Hundreds of outdoor recreation industry representatives rallied at the Utah state capitol yesterday to show their support for preserving public lands in an event that sends one final reminder why they’re moving their lucrative trade show next year to Denver.
They wore hats and held signs that read, “This land is our land” in the Thursday event.
The final Outdoor Retailer show is going on this week in Salt Lake City, which has hosted the twice-yearly show since 1996.
Show organizers announced earlier this year that they would leave Utah over Republican opposition to the designation of a new national monument in Utah and the ongoing push to take more control of federal public lands. They decided that Colorado’s laws are more favorable to the outdoor recreation industry than Utah’s, and that Colorado does a better job of protecting public lands – an issue that is paramount to the group.
Those factors led to the decision to relocate the show to Denver.
The show’s director, Marisa Nicholson, says the move could mean up to $110 million in new revenue for the Mile High City.
