Outdoor Retailer, one of the world’s largest gatherings of outdoor gear and apparel brands, has announced its intention to relocate to Denver, Colorado.
Previously held in Salt Lake City, Utah, Outdoor Retailer (OR) made the decision to leave Utah back in February, after politicians there imposed a string of public policy decisions—including the proposed delisting of Bear’s Ear National Monument as a federally protected national monument—that many in the outdoor industry view as harmful to the overall state of outdoor recreation in America.
The decision comes after 18 months of intense negotiations between Visit Denver and OR parent company Emerald Expositions.
“At the outset of the process, we established criteria that not only addressed the required logistics to host a successful show, but also evaluated the alignment of our industry values,” reads a press release on OutdoorRetailer.com. “Denver and the state of Colorado are passionate about protecting and nurturing outdoor recreation, which is critical to the growth of our industry. The Mayor, the Governor, Colorado’s Outdoor Recreation Industry Office and Visit Denver not only accommodated all our needs to run a successful show, but also welcomed us with open arms.”
According to the Denver Post, which broke the story yesterday ahead of the official industry announcement, the widely renowned bi-annual trade show has signed on to a 5 year deal with the city, extending into January of 2018.
