Anytime you are away from home for an extended period, it feels good to be back. That was the case for this year’s eBay Motors Off-Road Expo, Presented by General Tire, returning to the Fairplex in Pomona, California. Attendees and exhibitors alike were excited to be back at the Fairplex and the traditional home of the event.
This year’s Off-Road Expo brought back many past familiar features and some new ones. The Fox Factory Proving Grounds, powered by Firestone in partnership with Hammerking Productions, gave attendees a place to ride along in Jeeps outfitted with Firestone tires but also gave way to high-flying action a couple of times each day.
The Rubicon Overland Experience presented by 4-Wheel Parts gave attendees a firsthand experience of what it feels like to be in a rig built for extreme off-road conditions. The SCORE International Experience returned to the Off-Road Expo, which once again featured the SCORE Baja 1000 map unveiling.
New this year was the Overland Village which showcased overland exhibitors and vehicles. Everything that could be needed to make time outdoors enjoyable and off-road, from rooftop tents to storage mounting solutions, could be found in the Overland Village.
Terra Crew brought out some of the biggest names on social media and let them showcase their vehicles on the demo course, as well as bringing together the largest display of prerunners in the Terra Crew Takeover. Blake Wilkey, Darren Parsons, and the Isenhouer brothers brought their trucks for attendees to check out.
“Off-road Expo is one of my favorite events of the year where SoCal off-road enthusiasts show up heavy,” Blake Wilkey said. “The fact we get to do demos and make some noise to entertain the crowd is always a blast and something I look for every year.”
If you were in the market to purchase products for your vehicle, the biggest companies in the industry were on display at the event. From showcasing new products to speaking directly to these manufacturers, the Off-Road Expo is the perfect event to check out, not to mention all the show specials that exhibitors offer.
“Falken Tires enjoys coming and showing our products for the visitors that come and engage us at our rig,” Doug Fletcher of Falken Tires said. “The Off-Road Expo has large crowds of fans of off-road and overlanding that are looking for quality products that perform at a low price. Falken Tires used the show as a platform to showcase our all-new Wildpeak R/T tire.”
Overall there were 17,000 attendees with 88.5-percent satisfaction ratings, 76-percent reported purchasing products, and 90-percent of attendees said they are likely to return next year. The show specials offered by the exhibitors on hand allowed attendees to buy products for their vehicles, as 76-percent of attendees reported purchasing products at the show, and a third spent over $500 at the show. Attendees this year were most interested in accessories, suspension, lighting, and overlanding/camping products.
Next, the Off-Road Expo will bring the same excitement to Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, for Off-Road Expo Arizona on October 15th and 16th. For more information on this event or to purchase tickets, be sure to visit the event website.