Emerald, organizers of Outdoor Retailer, announced that the show is returning to Salt Lake City, UT, starting with the January 2023 Winter Market.
In an open industry letter signed by Marisa Nicholson, OR senior vice president and show director, and Jeff Davis, Emerald group vice president, they announced the show would return to its former home at the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center.
“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. Moving forward, 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 letter went on to note a Commitment to Change.
“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.
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 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.
The letter goes on to state OR will redefine the show 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. “We’re moving beyond the walls of a convention center to present unique opportunities for commerce, storytelling, advocacy, knowledge and celebration. We are excited to unveil our plans at this summer’s show.”
lastly, OR expressed gratitude to Denver for hosting the industry the past five years. “We’ll gather in Colorado once more this June 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. We are excited about what the future holds for Outdoor Retailer.”
