Since 1982, Outdoor Retailer (OR) has brought the outdoor industry together for commerce, to share ideas, and to provide an experience that has grown into more than a trade show. The community has become family, and for the past five years, the biannual gatherings have taken place in Denver. As the contract expires at the end of the year, (OR) has been exploring options and conferring with the industry to map our next steps.
After much deliberation and input from all sides OR has decided to return to its “basecamp” – Salt Lake City and County.
Moving forward, Outdoor Retailer will bring the community together in January and June at the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center. OR has a strong relationship with Salt Lake City and a committed partner in Mayor Erin Mendenhall, whose values align with the organization’s including investments in clean energy and a strong commitment to public lands. This proved to be a turning point in recent negotiations.
According to OR’s press release announcing the return to Utah, “Salt Lake City and County is our hometown, and we’re going back with a commitment to effecting meaningful change. It would be wrong for us to leave the way we did and simply go back as if nothing happened. In reality, leaving after 2017 has not brought the change we had hoped for, so we will push back, not pull back. We firmly believe that staying engaged and collectively contributing to the ongoing discussion, no matter how difficult, is far more constructive.”
OR stated “significant work is required to achieve change, so we are dedicating resources to making progress.” Among them are:
- Committing revenue over the next three years from Outdoor Retailer events in Utah to fund programs to support outdoor recreation and protect public lands
- Forming the Business with Purpose initiative in partnership with Visit Salt Lake to bring city, county, state and federal officials, public lands and outdoor recreation leaders, and industry stakeholders together for biannual meetings focused on addressing challenges, influencing policy, assisting advocacy efforts, and directing resources into protecting natural and cultural spaces and improving access
- Providing increased opportunities for the industry, local communities, and media to participate in panel discussions, educational activities, and volunteer projects.
OR said it will redefine Outdoor Retailer to meet the needs of the growing outdoor recreation economy, adding channels for the industry to interact directly with consumers and conduct commerce with buyers year-round.
Outdoor Retailer began 40 years ago with a group of adventurers who loved nature and created gear to make it more fun. Today, the community is passionate and actively champions causes and advocates for people and the planet.
In its release, OR said, “We’re incredibly grateful to Denver for nourishing these passions and embracing our amazing community. We’ll gather in Colorado once more, this June [9-11], to reconnect in person, enhance relationships, and celebrate our milestone anniversary.
“As we plan for the coming years back in Salt Lake City and County, we move forward with the same optimism and values that have always guided our industry, and we’re ready to work with you to explore endless opportunities to help our industry grow.”
Denver has been the host of OR for the past five years, but retailers have indicated a desire to return to Salt Lake City because they have wanted easier access to on-water and on-snow demonstration sites to test products.
The event’s new home at the Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake is meant to change that. In general, Salt Lake City has easier access to mountains and lakes than Denver does.
The return to Salt Lake comes as a shock to some, given the issue of public lands in Utah has not been resolved. OR moved to Denver in 2018 partly to protest Utah’s spotty record on protecting public lands, and some believe not enough has changed for OR to return.
Last month, some of the industry’s largest brands pledged to boycott OR if it returns to Utah, arguing the state “leads the fight against designated national monuments and public lands.”
OR said it will donate a portion of show revenue over the next three years to support outdoor recreation and public lands in Utah. It also plans to form an initiative with the Salt Lake City tourism board to bring government officials, outdoor recreation leaders, and industry stakeholders together for biannual meetings.
Show leaders confirmed they also plan changes to the event to open parts of the show to consumers for the first time.
