Outdoor Retailer show moving to Utah despite boycott threats

The Outdoor Retailer trade show is moving the event from Denver back to Salt Lake City next year despite threats from big-name recreation companies and an environmental group to boycott the event over the move

DENVER -- The Outdoor Retailer trade show will move the event back to Salt Lake City from Denver next year despite threats from an environmental group and big-name recreation companies to boycott the biannual event over the move.

Critics of holding the event in Utah say the state's politicians oppose efforts to protect national monuments and public lands.

But Emerald X, the publicly traded company that owns the show held twice a year, told stakeholders in a letter announcing the move Thursday that it can better promote the outdoor recreation industry and fight for environmental protections from its longstanding base in Utah — where the show was held for decades before moving to Denver in 2018.

“Salt Lake City is our hometown, and we're going back with a commitment to effecting meaningful change,” the company said. “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.”