attendees will enjoy film debuts, seminars, interactive exhibition halls, live streaming, timed and live auctions, presentations, keynote addresses, panel discussions, chat lounges, and chances to win thousands of dollars’ worth of mountain hunting products and services via online contests. Those attending in Reno will have the same opportunities, plus all the live events, receptions, banquets, raffles, and giveaways, along with the ability to reconnect with the mountain game hunting community.
Everyone who registers for SHEEP WEEK®, live by purchasing one or more of our in person banquet events or virtually, will be entered to win a desert sheep hunt in Mexico. Those registering before December 15 will also be entered into a drawing for a $500-floor credit for use in the exhibit halls. Registration is available online at sheepweek.org.
Companies interested in exhibiting can contact WSF’s Expo and Exhibits Manager Mike Aiazzi at maiazzi@wildsheepfoundation.org.
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The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF), based in Bozeman, Mont., was founded in 1977 by wild sheep conservationists and enthusiasts. With a membership of more than 8,500 worldwide, WSF is the premier advocate for wild sheep and other mountain wildlife and their habitats. WSF has raised and expended more than $135 million on wild sheep habitat and population enhancements, education, and conservation advocacy programs in North America, Europe, and Asia to “Put and Keep Wild Sheep On the Mountain”®. These and other efforts have increased bighorn sheep populations in North America from historic lows in the 1950-60s of 25,000 to more than 85,000 today. www.wildsheepfoundation.org.