DENVER (BRAIN) — After a contentious move from its long-time home in Utah to Denver five years ago, Emerald Expositions says its Outdoor Retailer trade show is going back to Utah next winter.
"Our community has become family, and for the past five years we’ve held our biannual gatherings in Denver. As our contract nears its natural end after 2022, we’ve been exploring our options and conferring with the industry to map our next steps," the show's organizers said.
"After much deliberation and input from all sides, we’ve decided the best move for Outdoor Retailer is to return to our basecamp. We’re heading back to Salt Lake City and County to the place we grew up and where our industry matured into the dynamic and powerful community it is today."
The show's summer and winter events will now be held at the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.
"We have a strong relationship with Salt Lake City and a committed partner in Mayor Erin Mendenhall, whose values align with ours following tremendous investments in clean energy and a strong commitment to public lands. This proved to be a real turning point in our recent negotiations," the show said.
Several major outdoor industry brands recently said they would not attend a Utah show because of the state's stance on public lands.
But show organizers said the move to Denver accomplished little.
"In reality, leaving (Utah) 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," the event said.
There is more on this story on Outside Business Journal.
