After a lengthy selection process, Outdoor Retailer is leaving Denver and returning to Salt Lake City beginning in 2023.
The trade show decided to make the move even though some large industry brands including Patagonia and The North Face said they would boycott the event if it returned to Salt Lake because they believe Utah’s leaders are trying to weaken protections for national monuments and public lands.
OR had been based in Salt Lake for 22 years, but moved to Denver in 2018 after Utah lawmakers asked former President Donald Trump to repeal the newly designated Bears Ears National Monument.
“After much deliberation and input from all sides, we’ve decided the best move for Outdoor Retailer is to return to our basecamp,” Outdoor Retailer SVP and Show Director Marisa Nicholson and Emerald Group Vice President Jeff Davis said in a letter to attendees released this morning.
In the letter, they acknowledged that the move from Salt Lake did not lead to the change in the state that OR had hoped for. The new philosophy going forward is to “push back, not pull back,” they said.
“We firmly believe that staying engaged and collectively contributing to the ongoing discussion, no matter how difficult, is far more constructive.”
We asked Marisa a few questions about the move.
Why is Salt Lake City a more attractive location than Denver?
Outdoor Retailer SVP and Show Director Marisa Nicholson: The decision to move back to Salt Lake City was not an easy one. It took months of long, honest and meaningful conversations with brands, retailers and attendees.
It was critical for us to consider how best to honor the steadfast value and importance of protecting public lands. In addition, we had to balance our experience for hosting successful shows and what that criteria looked like moving forward – especially relating to having engaging demo locations nearby for both the summer and winter shows.
Many attendees also told us they felt their budgets go further in Salt Lake. Taking all of those factors into consideration, we feel the right decision is to return to Salt Lake City for the next three years, 2023-2025.
With this decision comes the responsibility of proactive commitment to do more to protect public lands, in Utah and nationally. This commitment is embodied in our new ongoing initiative of dedicating resources to fund programs focused on outdoor recreation and protecting public lands. We will also be partnering with Visit Salt Lake on the development of the Business with Purpose initiative to give our industry a seat at the table.
The decision to leave Salt Lake City in 2017 was driven by the belief and hope that this change might push public policy initiatives in the right direction. We believe that by having Outdoor Retailer present and its voice louder in these important public lands discussions gives us all a better chance at arriving at constructive solutions.
Several of the biggest brands in the outdoor industry said they will boycott the show if it returns to SLC. Why go forward with the move if this is the case?
Marisa Nicholson: Our goal has always been to unite our industry. And we believe that having an ongoing dialogue with policy makers on the ground can accomplish more. Our plan is to be actively engaged with key decision makers in the state and to speak and gather to discuss issues upon which we may disagree.
We are the first to admit significant work is required to achieve change, so we are dedicating resources to making progress. To start, we 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.
- Providing increased opportunities for the industry, local communities, and media to participate in panel discussions, educational activities, and volunteer projects.
The January 2022 show in Denver was quite small compared to past shows. Are there indications that OR will be able to rebuild attendance in the future? Are there any special programs or efforts to get more brands to return to the show?
Marisa Nicholson: All industry shows have experienced change throughout the pandemic, which for us has allowed us to reimagine the show and explore ways to incorporate new opportunities for commerce, storytelling, advocacy, knowledge, and celebration.
We are looking at different options and platforms to keep our industry connected year-round through opportunities with Elastic Suite, matchmaking tools, and more.
With the move to Salt Lake we’ll also be able to provide nearby opportunities for on-water demos in the summer and on-snow demos at the winter show. We want the show to grow and be more meaningful for all attendees. We’re excited about what’s ahead.
