Association of Partners for Public Lands
Engaging the public in caring for our nation's natural and cultural resources

Each year, millions of people visit America’s national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and other public lands. At many of these areas, not-for-profit partner organizations, known as “cooperating” or “interpretive” associations, enhance these visits through information, interpretive products, and other visitor services. The associations provide high-quality, agency-approved publications, maps, videos, theme-related merchandise, and educational programs to help visitors understand the sites’ natural and cultural significance.

Associations produce or purchase for sale the finest publications and other merchandise related to the themes and resources of the areas they serve. The purchases visitors make at a cooperating or interpretive association sales outlet generate revenues that help support additional interpretation, education, and visitor service programs.

Vendors who have appropriate products for this market may obtain information about working with the associations by contacting them directly. Each association chooses products that best fit their scope of sales and mission. Products are then presented by the association to their agency partner(s) for approval. For a list of our members visit the APPL Member Directory .

The APPL Vendor Support Program (VSP) was created in 1997 in response to vendor requests to be better informed about APPL and its member associations.

APPL Sponsors &  Benefactors receive:

• Subscriptions to APPL publications
• APPL membership labels for promotional use
• Product announcements in APPL's Newswire
• Early registration and booth selection for APPL's annual trade show
• Published recognition of support.

Reasons To Exhibit at the APPL Annual Trade Show:

• One-stop selling to buyers who purchase for more than 480 outlets across the U.S.

• Personal contact with members of product review teams from many government agencies

• Help further the mission of APPL and its members by providing high quality products and innovative services to help educate and inform the American public about their natural and cultural heritage

• Free exhibitor session - Getting to Know APPL and Its Members

• Posting of your company and show specials to the APPL Web site

• Convention schedule designed to encourage participant traffic at the show

Who Attends the Show?
Buyers are senior staff members of cooperating and interpretive associations. These nonprofit organizations have formal agreements with government agencies to operate sales outlets in visitor centers and other facilities located on public lands. They are educated, targeted shoppers looking for new and established products and services, as well as customizable items. This national event draws approximately 70 qualified buyers representing over 480 outlets from across the United States, including Hawaii, Alaska, and the Territories.

However, buyers are not the only people to see at the APPL show! Government agency representatives involved in approving items cooperating and interpretive associations sell also attend the Trade Show to become familiar with products and services, and to request items for review. These government representatives include employees from the following public land agencies:

• National Park Service

• US Fish and Wildlife Service

• Bureau of Land Management

• USDA Forest Service

• Bureau of Reclamation

• US Army Corps of Engineers

• US Geological Survey

• State and Local Agency Representatives

Board members from cooperating and interpretive associations also enjoy visiting the Trade Show to review new products and services their association might sell or provide.

What Should I Know as a 1st Time Exhibitor?
Most buyers can only purchase items that have gone through an “approval process.” Although cooperating and interpretive associations make their own buying decisions they still must receive approval from their government agency partner for each item they sell. Government agencies have their own selection guidelines and review process, which can take anywhere from one month to more than a year. As a result of these review processes, the APPL Annual Trade Show tends to be a “preview” show for new exhibitors. Cooperating and interpretive association buyers are loyal. Once products are approved and relationships are established, business usually continues for many years. The show then becomes a “selling” show for returning exhibitors.