BERKELEY, Calif. (BRAIN) — GU Energy Labs said Wednesday that it was joining the number of outdoor brands pulling out of the biannual Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City over Utah lawmakers' opposition to policies on public lands including the designation of the Bears Ears National Monument. Additionally, the nutritionals company stated that will not attend any trade show in Utah — including Interbike, should it relocate there — while state policy on public lands remains "inimical to GU core values."
Salt Lake City is one of four locations — the others are Las Vegas, Denver and Anaheim, California — that Interbike is considering for its 2018 edition. This year's show remains in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Convention Center.
"This decision was not made lightly as the GU Energy brand has been a mainstay at both Outdoor Retailer and Interbike, the largest annual industry bike show for the last 20 years," the company stated. "While GU plans to stay engaged with its peers in the outdoor industry community, today, GU sends a strong message to Utah's political leadership that they should halt their efforts to undermine our public lands system, and the Bears Ears National Monument."
In lieu of its expenditure on Outdoor Retailer, GU said it has donated $25,000 to the Conservation Alliance's new Public Lands Defense Fund and will work to build awareness around Bears Ears National Monument and other threatened public lands.
Patagonia, Arc'Teryx and Polartec are among the other high-profile brands to announce this month that they are pulling out of Outdoor Retailer in protest over Utah lawmakers' positions on public lands.
