CARV Expo
CARV Expo is an annual B2B trade show produced by RedlineXpo LLC at the San Diego Convention Center, serving surf, skate, and outdoor lifestyle brands and retailers on the U.S. West Coast. The 2026 edition featured 160+ exhibitor brands and 1,250+ attendees from 27 states plus international markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CARV Expo does
CARV Expo is an annual B2B trade show serving the U.S. action sports and outdoor lifestyle industry, with a specific focus on surf and skate retailers and brands. Founded in 2024 by RedlineXpo LLC (CEO Evan Shoda, co-founder Josh Rifkin) and headquartered in San Diego, California, the event is held at the San Diego Convention Center and explicitly positions itself as the only dedicated West Coast trade show for the category. The inaugural edition ran June 20-22, 2025 with 115+ brands and 1,250+ attendees; the second edition (May 14-15, 2026) expanded to 160+ brands (+37%) with attendees from 27 U.S. states plus Mexico, Curaçao, and the Bahamas. The show floor spans 70,000+ square feet and has been recognized by Trade Show News Network (TSNN) for its launch.
CARV generates revenue through three primary streams: exhibitor booth fees (transparent pricing with no hidden fees and included drayage/cart services), attendee registration fees, and sponsorship packages (Earthpack, Olukai, Shoks). The go-to-market combines direct exhibitor sales through an online booth portal, a dedicated Key Accounts Manager for buyer outreach, and partnerships with the Board Retailers Association (BRA), SURFER Magazine, San Diego Sports Innovators (SDSI), Yüth Magazine, and American Surf Magazine to drive attendance and credibility. An Advisory Board of retail leaders shapes show direction, and recurring programs (SURFER Emerging Brand Grant, SDSI Spotlight Grant) feed a pipeline of emerging exhibitors.
There is no proprietary technology platform or software product; CARV is fundamentally a physical event production and community curation business layered onto RedlineXpo's broader trade show portfolio (which also includes The Reunion in Las Vegas and The Rocky Mountain Apparel, Gift & Resort Show in Denver). Reported buyer outcomes are strong: 97% of buyers wrote orders at the show or left planning to, 83% discovered a new product, 84% have purchasing influence, and more than half manage over $500K in annual buying.
CARV Expo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CARV Expo
- Legal name
- RedlineXpo LLC
- Website
- https://carvexpo.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CARV Expo is an annual B2B trade show produced by RedlineXpo LLC at the San Diego Convention Center, serving surf, skate, and outdoor lifestyle brands and retailers on the U.S. West Coast. The 2026 edition featured 160+ exhibitor brands and 1,250+ attendees from 27 states plus international markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CARV Expo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Show & Event Services
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industry-Specific B2B Trade Show Organizers (THAHABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Industry Trade Shows & Expos (MPAGAGAA)
Keywords
Where CARV Expo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CARV Expo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Exhibitor booth fees: Brands pay for booth space at the trade show. Pricing is transparent with no hidden fees. Exhibitors receive included services like drayage and cart services.
- Attendee registration fees: Retailers and buyers pay to attend the trade show. Registration opens annually with early-bird pricing.
- Sponsorship packages: Companies like Earthpack, Olukai, and Shoks sponsor the event. Sponsors receive brand visibility on the CARV Expo website and event materials.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Standard booth packages for brands |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
CARV Expo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CARV Expo produces an annual B2B trade show held at the San Diego Convention Center that brings together action sports, surf, skate, bike, outdoor, and coastal lifestyle brands (exhibitors) with specialty retailers and buyers (attendees) for product discovery, order writing, and industry networking. Revenue is generated through exhibitor booth sales, attendee registration, and event sponsorships, with supporting programs including the SURFER Emerging Brand Grant, the SDSI Spotlight Grant, and a retail Advisory Board that shapes show direction.
Product overview
CARV Expo is a trade show/event company that organizes the CARV Expo, the only West Coast action sports and outdoor lifestyle trade show. The event brings together surf, skate, bike, outdoor, adventure, and coastal lifestyle brands with retailers at the San Diego Convention Center. The company also operates supporting programs including the SURFER Emerging Brand Grant and maintains an Advisory Board of industry retailers. CARV Expo 2027 is scheduled for May 13-14, 2027 at the San Diego Convention Center.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CARV Expo Trade Show Annual B2B trade show held at the San Diego Convention Center that brings together action sports, surf, skate, bike, outdoor, and coastal lifestyle brands (exhibitors) with specialty retailers and buyers (attendees) for product discovery, seasonal order writing, and industry networking. Features a 70,000+ sq ft show floor.
- Exhibitor Booth Packages Booth space sold to action sports, surf, skate, outdoor, and lifestyle brands for exhibiting at CARV Expo, with transparent flat-rate pricing, no hidden fees, and included services such as drayage and cart services.
- Attendee Registration Registration sold to specialty surf, skate, outdoor, apparel, footwear, and resort retailers and buyers to attend CARV Expo, with early-bird pricing available annually.
- SURFER Emerging Brand Grant Grant program co-sponsored with SURFER Magazine that awards booth space at CARV Expo to emerging surf brands, supporting new entrants into the action sports retail channel.
Quantifiable outcome
- 97% of buyers wrote orders at the show or left planning to
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use CARV Expo
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CARV Expo technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
CARV Expo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- SURFER MagazinecoreOfficial media partner of CARV Expo. SURFER magazine covers CARV events, provides editorial features, and co-sponsors the SURFER Emerging Brand Grant program that awards booth spaces to emerging surf brands.
- Board Retailers Association (BRA)coreOfficial Retailer Partner of CARV Expo. BRA is a nonprofit helping independent specialty retailers in surf, skate, outdoor adventures. BRA executives participate in show sessions and provide industry advocacy.
- San Diego Sports Innovators (SDSI)supportingPartnership launched in 2026. SDSI supports the sports and active lifestyle industry in San Diego. SDSI awards the SDSI Spotlight Grant to emerging brands for booth space at CARV.
- Yüth MagazinesupportingNew partnership for 2026. Yüth Magazine is an action sports publication focused on next-generation surfers, skaters, and creatives. They have presence on show floor and promote CARV to younger audiences.
- American Surf MagazinesupportingMedia partner providing coverage of CARV Expo events and exhibitors.
- RedlineXpo LLCcoreRedlineXpo LLC is the parent company and event producer behind CARV Expo. Led by CEO Evan Shoda, RedlineXpo also produces The Reunion (Las Vegas) and The Rocky Mountain Apparel, Gift & Resort Show (Denver).
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CARV Expo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Agenda Show: Agenda is a leading action sports, lifestyle, and streetwear B2B trade show held in Long Beach and other locations, attracting many of the same surf, skate, and apparel brands and specialty retailers as CARV. It is a primary competitor for exhibitor booth dollars and buyer attention in the action sports space.
- Surf Expo: Surf Expo is the largest and longest-running surf, skate, and beach lifestyle B2B trade show in the U.S., held twice yearly in Orlando, Florida. It directly competes with CARV for the same exhibitor brands and surf/skate retail buyers, and is the incumbent CARV most directly positions against by serving the West Coast gap.
- Liberty Fairs: Liberty Fairs is a contemporary men's and lifestyle B2B trade show with strong action sports and surf heritage, historically held in Las Vegas. It competes for the same boutique apparel and lifestyle brand exhibitor pool and serves many of the same specialty retailers.
- Rocky Mountain Apparel, Gift & Resort Show: Also produced by RedlineXpo, this Denver-based show targets resort, gift, and apparel retailers with action sports and lifestyle crossover. It is a sister event sharing the RedlineXpo operational platform and many of the same exhibitor relationships.
- POOL Tradeshow: POOL is a curated surf, skate, and lifestyle B2B trade show held alongside MAGIC in Las Vegas. It targets an overlapping brand and specialty retail base as CARV with a similar authenticity-first curation philosophy, making it a like-positioned peer.
- The Reunion: The Reunion is a Las Vegas-based B2B trade show for action sports brands and retailers, also produced by RedlineXpo (CARV's parent). It targets the same exhibitor and buyer base as CARV but with a Vegas/indoor format, making it both a portfolio peer and a potential substitute for exhibitor budget.
Emerging players
- Surf Summit: Surf Summit is a smaller, invitation-based surf industry gathering focused on brand-building and executive networking rather than booth-based ordering. It is comparable to CARV in its surf focus and West Coast/regional orientation but plays a complementary rather than directly substitutive role.
Broad incumbents
- Outdoor Retailer: Outdoor Retailer is the largest U.S. outdoor and action sports B2B trade show, owned by Emerald and held in Salt Lake City and Denver. It attracts a much broader outdoor and lifestyle exhibitor base than CARV, including many surf/action brands, and represents a large-scale incumbent that exhibitors and outdoor buyers also use.
- Action Sports Retailer Expo (ASR): ASR Trade Expo (now produced by Informa via Surf Expo) is a long-running action sports and surf B2B trade show with deep roots in the specialty retail channel. It shares many exhibitors and retailer attendees with CARV and is a comparable incumbent in the surf/skate B2B trade show space.
- MAGIC / PROJECT: MAGIC is a large apparel and accessories B2B trade show in Las Vegas with surf, skate, and action sports segments under PROJECT and STITCH. Many surf and streetwear brands exhibit at both CARV and MAGIC/PROJECT to reach different buyer cohorts.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CARV Expo social profiles
Digital presenceCARV Expo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CARV Expo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
CARV Expo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CARV Expo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CARV Expo
What does CARV Expo do?
CARV Expo produces an annual B2B trade show held at the San Diego Convention Center that brings together action sports, surf, skate, bike, outdoor, and coastal lifestyle brands (exhibitors) with specialty retailers and buyers (attendees) for product discovery, order writing, and industry networking. Revenue is generated through exhibitor booth sales, attendee registration, and event sponsorships, with supporting programs including the SURFER Emerging Brand Grant, the SDSI Spotlight Grant, and a retail Advisory Board that shapes show direction.
Is CARV Expo a public or private company?
CARV Expo is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CARV Expo founded?
CARV Expo was founded in 2024. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CARV Expo based?
CARV Expo is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does CARV Expo make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Exhibitor booth fees are the primary driver. The others are attendee registration fees and sponsorship packages.
Who are CARV Expo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Agenda Show, Surf Expo, Liberty Fairs, Rocky Mountain Apparel, Gift & Resort Show, POOL Tradeshow and The Reunion. Surf Summit is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Outdoor Retailer, Action Sports Retailer Expo (ASR) and MAGIC / PROJECT.
Does CARV Expo have an API?
No public API is recorded for CARV Expo.
What industry is CARV Expo in?
CARV Expo's product category is Trade Show & Event Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHABAB, Industry-Specific B2B Trade Show Organizers, with a secondary code of MPAGAGAA, Industry Trade Shows & Expos. Its SIC code is 7900.