Cowboy Christmas grows in second year with Cowboy Channel

Last year, after decades as a standalone brand, Cowboy Christmas added an official title sponsor, and it couldn’t have been more apropos: The Cowboy Channel, a network available by cable or satellite in more than 42 million American households.

The rebrand was simple, with the annual 10-day expo becoming The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas. The motto was ostensibly, “Welcome Back to Las Vegas,” after the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo was forced to take a one-year hiatus from Vegas, moving to Arlington, Texas, in 2020 because of the pandemic.

During the 2021 Wrangler NFR, Cowboy Christmas and its concurrent RMEF Hunter and Outdoor Christmas Expo were as big and bold as ever, spread across the first and second floors of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s South Hall.

So with more growth coming, what’s the 2022 motto? Bo Gardner, vice president of marketing for Las Vegas Events, has the answer.

“It’s more. More Vegas. More cowboys. More contestants. More shopping. More entertainment.”

Patrick Gottsch, CEO of The Cowboy Channel, backed up Gardner’s assessment.

“We’re really amping it up this year,” Gottsch said. “Cowboy Christmas is the best thing we do all year. For The Cowboy Channel to be associated with such an iconic event and have our name on it, it’s really helped us. It’s just such a great way to market to people.”

All while helping put on a full day of activities for rodeo fans and all those who enjoy the Western lifestyle, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. each day of the NFR. From a huge roster of exhibitors to the live entertainment stage to the NFR Tailgate Party leading up to each night’s rodeo go-round, you could fill a whole day — or perhaps a couple — inside Cowboy Christmas.

“It really is an all-day experience, and every year, we come up with something new,” said Las Vegas Events’ Cheryl Kocvara, show manager for Cowboy Christmas, while touching on one of the new elements for 2022. “We’ve expanded more on the second level, with a Cowboy Christmas Village. It’s a street scene, with things for kids to do. We’re trying to create an experience of more than just shopping.”

The NFR Tailgate Party certainly does that and then some. Broadcast live on The Cowboy Channel from the Ariat Live Stage, it’s an NFR version of an NFL or college football pregame show/party. The Tailgate Party is a lively event for both expogoers and rodeo fans watching on TV across the nation, leading into The Cowboy Channel’s nightly broadcast of each NFR go-round at the Thomas &Mack Center.

“The Tailgate Party is really our best show, and we’re going to ramp that up this year,” Gottsch said. “It’s our most popular show, a 2.5-hour tailgate, just like before the Super Bowl. We’re gonna add some music and have athletes stopping by — ones competing in the NFR and icons in the sport.”

Also under The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas roof will again be the Junior World Finals, contested in the Wrangler Rodeo Arena on the second floor of the South Hall. More than 800 young cowboys and cowgirls will take part in the event.

And of course, the shopping opportunities abound with hundreds upon hundreds of exhibitors.

Gardner said The Cowboy Channel’s title sponsorship created a tremendous ripple effect.

“This year, the amount of people who want to come in as (lower-tier) sponsors is growing. They like their name being associated with The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas,” Gardner said. “It just grows the excitement so much more.”

And it further demonstrates the perfect match of The Cowboy Channel with Cowboy Christmas.

“The people at Las Vegas Events have been so good to us,” Gottsch said. “We broadcast live 10 hours a day during the NFR, and about half of it originates from and is produced at Cowboy Christmas. It’s a great partnership.”

Gardner couldn’t agree more, noting The Cowboy Channel’s involvement is less as a sponsor and more as a partner.

“Of course there’s a contract, but there’s also that handshake. We felt so good about the handshake,” Gardner said. “That’s a partnership, a true partnership.”